If you're in the campaign "In Over Your Head", look elsewhere please.
The main antagonist group in my campaign is a cult, but I've been having a heck of a time coming up with a decent name for them. I've had a few potential names, but always end up swapping for something else, and I've only really gotten away with it because my players haven't been asking for the name. I really do want to give a final name for it though.
So, any advice? The campaign is set in a homebrew world, so I'm not tied to existing lore. The cult is focused on finding ways to empower themselves, currently through rituals drawing power from the lower planes, but I can see them pursuing other avenues later on. Their leader is secretly a cambion who wants to amass power (I'm going by the MM entry on that, where it says "a cambion carries only as much authority as it can muster through sheer strength and force of will.")
Maybe "The Cult of X," where X is a weird Cthulhu name that you don't need to completely define yet. Maybe it's a being or force that came to the cambion in a dream, or something that it thinks is scary enough to work. It might end up being the real BBEG or just a plot point. It can evolve from there.
The Cult of Xrar
The Cult of Zemmbrar
Grrangh's Minions
Whatever. This lets you evolve the group into something more, or just let it be a tough name with no teeth.
What type of cult are you going for? Crazy worshipers of a dark entity, like in Lovecraft? Something that seems kindly on the surface, but has horrific undertones like Heaven’s Gate? Lots of different options and you’ll have different names depending.
One common naming convention would be “Children of [mystical word relevant to the cult]”. That could work for most types of cult. Easiest way to come up with a mythical word is to either take a deity or powerful entity from your homebrew or translate a word relevant to your cult to another language (old English and old Norse are solid choices for most European-centric campaigns, though you could also use any Cyrillic language, Latin, etc.).
So, as far as the members are concerned, they're in it for their own empowerment? They're just using the lower planes because, essentially, it's easier?
I think I'd give them a name that spoke to that. Something that concealed the nature of the advantages these guys were pursuing.
So as the character's learn more about the org, ID the top person to the best of their knowledge and refer to it in the meta discussion as "NPC X's cult."
There's not need for the cult to have a name. They worship something but there's no need to necessarily create a charter and file their trademark at the cult registry. They also don't need uniforms.
Cult's are secret societies. Sure some secret societies cultivate an image. But many cults just simply exist as a conspiracy of people who join for a common purpose or shared benefit, and don't talk about it outside those activities. In such an organization they all know what they're up to, they don't really need a logo to remind them of their brand synergy.
If the Cult required external relations with other entities, governments or gangs or what have you, maybe they'd need a name, but many still would probably let their deeds speak for them and if they have to be "in the room" folks will know who they are.
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Jander Sunstar is the thinking person's Drizzt, fight me.
If you're in the campaign "In Over Your Head", look elsewhere please.
The main antagonist group in my campaign is a cult, but I've been having a heck of a time coming up with a decent name for them. I've had a few potential names, but always end up swapping for something else, and I've only really gotten away with it because my players haven't been asking for the name. I really do want to give a final name for it though.
So, any advice? The campaign is set in a homebrew world, so I'm not tied to existing lore. The cult is focused on finding ways to empower themselves, currently through rituals drawing power from the lower planes, but I can see them pursuing other avenues later on. Their leader is secretly a cambion who wants to amass power (I'm going by the MM entry on that, where it says "a cambion carries only as much authority as it can muster through sheer strength and force of will.")
Maybe "The Cult of X," where X is a weird Cthulhu name that you don't need to completely define yet. Maybe it's a being or force that came to the cambion in a dream, or something that it thinks is scary enough to work. It might end up being the real BBEG or just a plot point. It can evolve from there.
The Cult of Xrar
The Cult of Zemmbrar
Grrangh's Minions
Whatever. This lets you evolve the group into something more, or just let it be a tough name with no teeth.
What type of cult are you going for? Crazy worshipers of a dark entity, like in Lovecraft? Something that seems kindly on the surface, but has horrific undertones like Heaven’s Gate? Lots of different options and you’ll have different names depending.
One common naming convention would be “Children of [mystical word relevant to the cult]”. That could work for most types of cult. Easiest way to come up with a mythical word is to either take a deity or powerful entity from your homebrew or translate a word relevant to your cult to another language (old English and old Norse are solid choices for most European-centric campaigns, though you could also use any Cyrillic language, Latin, etc.).
So, as far as the members are concerned, they're in it for their own empowerment? They're just using the lower planes because, essentially, it's easier?
I think I'd give them a name that spoke to that. Something that concealed the nature of the advantages these guys were pursuing.
So as the character's learn more about the org, ID the top person to the best of their knowledge and refer to it in the meta discussion as "NPC X's cult."
There's not need for the cult to have a name. They worship something but there's no need to necessarily create a charter and file their trademark at the cult registry. They also don't need uniforms.
Cult's are secret societies. Sure some secret societies cultivate an image. But many cults just simply exist as a conspiracy of people who join for a common purpose or shared benefit, and don't talk about it outside those activities. In such an organization they all know what they're up to, they don't really need a logo to remind them of their brand synergy.
If the Cult required external relations with other entities, governments or gangs or what have you, maybe they'd need a name, but many still would probably let their deeds speak for them and if they have to be "in the room" folks will know who they are.
Jander Sunstar is the thinking person's Drizzt, fight me.
Thanks for the replies, everyone! And good point about it not actually needing a name.
Put something into Latin or some old language line that. For example, dead wolf would be lupus mortus. That’s what I do.