NAMING YOUR CHARACTER

Often, a player will roll up a great character but then give him an ordinary name, Joe the Fighter or Christine the Mage just won't do it for real role-players. Plagiarism is no good, either, as it seems like the world is full of Elrics and Merlins.

The best way to name your character is to use the Character Name Generation Table. Roll 1d6 for each letter of your character's name. This will give him a truly original name, like Jhusdhui the Cleric or Enhifhupwq the Thief. Think of the endless hours of fun you can have correcting you fellow players' pronunciation of you PC's name:

Leader: "Okay, Brian the elf and Jusdy will examine the throne."

You: "That's Jhusdhui!"

Leader: "Chusdwy?"

You: "Jhusdhui!"

Leader: "Tchoodsway?"

You: "No, you imbecile! Jhusdhui! Just like it's spelled!"

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GOALS AND OBJECTIVES

For some players, it seems like the only objective is to acquire wealth. Others want magical items, and still others experience points. This fixation an the numerical aspects of the game is a poor way to role-play. Your character shouldn't always be interested in getting just one thing or another. He should be interested in getting everything! {Ignore the motivations portion of this article noted previously. I hadn't thought of this part when I wrote the other stuff.} Also, remember that experience points and loot will be divided up amount the survivors. If you're a cleric, try the following tactic the next time the party is engaged in combat:

Fighter's player: "I'm down to 13 hit points, Jusdy! Heal me quick! This frost giant is just creaming me!"

You: "Do you really think I should? I mean, what if I need to heal someone later? Should I waste that spell now?"

Fighter's player: "Jusdy, you've got over five first-level spells left! Hurry up!"

DM: "The frost giant hits Joe for eight more points of damage. Joe's swing misses."

Fighter's player: "Jusdy! Help! I'm down to five points."

You: "Five? Why that's more than I started out with! I remember when I was just a first-level cleric. How long ago that seems. I would have done anything to have five hit points."

Fighter's player: "Jusdy!"

DM: "The frost giant gets initiative and hits again for 18 points. Joe's dead."

Fighter's player {in a dying gasp}: "Jusdy!"

You {kicking the fighter's lifeless body}: "That's Jhusdhui to you." {To the DM:) "I fire my phaser and disintegrate the giant."