Recently on Phlox's GLoG server there was some discussion about the 3.5th edition of the world's most popular roleplaying game and its silly focus on character builds and balance. It reminded me of one of my favorite classes from that era, one with the combination of excellent thematic vibes, unexplainable design choices, and absolutely no copy-editing: The Truenamer.
Through their knowledge of truenames, these wizard-likes gained spell-like abilities with some unique restrictions. Unfortunately, poor design meant that as your Truenamer leveled up the difficulty of using your "utterances" on peer foes, your allies, and even yourself increased twice as fast as your ability to effectively do so. This resulted in your character seeming to decrease in ability as they progressed. The playerbase of 3.5 at the time could have forgiven poor design, ill-considered ability descriptions, and even the basic logical errors of the Truenamer if it had not committed the cardinal sin of that age: it was not at competitive power level.
It seems to me the Truenamer is the perfect candidate for a conversion to GLoG. "Power balance" is simply not a concern here, and by front-loading the abilities of a class into just four levels there's less worry about "abilities coming on too late to be relevant". It lets the special parts of the class shine.
What neat things distinguish Truenaming from more typical D&D magic?
- Rather than having spells-per-day, Truenamers contend with the "Law of Repetition". Utterances become more difficult the more times they are cast in a day.
- All utterances are reversible, healing can harm, haste can slow, etc.
- "The Law of Sequence". You cannot repeat an utterance while its effects are still ongoing.
- Most utterances do not allow a save. This probably wasn't a design choice, but by gum it contributes to the idea that you are creating an ineffable force in the Universe.
So let’s try to preserve the 
GLoG Truespeech
Through intense, lifelong study, you have learned some of the secret grammar of the Universe. It comes with some restrictions.
- The Law of Sequence. While an utterance is active, you cannot speak it again.
- The Law of Order. When truespeaking, roll a d6. If the target...
- Has equal HD, the utterance is expended on a roll of 1-2
- Has greater HD or is a magic item, expend on 1-3
- Has fewer HD or is a mundane item, expend on 1.
- The Law of Repetition. -1 to truespeaking rolls each time you've named that utterance today.
- The Law of Magnitude. Utterances only affect people and things that can "hear" them. For utterances affecting a person, this range is intuitive. But inanimate material is asleep and can only hear half as far. Living matter and worked materials occupy a space between.
- If you really need a rule of thumb, a shout can be clearly heard 120' away in normal conditions, 40' away in the din of a skirmish, or 10' away in a pitched battle.
- Intentionally deafening yourself will protect you from any mind-effecting utterances, but beware any that target the flesh of your body or the items you hold.
Truenamer
Each level, +1 language known.
Starting Assets: library access, fluency in 3 languages, writing case, scribe's robes
Starting Skills: Linguistics and 1. Jurist 2. Priest 3. Historian 4. Apothecary 5. Poet 6. Accountant
- A Polyglut, Know Thyself, +2 Utterances known
- B Speak Unto the Masses, +1 Utterance known
- C Edict of Diction, +1 Utterance known
- D Speak My Name and I Am There, +1 Utterance known
Polyglut: Your understanding of Universal Grammar gives unique insight into all languages. When studying something in a language you don’t speak, you can work out the gist in (1d20-languages known) rounds.
Know Thyself: You know your own personal truename, which allows you to objectively reflect on yourself without bias.
Knowing someone’s truename gives one great power over them. Truespeaking rolls get +2 when targeting such a person, they receive no saves from your spells, and you instinctively know all their insecurities. You may learn the truename of a friend with a season’s effort. If spending a season researching the truename of a well-documented person or spying on an enemy, you have a 3-in-6 chance of learning their truename, +1-in-6 for each previous attempt.
Speak Unto the Masses: You may subtract up to [templates] to your truespeaking rolls to make your utterances affect an equal number of additional targets.
Edict of Diction: Your quick, accurate pronunciation reaches Rap God levels. You may attempt to speak an utterance quickly, subtracting 1 to every truespeaking roll this turn but your first utterance does not take up your action.
Speak My Name and I Am There: Whenever someone speaks your name, you perceive it, know who has spoken, and may suddenly appear beside them.
Utterance List
- Fortification Matrix // Sedentary Ambulation-Target gains +2 AC for 3 rounds and takes half damage from piercing damage-Target’s movements becomes heavy and sluggish, giving -2 AC for 3 rounds and preventing delicate tasks.
- Shield of the Landscape // Environmental Betrayal-Three pieces of the environment rise up to defend someone of your choice. Attacks against them have a 60% chance of being intercepted by the environment instead, with this chance decreasing by 20% after each interception.
-Furniture or structural elements move to strike the target, attacking once/round dealing 1d6 damage until there have been three successful strikes or one minute passes. - Frenzy of the Reptilian Brain // Triumph of the Hippocampus-For 3 rounds, target gets +2 to hit and damage rolls and -2 to all other rolls-For 3 rounds, target gets +2 [sum] and is immune to fear.
- Elongation of the Corporeal Form // Contortive Morpheme-For 1 minute, target’s body becomes super stretchy. They may climb walls as they were twice their height and their reach doubles.-For 1 minute, target’s muscles become squishy and their bones supple. They may slide through cracks under doors or any similarly cramped spaces.
- Words of Nurturing // Snuffing Chant-For 3 rounds, target gains 2 hp.-For 3 rounds, target takes 2 damage.
- Revelation of the Concealed Sense // Perception Paralysis-For 3 rounds, target gains darkvision, thermalvision, guiltscent, poisontaste, magictoucg, or lifehearing.-For 3 rounds, target loses one of their 5 senses.
- Energy Negation // Revealed Disincentive-For 10 minutes, target is immune to fire, lightning, acid, asphyxiation, or gravity.-For 10 minutes, target disintegrates on contact with one solid or liquid material of your choice, taking 1 damage/round.
- Eldritch Attraction // Repulsive Presence-Target must come as close to you as it can on its next turn. Inanimate objects human-sized or less are propelled 30 ft.-Target must withdraw as far from you as it can on its next turn. Inanimate objects human-sized or less are propelled 30 ft.
- Rectification of the Clear Mind // Horror Spike-Suppresses insanity, fear, and excessive emotion in the target for 1 hour.-For 3 rounds, target flees more powerful foes for 3 rounds, refuses to enter melee with peer foes, and gets a -2 to hit weaker foes.
- Pyrotechnic Twisters // Suspend Atomic Interaction-Fill a 20’ X 20’ square with miniature tornadoes of fire for one minute, dealing 1d6 to any within.-Make surfaces in a 20’ X 20’ square totally frictionless for one minute.
- Palindromic Locomotion
-Target moves at 10x speed for one round.
-(No reversed version) - Power Word: Murder // Red Rum
-A massive cut begins to materialize on the target and they start dying. After three rounds if they haven't attended to their forthcoming injury, then they die.
-Creates a spectral cask of red rum that can serve up to [templates] + 1 drinkers. Those who consume red rum cannot hurt each other until the sun rises.
d6 Truespeech Magic Items:
- Ruby Choker of Gravitas. Your voice carries twice as far, or ten times as far for once sentence at the cost of rendering you hoarse for a week.
- Diction Tutor. An eel-like creature with two little arms. If you allow it to crawl down your neck and fill one of your lungs, gain a +1 bonus to truespeaking rolls, but you may no longer hold your breath.
- Foam Armor. Spiked, several inches thick, prevents utterances from affecting the surface beneath and cannot itself be affected. A foam coated helmet is totally deafening. Canny foes may attempt to rip it off.
- DOUBLE MEANING. A +1 Shamshir of wootz steel. It gives +1 to hit for each utterance you have active. If you have three or more active, it ignites for an additional 1d4 damage.
- Ademic Staff. While bearing the staff, +2 to truenaming rolls against animals. Clapping the staff against the ground awakens dirt and stone, allowing them to hear as if they were living creatures.
- Decibal's Grimoire of Truenames. Fabled to contain the Truenames of 777 greater demons. At first glance it seems to merely be a thinly veiled satire of the author's own time (This demon's name? SCHMEDERICH. He is the patron demon of losers who don't pay their artists on time), but hidden in the illuminated designs are the promised Truenames, and simple matter to decode for those skilled in linguistics.
Class Variant - Harmonious Bard
Truenamers echo the words of the earth's genesis. But if the world was sang into creation, bards riff off genesisian chords. Instead of reversible utterances, they can play sacred chords in major or minor keys. A very high fantasy class rather than a historically grounded one, the Harmonious Bard runs off the same mechanics as the Truenamer, just with a different flavor, singing or playing instruments to create magical effects.
Harmonious Bard
Each level, +1 SAVE
Starting Assets: Too many instruments, too much time on your hands
Starting Skills: Instruments and 1. Story-teller 2. Priest 3. Actor 4. Visual Arts 5. Poet 6. Folklore
- A Fascinate (Can perform gripping performances), Can't Stop the Music (You may hum to target yourself with chords), +2 Chords known
- B Infectious Tunes (Speak Unto the Masses), +1 Chords known
- C One Man Band (Edict of Diction), +1 Chords known
- D Power Ballad (Allies under the effect of your chords gain +2 to hit), +1 Chords known
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