Regarding Naming Skills/Abilities/Magic

4166leancuttt

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Can anyone give me advice on naming Skills/Abilities/Magic? When I read a goddamn manhua the names while long sound cool and interesting, but when I do it, it sounds fucking retarded, any advice? Should I use another language (Maybe some recommended languages?)
 

CadmarLegend

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Can anyone give me advice on naming Skills/Abilities/Magic? When I read a goddamn manhua the names while long sound cool and interesting, but when I do it, it sounds fucking retarded, any advice? Should I use another language (Maybe some recommended languages?)
Germanize it all the way! Use latin? Italian? Whatever suits your fancy. And, if you use anything enough times and describe it wonderfully, no one will criticize you.
 

Le_ther

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Can anyone give me advice on naming Skills/Abilities/Magic? When I read a goddamn manhua the names while long sound cool and interesting, but when I do it, it sounds fucking retarded, any advice? Should I use another language (Maybe some recommended languages?)
Latin, italian, german, hebrew, greece, and even go and use old english.

To make things much easier also use historical text or emotion words and translate them to one of the language I said and it would be pretty cool and kinda fantastical
 

4166leancuttt

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Germanize it all the way! Use latin? Italian? Whatever suits your fancy. And, if you use anything enough times and describe it wonderfully, no one will criticize you.
In the case of arabic, japanese, chinese, etc, should I keep their original characters or should I use their romanized version?
 

ACertainPassingUser

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Use language creator to make your own generated language for your fantasy power.


Or just get fantasy name generator for attacks, and also for your characters while you're at it. Don't be lazy now, those background 2D filler character need a name too.


And then just take those English/German/Latin attack name from fantasy name generator, and translate them with your made up generated language.

chrome_image_Jan 5, 2023 8_36_34 PM GMT+07_00.png


Voila.

The attack name is done
 
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gogo7966

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go the jojo route and name them after bands and songs
 
D

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A bit off topic but I guess, still related?

Well, I play Warframe, and one of my frames there, Titania Prime, has a weapon called 'Diwata Prime', Diwata which is Filipino for "Fairy".

How about it, skills name based on a Filipino one? And we also got a pseudo-Chinese/Japanese script called 'Baybayin' which you can apply to your work for added flair.
 

LilRora

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I've one piece of advice to give: pick a theme. It can be whatever, including Pokemon, classical fantasy, scientific names, magical girls, just literally pick whatever theme you like and stick to it without too much deviations. Thundamoo, author of Bioshifter, literally named a skill "Spacial Rend", purposefully replacing "t" with "c" in what should have been "spatial", all because the mc was a Pokemon fan and one particular skill there is named "Spacial Rend".

You should also try to conceptualize names - if you have a powerful skill that calls a thunder from the sky, you can call it "Thor's Fist" instead of coming up with some three word long descriptive name, which might tell the readers clearly what the skill does, but is needlessly long and makes you cringe.

Another related thing, remember that the shorter the name of the sword, the more powerful it is. Don't try to make convoluted, five-word names of something you can encapsulate in a single concept or even entirely made up name - if it's not entirely clear what the ability does after that, you can just add a short explanation to the thing or purposefully keep it vague.

As for using other languages... well, I'm not a fan. It depends what your magic is supposed to be - if you want it to be a mysterious, largely unknown force of nature, then naming spells in another language will help achieve that aura of mystery and forbidden knowledge... or something like that. But using another language for simple skills you'll be using daily (especially in regards to LitRPGs) might just needlessly complicate things.
 
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4166leancuttt

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I've one piece of advice to give: pick a theme. It can whatever, including Pokemon, classical fantasy, scientific names, magical girls, just literally pick whatever theme you like and stick to it without too much deviations. Thundamoo, author of Bioshifter, literally named a skill "Spacial Rend", purposefully replacing "t" with "c" in what should have been "spatial", all because the mc was a Pokemon fan and one particular skill there is named "Spacial Rend".

You should also try to conceptualize names - if you have a powerful skill that calls a thunder from the sky, you can call it "Thor's Fist" instead of coming up with some three word long descriptive name, which might tell the readers clearly what the skill does, but is needlessly long and makes you cringe.

Another related thing, remember that the shorter the name of the sword, the more powerful it is. Don't try to make convoluted, five-word names of something you can encapsulate in a single concept or even entirely made up name - if it's not entirely clear what the ability does after that, you can just add a short explanation to the thing or purposefully keep it vague.

As for using other languages... well, I'm not a fan. It depends what your magic is supposed to be - if you want it to be a mysterious, largely unknown force of nature, then naming spells in another language will help achieve that aura of mystery and forbidden knowledge... or something like that. But using another language for simple skills you'll be using daily (especially in regards to LitRPGs) might just needlessly complicate things.
It's themed with demons from the Ars Goetia possessing sad, lonely, or miserable mfkers and giving them superpowers.

