OneTaskBy Tim King · Updated
Knave Name Generator
Old-School Rogue Names, Careers, Hirelings and Dungeon Names for Knave
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How the Knave Name Generator works
A Knave name generator for old-school fantasy adventures where anyone can be anything. In Knave-style games, characters have no fixed class, just abilities, gear and a colourful past career. Generate rogues and adventurers with careers and epithets, hirelings, dungeons and inns.
How the Knave name generator works
Knaves get short, medieval-sounding names with plain surnames, Sabine Farthing, or an epithet like the Sly. The career option adds a past job, Grave Robber or Knight Errant, since careers give a classless character their flavour. Hirelings get humble names and jobs. Dungeons and inns follow the classic old-school style.
No class, all character
Without a class, the name and career do the work of telling the table who a character is.
Not affiliated
Knave is a game by Ben Milton of Questing Beast. This site is not affiliated with Ben Milton or Questing Beast. All names here are original.
FAQ
What do Knave names sound like?
Short, medieval and a little rough, like Rudd Blackmire or Bess the Lucky. The game is about scrappy adventurers, so names sound more like rogues than noble heroes.
Why add a career?
Knave characters have no class, so a career like Poacher or Charlatan gives them history and hints at their skills. It also suggests starting gear and roleplaying hooks.
How should hirelings be named?
Keep them short and humble, like Mog the Torchbearer. Hirelings are ordinary folk, and a simple name makes them easy to remember when the party needs them most.
Can I use these in other old-school games?
Yes. The names are original and fit any old-school, OSR or classless fantasy game or story, whatever system you use, and work well for quick NPCs and one-shot adventurers too.
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