Avlis policy on: Character Names

[Orleron]

Please folks, no stupid names. This whole thing would go a lot easier if you just didn't make dumb names to begin with.

Major DM's and Senior DM's, I am investing you with the power to tell a Player that they must start a new character if YOU THINK their name is over the top. If you continue to see them playing the character with the stupid name, tell me and I will take it out of the vault.

This is a ROLEPLAYING server folks. I don't want any slow degeneration into an i33t dood server because of stupid-ass names. So don't even let it start the ball rolling by having names like Omagodhees Hungwell. We WILL smack you down on these kinds of names, and it would be a shame if we let you get to 10th level before we did it, but I'm not above that for the preservation of the quality of this world.

You've all been warned.

[tindertwiggy]

just a tip: if you have to ask, don't use the name. It will make it easier for all of us.

[Aradan Kir]

Here's a good website for generating some fantasy names in various styles and genders.

http://spitfire.ausys.se/johan/names/default.htm

[Brannor]

http://ebon.pyorre.net/

For those that have the creative genes of a pair of sneakers.

[Alexandru Stanicu]

Is it okay to name characters after their class or appearence?

For example, I make a Ranger, I call them Ranger, so floaty name says Ranger.

Or, Hermit the Hermit has Hermit above his name and people call him Hermit, okay so that one doesn't work as well, but you get the idea.

just a tip: if you have to ask, don't use the name. It will make it easier for all of us.

-Alexandru Stanicu
Avlis Team, Senior DM

[WrathOG777]

repost from previous name thread:

If you want to pick a name, but need a large source of names there are many literary works that have tons of names. Some with meanings, others just names.

The majority of english names seem to be from the bible. Mark, luke, paul, etc. There are namy chapters that are almost exclusively lists of names. Just pick two and make one the first, one the last.

Shakesphere has tons of good middle age, renosance type manes in his works. Just thumb through one of his works and pick two.

Here is a site with Celtic, Gaelic, Irish, and Scottish Names.
http://www.crosswinds.net/~daire/names/main.html

German and Polish names
http://www.atsnotes.com/other/gerpol.html

Norse names: By the way, dwarfs are norse mytholigy so dwarf names are norse.
http://www.vikinganswerlady.com/ONNames.htm

African names
http://www.swagga.com/name.htm

Japanese names
http://business.baylor.edu/Phil_VanAuke ... Names.html

Latin names
http://freereg.rootsweb.com/howto/latinnames.htm

In that is not enough to work with, then you are one picky mofo. Just leave it blank.

[Vecna]

Great site for finding names of basically any kind, as well as their meaning if you want something more behind it.

http://www.kabalarians.com/html/surf-by.htm

Try out your own names just for fun, you could be amazed at what you find...

(note that I have no idea what the rest of the site is all about, it's the names that are interesting...)

[Aloro]

There's a grey area here called "DM Discretion". It's up to our DMs to decide whether a given name is inappropriate. There are some guidelines you can follow to help avoid this issue, but few hard and fast rules.

The simplest guideline, to reiterate, is this:

If you're not sure it's appropriate, don't do it.

- Aloro

[Deider]

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Please folks, no stupid names. This whole thing would go a lot easier if you just didn't make dumb names to begin with.

Major DM's and Senior DM's, I am investing you with the power to tell a Player that they must start a new character if YOU THINK their name is over the top. If you continue to see them playing the character with the stupid name, tell me and I will take it out of the vault.


This is a ROLEPLAYING server folks. I don't want any slow degeneration into an i33t dood server because of stupid-ass names. So don't even let it start the ball rolling by having names like Omagodhees Hungwell. We WILL smack you down on these kinds of names, and it would be a shame if we let you get to 10th level before we did it, but I'm not above that for the preservation of the quality of this world.

You've all been warned.

With the introduction of changelings and an influx of new players thanks to being featured on Bioware's website, it looks like it is time to remind everyone about the naming policy here.

Many people have asked, "What does Orleron mean by a 'stupid name'?" What is common sense for Orleron may not be for others. Well, I can't tell you what he means, because I'm not him. But he has given myself, as well as the other Senior DMs and Major DMs, the authority to force players to abandon playing a character if we feel that character's name is over the top. So I'll tell you here and now what types of names I'll force you to abandon if I see them:

- generic names/titles, such as Guard, Badger, Commoner, A Small Boy, etc. Using such names can be construed as impersonating an NPC, and since NPCs are the domain of DMs, it can be construed as impersonating a DM. New players who are not familiar with NWN may not realize that a PC with such a name is a player and not a DM, and if a player with such a character griefs a newbie, then it looks very bad for Avlis, and I'll not have that.

- names that include or are only made up of punctuation. So names like @ or --- are out. Why? Because while we try to ignore the floaty name as much as possible for PCs, seeing a bunch of punctuation instead of names can really ruin the IC immersion when people play.

