My homebrew world, Taivas, doesn't have any gods, angels, demons, or devils. As such, it also doesn't have a Hell or Hells to reference in expletives. My players and I keep joking about needing new curses and expletives that actually fit the world. I've tried but I'm drawing a blank. All of the ones that generators and AI give me are cheesy and sound nothing like something someone would actually say. Does anyone have any creative ideas for ones that could replace things like "ah, hell", and the like?
If you haven't already, try inventing some legendary characters and have people swear by something that that character was known for, like a barbarian's axe or a wizard's fire. Or by a character's body parts- not going to give any examples for this one, but I think you can figure out ideas on your own easily enough.
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Find your own truth, choose your enemies carefully, and never deal with a dragon.
"Canon" is what's factual to D&D lore. "Cannon" is what you're going to be shot with if you keep getting the word wrong.
The power of a profane word is not in the meaning of the word, but in the cathartic release that it affords the speaker. Many of the words we consider profane lack any agreed-upon etymology. Yet when you speak them, they satisfy a need like no well-defined word could. There's a rhythm to good profanity. It's not just about the punch but also the wind up and the delivery.
Of course, "Funk!" is a simple substitute for a common profanity. It has a similar simplicity and a similar punch. I would also recommend, "Shostakovitch!" The "shosta" grinds through the teeth, and then the "KOvitch" has a nice kick to it. And it rhymes with the B-word, which is a little added bonus.
If you're looking specifically for something to replace, "Hell", I would remind you that since hell is a fictional place, you could choose any real place that you don't like and use that as a fictional place in your game world. Instead of the exasperated, "Awww... Hell....", you could substitute, "Ohhh...Hio...". Just a thought.
Hells, plural, is common in Common to replace Hell, singular, of English interjections.
A lot of the languages related to regions and culture are poorly defined if they have any definitions at all. Some have borrowed from other lore that has more description like Tolkien's Elvish for most of the Elven races (even though it makes more sense for each to have their languages evolved differently than the others).
For Githyanki, they have insults that are at the level of expletives by admonishing a person's lineage like vinyank to mean someone who was born from servants (child of minions) or kainyank to mean someone who shouldn't have been born (child of regret).
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Human. Male. Possibly. Don't be a divider. My characters' backgrounds are written like instruction manuals rather than stories. My opinion and preferences don't mean you're wrong. I am 99.7603% convinced that the digital dice are messing with me. I roll high when nobody's looking and low when anyone else can see.🎲 “It's a bit early to be thinking about an epitaph. No?” will be my epitaph.
There's always: Gorram (from Firefly), Frell (from Farscape), Frack (From Battlestar Galactica) and, my personal favourite go to expletive, Smeg! (from Red Dwarf).
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* Need a character idea? Search for "Rob76's Unused" in the Story and Lore section.
Get creative based on the environment.... "May the fleas of a thousand camels infest your bed". Sexual expletives are always going to exist, along with insults to mothers, honor, sisters, etc. Plus the things people are scared of like the night, or creatures of legend.
My homebrew world, Taivas, doesn't have any gods, angels, demons, or devils. As such, it also doesn't have a Hell or Hells to reference in expletives. My players and I keep joking about needing new curses and expletives that actually fit the world. I've tried but I'm drawing a blank. All of the ones that generators and AI give me are cheesy and sound nothing like something someone would actually say. Does anyone have any creative ideas for ones that could replace things like "ah, hell", and the like?
If you haven't already, try inventing some legendary characters and have people swear by something that that character was known for, like a barbarian's axe or a wizard's fire. Or by a character's body parts- not going to give any examples for this one, but I think you can figure out ideas on your own easily enough.
Find your own truth, choose your enemies carefully, and never deal with a dragon.
"Canon" is what's factual to D&D lore. "Cannon" is what you're going to be shot with if you keep getting the word wrong.
The power of a profane word is not in the meaning of the word, but in the cathartic release that it affords the speaker. Many of the words we consider profane lack any agreed-upon etymology. Yet when you speak them, they satisfy a need like no well-defined word could. There's a rhythm to good profanity. It's not just about the punch but also the wind up and the delivery.
Of course, "Funk!" is a simple substitute for a common profanity. It has a similar simplicity and a similar punch. I would also recommend, "Shostakovitch!" The "shosta" grinds through the teeth, and then the "KOvitch" has a nice kick to it. And it rhymes with the B-word, which is a little added bonus.
If you're looking specifically for something to replace, "Hell", I would remind you that since hell is a fictional place, you could choose any real place that you don't like and use that as a fictional place in your game world. Instead of the exasperated, "Awww... Hell....", you could substitute, "Ohhh...Hio...". Just a thought.
Anzio Faro. Protector Aasimar light cleric. Lvl 18.
Viktor Gavriil. White dragonborn grave cleric. Lvl 20.
Ikram Sahir ibn-Malik al-Sayyid Ra'ad. Brass dragonborn draconic sorcerer Lvl 9. Fire elemental devil.
Tayn of Darkwood. Human Life Cleric. Lvl 10.
Hells, plural, is common in Common to replace Hell, singular, of English interjections.
A lot of the languages related to regions and culture are poorly defined if they have any definitions at all. Some have borrowed from other lore that has more description like Tolkien's Elvish for most of the Elven races (even though it makes more sense for each to have their languages evolved differently than the others).
For Githyanki, they have insults that are at the level of expletives by admonishing a person's lineage like vinyank to mean someone who was born from servants (child of minions) or kainyank to mean someone who shouldn't have been born (child of regret).
Human. Male. Possibly. Don't be a divider.
My characters' backgrounds are written like instruction manuals rather than stories. My opinion and preferences don't mean you're wrong.
I am 99.7603% convinced that the digital dice are messing with me. I roll high when nobody's looking and low when anyone else can see.🎲
“It's a bit early to be thinking about an epitaph. No?” will be my epitaph.
There's always: Gorram (from Firefly), Frell (from Farscape), Frack (From Battlestar Galactica) and, my personal favourite go to expletive, Smeg! (from Red Dwarf).
Get creative based on the environment.... "May the fleas of a thousand camels infest your bed". Sexual expletives are always going to exist, along with insults to mothers, honor, sisters, etc. Plus the things people are scared of like the night, or creatures of legend.
You goblin lickin, ogre sniffin, kobold kissin, troll booger eater.