BBEGs with really bad sounding nicknames from the PCs...

[Shemeska]

Consider Joe BBEG, warlord and necromancer emperor of evil empire X. His dreams and ambitions are high, his concept of mercy nonexistant, and everything is looking up in his career of evil till the PCs arrive on the scene, oppose his goals and promptly nickname him Emperor Blimpy.

Many a BBEG has utterly and completely lost their aura of menace and mystique of evil from PC supplied nicknames... some of my own being no exception.


Vorkannis the Ebon, Oinoloth of the Wasting Tower of Khin-Oin. The fiend who ripped a layer from Elysium and dragged it across the planes into the Gray Waste without the damage to Elysium even being a primary motive. Evil incarnate and one of the major villains of the campaign (which just ended this week). PCs refer to him as Vorky.

And a bit more recently in my campaign I've had another instance of this happen. Nerrath Ap Jerran, a young, capable and wholly evil arcanaloth sorcerer in Sigil. While not a BBEG, but rather the "apprentice" and overall chewtoy/cabinboy for Shemeska the Marauder, Sigil's King of the Crosstrade, and my namesake, he was an interesting character. Then one of my players starts referring to him as "Jingleballs", referring to his mistress making him wear a belled collar, and a possible inference about his repertoir of piercings.

Bam, there goes his credibility in an instant and he's stuck for all posterity to be referred to as "Jingleballs". *facepalm*


So has anyone else here had any of their villains, either BBEGs or smaller antagonists, have their villain credentials hampered or quashed by a comical or off color nickname given them by the PCs? And what did you do about it?

 

[Crothian]

I've had it happen, though nothing really stuck in the memory. I do recall once when they were after a Lich that they made up some stupid name for. So, when the Lich won the battle agianst the PCs he said something like "Remember that I, insert funny name here, kicked your sorry asses". For the most part it doesn't bother me, though.

 

[Victim]

In our group, we mock just about all the baddies' names. Of course, PCs with bad names are subject to the same treatment.

 

[Viktyr Gehrig]

I'd say that the more the PCs use the nickname, the less credibility the BBEG has with non-heroic characters, until he's forced to reestablish credibility by doing something even more vicious to compensate.

That's actually a powerful tool to hurt a villain's social power. If one of the PCs is a Bard, so much the better...

 

[Clueless]

Being the one responsible for a number of the BBEG nicknames... *snickers* At least I got some reward of attention for it. "Vorky the Scritchable" What makes us unusual is that it's *in* character nicknames - not just out of character.

 

[Breakstone]

I still get red-faced at the characters' treatment of Saldivar, a guy who turned into a snake, who, through player teasing, became the rather flamboyant adversary "Thaldivar the Thathy Thnake."

I will never forget... never...

 

[Gothmog]

In a friend's game, his BBEG was a fighter/wizard warlord named Baligoth. Big freak with articulated animated armor. Well, one of the players in that group is terrible with names, and when trying to recite a scouting report he had conducted against Baligoth's armies, he substituted "Bageldeath". Somehow, after that point, 'ol Bageldeath wasn't even remotely scary.

 

[Teflon Billy]

In my old Vampire: The Masquerade game, the main adverasy of the PC's was the head of the local Chantry of Tremere (Vamapiric Wizarda). His name was Soren Butler

It took the PC's about an hour to start referring to him as "Sore Butt"

 

[Ralts Bloodthorne]

Currently...


Ssorass the Snake Shaman: The high priest of a local group of lizardment. Sadly, he's been nicknamed: "Sore Ass"

Saallass: A vicious lizardman ranger. Nicknamed: "Salad Head"

Jenkys Murderharker: A PC, commonly called: "Jank Ass Mofo!" well, actually, the more R-rated way of saying it. Saallass usually calls him that from the bushes right before shooting him in the butt with an arrow. (Called shot, -6 to hit, normal damage)

The Grim Stalker: Street name for a d20 Modern character. Everyone at the local bars call him "Grimmy! Hey, Grimmy's here!"

There's been quite a few down the line, but ridicule of one's enemies and surviving to do it is the mark of the true victor.

 

[Evilhalfling]

I had a enterprising women break from a powerful mage/banking alliance and get a pair of ring gates, which she used to send news and messages between cities, for a price. She was low level, but could mature into a powerbroker. She was also planned as a possible romantic intrest for the PC's, and was set to have many poltical fights with the guilds- Her name was Pherxia? immediatly she became Phed -X
okay so that plot is dead. moving on.....