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Monday, May 16, 2011

Viking Names and More Random Tables


Following up yesterday's post, here are some more tables for generating names on the fly.  The wandering monster tables (especially Zone 1, and dungeon level 1) will have a fair number of encounters with other humans.  Instead of encountering Veterans, Traders, Nobles, etc, it'll be much more interesting adding some details using the tables.

Everyone on the island came over on a longship in the spring, and the ships leave by summer's end; the ships are beached up and down the strand near Trade Town, and simple camps are set further up the beach away from the water.  As such, it's possible for adventurers to loosely dentify other groups they might have seen in the camps.  These tables include a list of ship names, adventuring companies, and sample reputations to help provide some color.  (None of these are historical, but should work fine for a fantasy game).  The last one is a list of period female names.

Here's how I see it working:
The party comes across an armed camp in the wilderness (Veterans).  The DM quickly determines the leader is (series of quick rolls) Hamand Thorvardson, whose group goes by the name of "The Jarls-Men".  If the characters have spent much time at Trade Town's drinking hall or otherwise picking up rumors, perhaps they know the Jarls-Men have a reputation for bravery.  Hamand's band of warriors came across on a ship called the Frost Giant's Head.  Perhaps a hostile encounter reaction roll is partially because back home, there's bad blood between one of the player character's family members and someone in Hamand's crew.  Out here, might makes right.

Much more interesting than saying, "You come across another group of Veterans."

NAMES OF SHIPS
1. Bride of Hel
2. The Broadsword
3. Fury of the Jarl
4. Ostland King
5. Blitzer
6. Hammer of Thor
7. Sea wolf
8. Kraken
9. Wolf of the Sea
10. Butcher
11. Vestlander
12. The Grief
13. Sea Eagle
14. Frost Giant's Head
15. Lorelei
16. Spear of Odin
17. Runemaster
18. Pride of Zealand
19. Sigurd's Vengeance
20. Goldhound
21. Terror of the North
22. Sword of Asgard
23. Tooth of Fenrir
24. Stoneheart
25. The Gruesome
26. Plague of the North
27. The Urd
28. Wyrmsblood
29. Sea Axe
30. Freya's Favor

NAMES OF ADVENTURING COMPANIES
1. Bears of Ostland
2. Guides to Valhalla
3. The Black Cloaks
4. Beach Crashers
5. Troll-Slayers
6. Heroes of Legend
7. Looters of Lars
8. Sword Kings
9. The Blood-letters
10. Runolf's Raiders
11. Lords of the Midnight Sun
12. Men of the North
13. Old Wolves
14. Jarl's-Men
15. Shield-Breakers
16. The Sea Eagles
17. The Brave Axes
18. Fists of the North Star
19. Harald's Red Men
20. Fighters of Asgard

20 SAMPLE REPUTATIONS
1. Honorable
2. Arrogant
3. Hostile
4. Friendly
5. Rude
6. Cheerful
7. Skilled
8. Proud
9. Cunning
10. Greedy
11. Deceitful
12. Brave
13. Cowardly
14. Lazy
15. Bloodthirsty
16. Tough
17. Amoral
18. Pious
19. Violent
20. Angry

FEMALE NAMES
1. Arnthrud Fornadottir
2. Astrid
3. Astrid Olafsdatter
4. Bergthora
5. Bodvild Nidudsdatter
6. Borghild of Bralund
7. Brynhildr
8. Dylla
9. Fenja
10. Grimhildr
11. Gudrun Gjukisdatter
12. Gudrun Onundsdatter
13. Halldora Brandsdotter
14. Hallgerda (the vile)
15. Helga Thorsteinsdater
16. Herdis Ketilsdottir
17. Hervor All-wise
18. Hildigunna
19. Hildr
20. Hjordisa Eylimsdatter
21. Ingbjorg
22. Ingibjorg Gudmundsdatter
23. Ingun
24. Jofridr Gunnarsdatter
25. Kormlad
26. Menja
27. Mjoll
28. Olrun Kjarsdatter
29. Ragnheid Thorhallsdottir
30. Rannveig
31. Sigridr (the proud)
32. Sigrun Hognisdatter
33. Svanhildr Sigurdsdatter
34. Swanwhite Hladgud
35. Thora
36. Thordis Ingimundsdatter
37. Thorgerdr Egilsdatter
38. Thorhalla
39. Thuridr
40. Vigdis

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