D&D character names - generated by a neural network

There are algorithms called artificial neural networks that can learn to imitate examples of just about anything. They’re used in all sorts of everyday programs, translating languages, identifying photos, colorizing drawings, delivering ads, and tons more.  It turns out neural networks may also be a dungeon master’s best friend. I’ve trained neural networks to invent new Dungeons & Dragons spells (part 1, part 2) and also trained them to name new D&D creatures. It worked very well (Shield of Farts, anyone?), thanks to the spellbooks and monster manuals I could use as datasets. But there weren’t any datasets for another big aspect of Dungeons & Dragons: all the characters who populate these worlds. So, over the past few months, readers have been helping me to build a dataset - which has now reached a staggering 20,908 entries. For each character, people entered a name, a race (human, dwarf, elf, etc), and a class (wizard, rogue, bard, cleric, etc). Some of the races and classes got to be quite inventive - there’s a penguin, a fey corgi, a black pudding, and a sentient bucket. So I gave this huge weird list to a neural network to see how convincing it could sound. With nearly 21,000 examples, the neural network could indeed sound convincing. Much of the time, the names matched the character type - at least as often as in the original dataset (which had 5 characters named Frank and 12 named Tim).  Rose - Human Assassin Dwarg - Half-orc Paladin Liandra - Elf Wizard Oron “The Star” Cartere - Dragonborn Sorcerer Silvar the Blackblade - Half-elf Barbarian Hank - Half-orc Ranger Jayne Arryn - Half-elf Wizard Annata Shortscale - Dragonborn Witch Fyrry - Half-Elf Ranger Rinas Mistfern - Human Ranger Other names made perhaps less sense. The Cart - Kenku Rogue Nine Case - Dark Elf Fighter Rump - Kenku Cleric Gubble Daggers - Tabaxi Monk Bog - halfling wizard Jameless - Dwarf Champion Barbarian Rune Diggler - Halfling Rogue Borsh the Bardlock - Human Paladin Spullbeard - Dwarf Fighter Tovendirgle - Human Ranger Pinderhand The Bugs - Gnome Wizard Rune Wash - Human Wizard Stumbleduckle - Human Paladin Dawne Shift the Monkz - Dwarf Barbarian Magnus Tieforian the magnificent von Cloriam Cyital DuP Ever - Dwarf Barbarian E Ch BISHL NEBe Garte II Cr D McLGHJ T U E AA t Rat lek TF Horn hand tree Whistle - half-orc barbarian One thing I like is all the new character races and classes that the neural network discovered. I don’t know what most of them are, but you’ll be the only one in your party. Kelph - Burryman Ranger Arczi-Sian - Human Dogminer Jho the Chrishpup - kuborg fighter Archein Morgurowood - Human Weaponic Bloodlind Bubblebottom Donder - Half-faerie Dewlze Cleric Altis Helder - Mander Human Star-Caver Pottlebard Bender - half-alf paladin Devith “Kurgbore” Mustwost - Fetchlen Cleric Varian Amerth - blackbear Bard Merellios Rose - Rope Gnome Wizard Mothrek McKingfoot - halfling inquisitive The Cowben - Human Opera Ayrell - Forest gnome Arcane Wood Hunter One type of name the neural network did very well: silly compound names. This pretty much settles the question of whether a neural network would be totally on board with naming something Boaty McBoatface: it totally would. Here is what it thinks dwarves should be named. James Crucklebottom - Dwarf Wizard Frank Firethorn - Dwarf Wizard Willian Stonefrown - Dwarf Fighter Actually, you know what? Pretty much everyone needs a name like this.  Kavar Blunderwood - Goliath Monk Hadrie Trumbledutch - Halfling Rogue Prinkina Timberspull - gnome sorcerer Arrina Cuprest - Human Sorcerer Tretcher Twestybeard - Dwarf Witch Ponny Stonecharles - Human Monk Ashrata Dangstrider - Ratfolk Rogue Den Splatterwoof - Halfling Druid Wolfrit Rockhole - Human Sorcerer Beddar Jacklebottom - Halfling Cleric Azrara Stoutfrogg - Half-orc Monk Lord Filedawn - Halfling Warlock Gripple Ravenhorn - Human Assassin Balfeart Wolfspleam - Dwarf Fighter Eldric the Bizzlebree - Human Warlock Pig Haystalker - Human Assassin Ladie Barewalker - Tiefling Warlock Fay Blutterlocket - Dwarf Paladin Millian Kricklebottom - Kobold Sorcerer I’ve posted the entire original dataset here, and you can access a huge export of generated characters there as well. If you want the list plus a few extra that I deemed not quite appropriate for the main blog, enter your email here and I’ll send them to you. Also! I’m still crowdsourcing a dataset of character bios (I used some of the names for this experiment). If you’d like to help, use this form.