In an earlier post I shared a the hidden gem of a Fantasy Name Generator. hidden-gem-fantasy-name-generator

I didn’t explain how I have used the Fantasy Name Generator to bring the locations to life by providing interesting names. These names also then inspire plots hooks and stories to further interest your players.

One limitation of published adventures has to be the limited flushing out of cities and towns. Typically the cities and towns only have a handful of locations described amongst hundreds of possible locations. Ultimately, players are disappointed when they discobver there are only three locations in all of Baldurs Gate.

One of the things I have done recently is spending the time to provide more locations for players to explore and investigate. I have found that providing players opportunities to role-play by visiting a tavern, gambling in an Inn, or exploring a festival with merchants provides the extra detail that brings cities and towns to life.

In addition to the naming of locations in cities and towns, the other work that has reaped benefits is the naming of NPCs. Spending time to name your NPCs and come up with motivations, mannerisms, and flaws will being your encounters to life and make your players want to ask the NPCs questions.

The table below is one example of the fleshing out of locations that I have done. I usually like to add items and bonuses that reward people for role-playing interactions as well. I really enjoy customizing locations like this and my players can spend an entire session visiting a town or a festival.

I recommend taking the extra time and making your locations and NPCs come alive. It is a lot of fun as a Dungeon Master and your players will appreciate the effort.