What nickname does the heartless bounty hunter in my sci-fi campaign go by?

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SUMMARY

The forum discussion centers on creating a nickname for a heartless bounty hunter character in a sci-fi campaign. Key suggestions include "Tinman," referencing the character from L. Frank Baum's "The Wizard of Oz," and "Kneecap," derived from a backstory involving a violent past. Participants emphasize the importance of a nickname that reflects the character's ruthless reputation and physical traits, such as a heart-shaped armor plate. The dialogue also explores the significance of cultural references and irony in naming characters within the RPG genre.

PREREQUISITES
  • Understanding of character development in role-playing games (RPGs)
  • Familiarity with literary references and their implications
  • Knowledge of sci-fi genre conventions and tropes
  • Awareness of the impact of names on character perception and narrative
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  • Research the significance of nicknames in character development
  • Explore literary characters with heart-related themes for inspiration
  • Study the use of irony and humor in RPG character naming
  • Investigate the role of physical traits in shaping character identities
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Writers, game masters, and players involved in character creation for RPGs, particularly those looking to enhance narrative depth and character engagement through effective naming conventions.

  • #31
"The Ton Woodsman"
Now I'm imagining an immensely fat woodsman XD
 
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  • #32
jedishrfu said:
I don't recall the Tinman ever killing anyone.
Perhaps I am conflating the Woodsman character from "Little Red Riding Hood" who saves Red from the Wolfe character using his mighty axe. I prefer SF to fantasy to this day.
jedishrfu said:
https://oz.fandom.com/wiki/Tin_Woodman

They mention in the wiki that he was also known as Nick Chopper or the Tin Woodman or the "Emperor Nicholas III of the House of Chopper" .
FTR I am not a Baum /Oz expert or fan. His books were long out of print when I was a child in Cupertino. I grew up reading SF author Robert Heinlein who in turn was a giant Oz fan. I mainly know Oz from movies and references in novels by later authors.

"Tinmen" was a popular term for salesmen and installers of metal and plastic siding for houses, also the name of a funny movie by Danny DeVito. Also was a joking term for kids needing breathing assistance --so-called 'iron lungs' -- in the hospital IP wards when I was a child during the 1950's polio epidemic.

Ambulatory polio kids often wore clunky leg braces that made us walk not unlike the character in the movie "The Wonderful Wizard of Oz". Nurses and therapists would (pretend to) "oil our joints" so we would move freely. Hence my request for disambiguation.

Now, I have grown to like the nickname Tinman for DaveC's hunter-killer character.