- names with titles appended to them. "Francis Hamm" is fine, but "Francis Hamm, Destroyer of Worlds" is not. Neither is "Francis Hamm, Baron of Blandenberg" or "Francis Hamm, Pet Detective."

- i33tspeak names.

- names written entirely in capital letters.

- names like Hugh Jass, Mike Hunt, Harry Balls, or I.P. Freely.

- names of celebrities, historical figures, and fictional characters. I take a very wide interpretation when I say "fictional characters." I include not just literature but also television, movies, cartoons, anime, and comics/manga. As much as you might want to name your character James Tiberius Kirk, Bruce Banner, Ranma, Sherlock Holmes, etc., resist the temptation. I really don't care how obscure the name is - if I don't know it, another team member or player will.

This last one is a bit of a pet peeve of mine. Players should play their own character on Avlis, their own individual unique character, not a copy of someone who has already existed. I don't want to roleplay with Batman. I don't want to roleplay with Gandalf or Drizzt. I don't want to roleplay with someone who's basically taking someone else's creation, someone else's character, and is injecting it into Avlis like heroin into a vein. This is a place to explore your creativity, your uniqueness, a place to create and explore a character that is truly yours. Emulating a character from film or literature that has inspired you or that you think is cool is fine, but don't copy it all the way down to the name. Base your character on that concept and expand on it from there.

For those of you who don't want the name in the character field to represent your character's name for various reasons (changeling, grifter with multiple identities, etc.), then either create a character with no name or use the random name generator and ignore the result in-game. It's as simple as that.

[Vergilius]

- generic names/titles, such as Guard, Badger, Commoner, A Small Boy, etc. Using such names can be construed as impersonating an NPC, and since NPCs are the domain of DMs, it can be construed as impersonating a DM. New players who are not familiar with NWN may not realize that a PC with such a name is a player and not a DM, and if a player with such a character griefs a newbie, then it looks very bad for Avlis, and I'll not have that.

Two names regarding that that I couldn't figure out if they fell into that category would be "Pseudodragon" and "A Simple vagabond". Those sound like they would fall into the above category, but others said they didn't. Can we get a final ruling on those names please?

I think its best if you just let the DMs here handle it. If there is a problem with a name, we'll tell the person IG about it. We do not want players playing Police with other playes.

[Deider]

To reiterate, the policy is simply "No Stupid Names." It's the perogative of Senior and Major DMs to allow or disallow certain names as we see them in-game, as Orleron has granted us that authority. So we can't say absolutely which names are OK and which names are not. It depends on the DM - you could play with a character, and even be in DM events, for 10 levels, and then one day a Senior or Major DM might tell you that your PC's name is unacceptable. You are just going to have to trust that we DMs are simply trying to keep Avlis consistent and in line with Orleron's vision, and that we are not trying to be the "Name Police" and hose you.

PS - for what it's worth, I'd not allow either name in Enverex's question; both are too easy to be construed as DM-controlled NPCs.

[Pleco]

Can you call yourself bandit if you're a bandit that goes by the nickname bandit but has a real name written in his bio?

[Jonezie]

Can you call yourself bandit if you're a bandit that goes by the nickname bandit but has a real name written in his bio?

just a tip: if you have to ask, don't use the name. It will make it easier for all of us.

- generic names/titles, such as Guard, Badger, Commoner, A Small Boy, etc. Using such names can be construed as impersonating an NPC, and since NPCs are the domain of DMs, it can be construed as impersonating a DM. New players who are not familiar with NWN may not realize that a PC with such a name is a player and not a DM, and if a player with such a character griefs a newbie, then it looks very bad for Avlis, and I'll not have that.

[Eef]

- generic names/titles, such as Guard, Badger, Commoner, A Small Boy, etc. Using such names can be construed as impersonating an NPC, and since NPCs are the domain of DMs, it can be construed as impersonating a DM. New players who are not familiar with NWN may not realize that a PC with such a name is a player and not a DM, and if a player with such a character griefs a newbie, then it looks very bad for Avlis, and I'll not have that.

This goes for familiars as well. Having a raven called Raven or a fairy called An O'ma Fairy is not allowed. Everyone who has such a name for his familiar, please change it on the next levelup.

[Krator]

I have a hell hound called Hell Hound.

I can't change his name because I won't level up as sorcerer again.

Is this allowed because there is no NPC hell hound around anywhere? Otherwise someone would have to edit my .bic to change it's name into D'Raht.

Gamespy: xXxKratorxXx
Character: Krator Blackfist

[Xeo]

- generic names/titles, such as Guard, Badger, Commoner, A Small Boy, etc. Using such names can be construed as impersonating an NPC, and since NPCs are the domain of DMs, it can be construed as impersonating a DM. New players who are not familiar with NWN may not realize that a PC with such a name is a player and not a DM, and if a player with such a character griefs a newbie, then it looks very bad for Avlis, and I'll not have that.

