Random Chart: Generic Creature Names...

Good Morning, All:

It's been a while since I put out a random chart, so today I decided to post a Random Generic Creature Name chart. For this one, I have three parts, one of which is optional. The use of the optional descriptor is primarily to add some flavor to the creature, and perhaps inspire your imagination. After all, if this is a Crested Ridgeback, then what about a regular Ridgeback? The Hairless Frostspawn suggests that there may be a hairy version of the Frostspawn elsewhere in your campaign world. At any rate, I tried to make some interesting choices with the descriptor table. Approximately one-third of all creatures will have a descriptor. (You can adjust this to taste, if you so desire.)

The next two components are not optional. These are the prefix and the suffix of the monster name. For the prefix, I decided to take inspiration from a creature's origin by using terrain features for natural origins and other elements for extraplanar sources. Thus, the creature's name suggests something of where it came from. In some cases, the terrain features also resemble physical features, such as Ridge, and thus may play an optional role in the naming process. (Oh, and I mixed a few colors in there, when I ran out of inspiration that sounded good.)

As for the suffix, I took a number of different routes here. I looked for words that inspired a particular type of creature, such as referring to its attack preference (tooth, horn), its role (spawn, beast) or even its general type (drake, wolf). This was probably the hardest to come up with, but I also think it will lead to some interesting names.

The Descriptor, Prefix and Suffix tables all require the usual d66 roll: that is, roll two six-sided dice, treating one as the 'tens' digit and one as the 'ones' digit. So, a roll of a 2 and a 4 gives us a 24 as the result. As an example of how to create a Random Creature Name, I start by rolling a d6 to get a 1. Per the Creature Name Format table, that means I need to generate a Descriptor, a Prefix and a Suffix. Rolling six d6s in order, I get: 2,4,2,6,2,3. That's a d66 roll of 24, then 26, and finally 23. By consulting the Descriptor table (24), followed by the Prefix table (26) and then the Suffix table (23), I come up with a new creature name: the Deadly Godbug. Hmmmm, sounds like some kind of vermin that infests ruined temples, or given the Hammersong's Legacy setting, perhaps it is some form of scavenging vermin that feeds on the flesh of a fallen god. I immediately picture something the size and coloration of the deadly scarabs from The Mummy, only the size of a german shepherd. Ooo... I could do something with that.

Let's try it again, just to play safe and make sure it works. I start off with a 6, which tells me that I'm just going to roll for a Prefix and a Suffix. Rolling four d6s in a row, I get a Prefix result of 66, and a Suffix result of 54. Behold the Woodsnake, which could be a mobile plant or perhaps a camouflaged reptile that winds its way through the underbrush in a serpentine manner, is often mistaken for a simple vine when lying still, yet strikes swiftly and constricts its prey.

Okay, I'm comfortable that this will work for me. I hope it works for you. If you have any comments or suggestions, please feel free to share them.

With Regards,
Flynn

Table: Creature Name Format

d6	Format
1	[Descriptor] [Prefix][Suffix]
2	[Descriptor] [Prefix][Suffix]
3	[Prefix][Suffix]
4	[Prefix][Suffix]
5	[Prefix][Suffix]
6	[Prefix][Suffix]

Table: Creature Descriptor

d66	Descriptor
11	Abberant
12	Arcane
13	Barbed
14	Bearded
15	Blessed
16	Bristled
21	Common
22	Crested
23	Cursed
24	Deadly
25	Divine
26	Fearsome
31	Feathered
32	Feral
33	Fiery
34	Finned
35	Flightless
36	Foul
41	Frilled
42	Greater
43	Hairless
44	Lesser
45	Maned
46	Miniature
51	Monstrous
52	Ornamental
53	Plumed
54	Quilled
55	Scaled
56	Shaggy
61	Shocking
62	Spiked
63	Tawny
64	Tufted
65	Woolly
66	Wretched

Table: Creature Prefix

d66	Prefix
11	Briar
12	Brown
13	Cairn
14	Cave
15	Chase
16	Crag
21	Demon
22	Ebon
23	Fey
24	Flame
25	Frost
26	God
31	Hell
32	High
33	Hill
34	Ice
35	Land
36	Lava
41	Moon
42	Moor
43	Night
44	Red
45	Ridge
46	River
51	Rock
52	Sand
53	Sea
54	Shadow
55	Star
56	Stone
61	Storm
62	Swamp
63	Tree
64	White
65	Wind
66	Wood

Table: Creature Suffix

d66	Suffix
11	ape
12	back
13	bane
14	beak
15	bear
16	beast
21	bird
22	biter
23	bug
24	calf
25	cat
26	choker
31	claw
32	drake
33	fish
34	gazer
35	ghoul
36	guard
41	hawk
42	horn
43	lord
44	mount
45	ooze
46	pouncer
51	rat
52	raven
53	render
54	snake
55	spawn
56	spitter
61	stag
62	talon
63	tooth
64	whale
65	wolf
66	worm