I tried Latin but goddamn it, "Tonitrua in Lunam Noctem" sounds more retarded than "Roaring Thunder in the Moonlit Night"
go the jojo route and name them after bands and songs
Should I call a lawyer in case I get a copyright strike? I don't want to end up with a retarded localization like Zipper man instead of Sticky Fingers
I've one piece of advice to give: pick a theme. It can whatever, including Pokemon, classical fantasy, scientific names, magical girls, just literally pick whatever theme you like and stick to it without too much deviations. Thundamoo, author of Bioshifter, literally named a skill "Spacial Rend", purposefully replacing "t" with "c" in what should have been "spatial", all because the mc was a Pokemon fan and one particular skill there is named "Spacial Rend".

You should also try to conceptualize names - if you have a powerful skill that calls a thunder from the sky, you can call it "Thor's Fist" instead of coming up with some three word long descriptive name, which might tell the readers clearly what the skill does, but is needlessly long and makes you cringe.

Another related thing, remember that the shorter the name of the sword, the more powerful it is. Don't try to make convoluted, five-word names of something you can encapsulate in a single concept or even entirely made up name - if it's not entirely clear what the ability does after that, you can just add a short explanation to the thing or purposefully keep it vague.

As for using other languages... well, I'm not a fan. It depends what your magic is supposed to be - if you want it to be a mysterious, largely unknown force of nature, then naming spells in another language will help achieve that aura of mystery and forbidden knowledge... or something like that. But using another language for simple skills you'll be using daily (especially in regards to LitRPGs) might just needlessly complicate things.
It's supposed to be a 'final' or 'special' move so idk, I feel like at least I should make it longer than 1 or 2 words, but goddammit it sounds fucking retarded.
 

AiLovesToGrow

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Theme is the key, I think, like LilRora said. Finding ways to connect with something is what makes these kind of themes fun to read.
 

Iamnotabot

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Punch in some norse while ya at it, i mean Hrumníg the sprear of frozen time sound pretty decent. (Btw i made up the name if ya can't tell)
 

Corty

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A bit off topic but I guess, still related?

Well, I play Warframe, and one of my frames there, Titania Prime, has a weapon called 'Diwata Prime', Diwata which is Filipino for "Fairy".

How about it, skills name based on a Filipino one? And we also got a pseudo-Chinese/Japanese script called 'Baybayin' which you can apply to your work for added flair.
Heh, I used that method when naming some of the characters in my fantasy story. Like, the tiger's leader's name was Harimau. Which means tiger in the Malay language if google did not lie to me.
 
D

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Heh, I used that method when naming some of the characters in my fantasy story. Like, the tiger's leader's name was Harimau. Which means tiger in the Malay language if google did not lie to me.
Halimaw in Filipino is Bongbong Marcos and Sara Duterte, I mean, 'monster'.
 

BearlyAlive

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Just pick a fitting theme and stick with it. If it's based on the Ars Goetia just keep latin or use the demons names.

Or just do some cringy chanting like "I hereby call upon the Xth of the 72 seats, upon thy name bring judgement, upon thine... Blah blah blah and so on" and make ila show out of it.
 

CadmarLegend

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In the case of arabic, japanese, chinese, etc, should I keep their original characters or should I use their romanized version?
Use the romanized version, since you probably want the readers to be able to... read the names.
 

owotrucked

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Don't use overcomplicated names. The imagery of the build up and the impact of the skills can compensate weak naming sense.

Survival of Sword King makes "vertical slash" and "horizontal slash" feel awesome, it's a funny contrast with between the simplicity of the name and the overpowered weight of the move

Same with Gebura from Library of Ruina, she has Greater Split: Vertical and Greater Split: Horizontal which are some of the strongest move of the game.

Conclusion: if your skill names are cringy, just make it so the consequences for pulling out these skills are so heavy that no one can talk badly about it.
Likewise you can throw overcomplicated name for weak moves for fun or even intimidate enemies.
 

Cipiteca396

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Just stay consistent. If you need to wrack your brain for hours to come up with a single skill name, you're wasting time you could be using to write or sleep.
It's supposed to be a 'final' or 'special' move so idk, I feel like at least I should make it longer than 1 or 2 words, but goddammit it sounds fucking retarded.
I agree that one or two words makes a powerful move more special. It's something that should have popped out on reflex it's so easy to use- but didn't, because the consequences are too severe.

In Eragon's 'Inheritance', the ultimate spell used in the book is magic language for 'be not'. As in, everything in two kilometers should just stop existing please.

I suggest using a unique name. Like a Proper Noun, not just a string of words. Something that's associated with the spell and nothing else. If you have to explain the meaning of the name, that's perfect. It means the reader will only think of that move when they see the name.

But I advise against using foreign languages. If you make a spelling error or use the wrong word, it would be too embarrassing. So only use languages you understand or are certain are correct.
 
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