One day I will play a game with only palindrome-named characters.

Zez Sarabaras Ordro

Ksisk Lol Rabar

Sos Abba

Yalinanilay

Heinikodeiedokinieh

All Killik hive names are palindromes. I thought that was a pretty cool naming scheme for a species.

As for how I name characters, I like to find examples of that character's species/race and do something similar. For my Rattataki bounty hunter in The Old Republic, I looked up Kaliyo (a rattataki companion of the Agent) and found it was an Indian name. So, I looked through Indian names until I found one that I liked.

My smuggler in our group's long-running RCR/Saga edition campaign is Jacen Hallis. The name Jacen has an obvious origin, but Hallis is a homonym for Halas, a city in Everquest, which we were all playing heavily at the time we started. Jacen's companion and later wife, a force-sensitive twi'lek (and also my PC; I play two characters in the campaign) is Ruminara Ven. I liked the name Rumi after hearing it in a number of anime, and I added some stuff to "fantasy" it up. Then I found a good clan name to give her: Ven, which is the clan name of Nawara Ven, a character in the X-Wing books.

I find names any number of ways. And I keep a list of names I find interesting. Sometimes, I think up names and characters simultaneously, just waiting for the proper campaign in which to use them. Sometimes I make them as NPCs and let my players meet them.

That'll teach me to need sleep and have a life outside the forum. More great comments and I like hearing how others create names for characters.

In the past I have looked at existing names and then tried to make a name with a similar sort of sound. Other times I went for a more comical approach:

"Darth Silliass" for example.

Funny story on the subject of names. At school my Business teacher had us make up some CV's. On the CV I needed to provide a couple of references so, because this wasn't real just practice, I made up two characters. Can't remember the other, but one of them was:

Mr Sakakakki

29 Bagsom Moore

(pronounced Mr sack a cacky at 29 bag some more. For those who may not know Cack was slang for poo when I was young)

My teacher thought it was a real person and I spent nearly ten minutes trying to convince him I had just made him up. Not easy when your friend is howling with laughter next to you and the teacher just doesn't get the joke.

We seem to have an unwritten rule, that if you don't have a name within about a minute of being asked, then... you will be given one. Kind of like how some kids have cruel parents and give them names that will get them thrashed in primary school, just turn it up a bit more for extra misery in our case.

Hence, we ended up with Bok and Cork our Trando meatbags that where not quick enough off the mark.

Excessive humiliation and cruelty is reserved for 'Handles' or 'Nicknames' that characters end up with during the course of the game due to either saying, being or doing something particuarly notable or stupid.

Reminds me of our table rule in Shadowrun: You don't pick your own Street Name; your teammates pick your Street Name.

For those that haven't played Shadowrun, a Street Name is more or less a call sign used by Shadowrunners when doing the highly illegal work for which Shadowrun is named

Ronan Kaal

You wouldn't happen to be a Jason Momoa fan by any chance would you? He played Ronon Dex on Stargate: Atlantis and Khal Drogo on Game of Thrones. Also, your Alderaan idea is essentially the exact same background that one of my players came up with for his Smuggler.

You wouldn't happen to be a Jason Momoa fan by any chance would you? He played Ronon Dex on Stargate: Atlantis and Khal Drogo on Game of Thrones. Also, your Alderaan idea is essentially the exact same background that one of my players came up with for his Smuggler.

No idea who Jason Momoa is, and haven't seen Stargate: Atlantis or Game of Thrones. Though I've been told Game of Thrones is awesome and I should see it.

As for background, I try to add a bit of my reality to the fiction:

Ronin Kaal used to be a pilot for the Empire.

I used to enjoy living in Britain, with the work and friends I wanted.

Ronin Kaal was shot down over a pirate planet and spent two years fighting for survival.

I was once homeless for two years, though I did manage to stay off the streets......just.

Ronin Kaal saw his home planet of Alderaan destroyed.

What I once considered "home" has exploded into nothing. Father was rarely around and I've not seen him in a few years. Siblings are just arrogant bullies who have a fierce hatred of me because I don't do as they say. Been desperately trying to find a job but can't get the work and government won't help. Many of my "friends" have started to treat me like a stupid, lazy and worthless piece of excrement.

Ronin Kaal is meant to be a one-man army with no more ties to anyone.

Today I learnt from my own government that as far as they're concerned I don't exist. Having been rejected by my government, my family (except mother) and nearly all my friends, I intend leaving this rotten country and starting a new life in Canada.

Beyond that, the both of us need to write our futures together and probably at the same time.

You wouldn't happen to be a Jason Momoa fan by any chance would you? He played Ronon Dex on Stargate: Atlantis and Khal Drogo on Game of Thrones. Also, your Alderaan idea is essentially the exact same background that one of my players came up with for his Smuggler.

No idea who Jason Momoa is, and haven't seen Stargate: Atlantis or Game of Thrones. Though I've been told Game of Thrones is awesome and I should see it.

As for background, I try to add a bit of my reality to the fiction:

Ronin Kaal used to be a pilot for the Empire.

I used to enjoy living in Britain, with the work and friends I wanted.

Ronin Kaal was shot down over a pirate planet and spent two years fighting for survival.

I was once homeless for two years, though I did manage to stay off the streets......just.

Ronin Kaal saw his home planet of Alderaan destroyed.

What I once considered "home" has exploded into nothing. Father was rarely around and I've not seen him in a few years. Siblings are just arrogant bullies who have a fierce hatred of me because I don't do as they say. Been desperately trying to find a job but can't get the work and government won't help. Many of my "friends" have started to treat me like a stupid, lazy and worthless piece of excrement.

Ronin Kaal is meant to be a one-man army with no more ties to anyone.

Today I learnt from my own government that as far as they're concerned I don't exist. Having been rejected by my government, my family (except mother) and nearly all my friends, I intend leaving this rotten country and starting a new life in Canada.

Beyond that, the both of us need to write our futures together and probably at the same time.

Well that's depressing. Hope Canada holds some nice groups for you.

Nah, not depressing really.

When your life is turned to manure, it fertilizes the ground so that new life can grow.

The old WOC Galaxy Campaign Guide devoted pages to random generation of names

I once made a Sith by the name of Darth Tremulous. It sounds impressive unless you know what it means.