This goes for familiars as well. Having a raven called Raven or a fairy called An O'ma Fairy is not allowed. Everyone who has such a name for his familiar, please change it on the next levelup.

Well if this has been in place how come my "old" PC Isamu had a Raven called Raven for 14 months and so has Sunscream though I am not speaking for him in anyway.


Its quite frustrating this only come about now after so long.

Also the name above a a Familar is OOC information and its the Roleplay that a player should be concerntrating on.

But if its to teams wish upon this then so be it.

Does'nt mean I have to like it.

[Xeo]

if a player with such a character griefs a newbie, then it looks very bad for Avlis, and I'll not have that.

Just read that quote.....

Yes I do agree on that.

Shame that idoits out there do shit like this then the genuine RPers suffer.

Like 10 years ago at school. Tits in the classroom really do spoil it for the rest.

I change my Ravens name when I lvl up next.

[darthjee]

- names with titles appended to them. "Francis Hamm" is fine, but "Francis Hamm, Destroyer of Worlds" is not. Neither is "Francis Hamm, Baron of Blandenberg" or "Francis Hamm, Pet Detective."

i am just checking if a name such as "Rafhael son of L'orel" would be considered title, because there could be a society that don't have a "last name", like a familiar name, but a name that reffers to familiar
(there is also a book where the protagonist start telling his name as <Name> son of <Mother's Name>

thanks

[Naieth]

As long as the names used aren't against the rules the 'xxx son of xxx' is no problem at all.

[GHENGIZ.KHAN]

*Bump*

Some wonderful fluffy names out there recently, thankyou to each one of you that made me smile when I saw you. What is an unacceptable name? The last 18 posts pretty much cover it.

Please, no stupid names.

[TripleAught]

First, I want to welcome all the new players that are joining Avlis. It's great to see new faces. And you've found a community that's very active. Both the Team and the players are here to help get you immersed.

Now, in the last week I've had to ask a few new players to re-make characters to comply with the naming conventions on Avlis. Please read through this thread, and the other rules.

One that often goes hand in hand with naming is the "cheesing" thread, or pretending to have a race or character abilities that you don't and aren't possible through the engine.

If you have questions about the rules (not asking for exceptions) please post in the Ask the Team forum, or send a PM to one of the Avlis DMs.

[Alexandru Stanicu]

Addendum:

If you are told that your name is not allowed, the length of time that you have played that character or the number of levels it has, or the number of people it knows are not considered reasons to avoid changing the name.
We do not activly hunt these things down, we simply deal with them as they are spotted.

Please do not give the DM's a hard time about it.
If you ahve a problem with the name change then what you should do is tell the DM on line that you do not want to change the name at this time but will not play it until it is resolved. Then you should log out, send an email to staff@avlis.org (or PM me) and wait for an answer before you play the character again. (note: If you play the character after telling a DM that you wont until you have heard back you should expect that you will be vault jailed )
Sending the email (or PM) does not ensure that your appeal will be granted, but it will ensure that it will be reviewed and discussed.

[BludDragon]

For example, after two days of playing I was told that my name "BludDragon" was against the rules - as posted in this forum because it was too close to the NWN NPC "Blue Dragon."

Rerolled new character and working with the forum mods to get my forum name to match my ingame name.

Painful - not sure if others can relate to having a PnP name for several years and then being directed to a forum that starts off saying "No stupid names."

I'm a big supporter of community and rules though and appreciate Alexandru's post of resolution.

I am now BloodSky ingame.

[Orleron]

Hey BludDragon,


Sorry for the rocky start. I'm glad everything looks resolved. We are glad to have you here.

One thing to note: you do not have to change your forum name. There is no naming policy on forum names, so feel free to keep it if that's what you'd like to do. Your call.

[Fuzz]

I had a question about the lengths to which the naming conventions can be stretched. For example, we all know that if you make an elf with black skin (which you can't do anymore anyway) and name them Drizzt, you're getting a sitdown with a DM. But how extreme are we going to go with this?

I ask because (and this is an old name) there's a PC that has the same name as a certain Knights of the Old Republic character, and people gave the guy a lot of grief over it. Now, his character is nothing like the character from the game, they just happen to have the same name. So where do we draw the line on cheesy names?

If I make a character named Conan, and he's a Bard/Psion that's waifishly thin and pale... what's wrong with that? Conan is just a name, and a pretty common one in parts of the world. Obviously, certain names that are straight up fantasy are out, like Drizzt, or Anakin, or Gandalf... but yeah... there's a limit to the namschange stick beating, I think.

Hell, apparently there's some character from some fantasy novel series that has the same name as my character. Other than both being the same gender and having the same first name, that's where the similarities end. I had another player PM me ingame once telling me my name was cheesy, however. Maybe the simple solution is for players to just mind their business and let DMs worry about enforcing rules.

[/ramble]