OneTaskBy Tim King · Updated
OSR Name Generator
Old-School Fighter, Magic-User and Hireling Names for Dungeon Crawls
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How the OSR Name Generator works
An OSR name generator for old-school RPGs and retro-clones. OSR games bring back the style of the first fantasy roleplaying games of the 1970s, when fighters had plain names, magic-users had weird ones, thieves had nicknames and every party hired a torchbearer. Generate fighters, magic-users, clerics, thieves, hirelings, dungeons and taverns.
How the OSR name generator works
Old-school play was fast and deadly, and names reflected it. Fighters get short, sturdy names, Garth or Magda, with a simple epithet like the Bold. Magic-users get strange invented names with an odd epithet or a home, Xylimor of the Tower. Clerics get plain medieval saintly names and a Brother or Sister. Thieves get a short name and a nickname. Hirelings, the torchbearers and porters who carried the party's gear, get everyday names and their job, Tom the Torchbearer. Dungeons and taverns follow the classic module and inn style.
Why plain names work
In an old-school game, characters can die quickly. A plain, quick name is easy to pick and easy to let go. Save the grand names for characters who survive a few levels.
Not affiliated
OSR is a community term for old-school play, not a brand. This site is not affiliated with any publisher of OSR games or retro-clones. Names here are original.
FAQ
What does OSR mean?
OSR stands for Old School Renaissance, or Old School Revival. It covers games and retro-clones that bring back the rules and play style of the earliest fantasy roleplaying games, with an emphasis on exploration, danger and player skill.
What should a magic-user be called?
Something strange and invented. Early magic-users had odd, arcane-sounding names, often with an epithet or a home. The Magic-user mode builds names like Quarogoth the Forgetful or Melander of the Old Mill.
Why generate hireling names?
Old-school parties hire torchbearers, porters and men-at-arms, and giving them names makes them real people. A hireling named Peg the Lantern-Carrier is more memorable, and more tragic when the dungeon claims her.
Can I use these in modern fantasy games too?
Yes. The names are original and fit any fantasy game, but they suit old-school play best, where characters are plain folk trying to survive a deadly dungeon.
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