RQG: Where are the list of names for family history? etc.

[Heroic_latte]

Hello I'm new to this setting/game system coming from dnd 5e. I bought the deluxe slipcase set and I'm creating my first runequest: Role-playing in Glorantha character and up to step 2: family history. And I'm stuck on selecting favored grandparents and choosing names. In DND 5e book there are lists of common names for races (humans, elves, dwarves etc). Are you telling me I have to generate like 20 names by myself just to get started with a group of adventurers?

[Scotty]

Welcome aboard.

6 minutes ago, Heroic_latte said:

Are you telling me I have to generate like 20 names by myself just to get started with a group of adventurers?

No. Remember it's one one grandparent you're focussing on. Most of my players wrote Grandma or Grandpa in the name section. Each Homeland in the homeland Chapter has sample names, Eg, Sartarite Names on page 103.

[Jason D]

53 minutes ago, Heroic_latte said:

Are you telling me I have to generate like 20 names by myself just to get started with a group of adventurers?

You also don't really need to generate any names for them unless you feel the need.

They can just be "Grandmother" and "Father" until you decide that they need names, or until your gamemaster requests it.  

[Nick Brooke]

1) What they said.

2) There are some good random name generators if you want them. Here's a good one: Confluxer. Another: Back to Balazar. A dice-based one: Timinits & Trolls.

When I started running RQG, I ran off a dozen or so male and female names I liked for each of the Homeland cultures (curating the output by deleting any names I disliked and modifying any I could improve) and kept them handy. If I ever needed a name for a random NPC, I had a list handy.

[Baron Wulfraed]

Concur on ancestor names -- for history easiest to just mark PGF/PGM, MGF/MGM (Paternal or Maternal -- Given how deadly some history paths are, I tend to generate occupations for all four grandparents, and both parents. That gives 1) some things to embellish [the fisher married a noble!], and 2) individuals one can switch to when the first choice is killed in the history)

As for generating names... Since I haven't seen any obvious pattern to the sample names given for the homelands I've just ignored them and gone with incongruous names (like a nordik Varg Fenrirson -- a name that would be ominous in 3rd Edition Vikings: Wolf, son of the Fenris Wolf [, son of Loki]; I've got a whole slew of canid puns for names besides Varg: Auric Chacal [gold jackal], Dhi Ngo [dingo], Kai O'Tei [coyote], Lycaon Pictus [African Wild Dog], and Kami Inu... And a pair of ducks: Akn'Ard [a canard], and Hua'rd [do I need to spell that one out?])

Yes -- I did spend too much time practicing the character generation system...

 

[Rodney Dangerduck]

1) What Nick said, which is "What they said".  Don't sweat it.  And, unless you build a big family tree, you only need two names, for a parent and one grandparent.

2) How about using your character's name?  Many names get reused in families.  My character is named after her famous grandmother.

[Squaredeal Sten]

On 5/28/2021 at 11:05 AM, Rodney Dangerduck said:

1) What Nick said, which is "What they said".  Don't sweat it.  And, unless you build a big family tree, you only need two names, for a parent and one grandparent.

2) How about using your character's name?  Many names get reused in families.  My character is named after her famous grandmother.

Or how about modifynig your character's name, with an added syllable suffix.  Sort of like "junior" or 'senior"?

Besides that, in these forums I recently found Jeff's write-up on Orlanthi names- dated Feb. 11, 2020.  Link: