The Gnome Poll

[Irda Ranger]

Given the nature of the replies, I don't believe that WotC was doin' the thinky...

Not necessarily. There was no checkbox for "Yeah, I've played a Gnomes, but I don't mind them being left out of the PHB."

I voted "Never played a Gnome." In fact, in all my years of gaming, only player in any group I've played in ever has, and it wasn't for too many sessions. Although I feel for the folks who like gnomes and will miss them, this is not one of the 4E changes that concerns me in the least.

 

[TerraDave]

This poll is badly done. It should feature a "I have never played a gnome PC" and a "i have never run a gnome NPC"

It shows how many posters have played gnomes and how many want to play gnomes, but there is NO OPTION for us, who never played a gnome. Maybe it would show that a great amount of gamers have neevr played a gnome

But as long as they vote in one or more of the 4 other catagories, it should be ok.

My read of the poll is that just under half have never played a gnome.

 

[EATherrian]

I've mentioned it in other threads, but gnomes have a large presence in my home-brew and as long as I can keep them as NPCs I'll be happy. I've never used a gnome as a PC, but that's because I mostly just play humans. I never pay any attention to racial bonuses and don't have to worry about. Plus as a throwback to how long I've been gaming I know I can level all the way.

 

[Kaffis]

I've never played a gnome NPC. I don't have much interest in playing one in the future, unless something is done to wow me and get me excited.

I don't have anything actively against gnomes, they're just quite uninteresting to me, and it takes something special to get me to play a small race, as I like my movement options. Thus, as a DM, my worlds will have gnomes, and that means occasionally I'll end up playing one as an NPC -- but I didn't check the "I want to use a gnome as an NPC" because, well, it's no special desire.

In addition, the only gnome PC that I recall ever having been played in a group I was involved in was/is one of my favorite PC allies ever, but it should be noted that it's purely because he's the comic relief and awesome at it. Mad, delusional, flambouyant aspiring pirate captain gnomes definitely get my thumbs up. But then, the only reason he's a gnome is because it tends to make the character more ridiculous, and being the go-to race for taking a character less seriously isn't really a selling point to most people, nor should it be.

 

[Doug McCrae]

This poll is very flawed. I think gnomes are the worst race concept in the PHB and should be replaced by any number of alternatives such as drow or catfolk, but that doesn't mean I would never play or use one. But your poll would, if I answered truthfully, make me look like a damn dirty gnome supporter.

The real question should be - Should gnomes be in PHB1?

 

[helium3]

Ehhh. I'd prefer for them to be in the PHB, but I don't mind them not being in there either as long as they're in the MM. It should be fairly easy to take what's in the MM and turn them into a playable race from that. Of course, I'm fairly confident that one of the core books will have rules about how to play some of the humanoid creatures from the MM as characters.

As for the whole gnomes being boring thing, that's very true. I think that part of the problem is that the gnomish flavor that exists is all about what gnome "do" rather than what gnomes "are." It's hard to look at the gnome as presented in the PHB and say, "playing a character with that outlook on the world resonates with the play experience I'm interested in right now." On the other hand, if I play a Dwarf I know I get to act like a gruff, socially retarded schlub who's always yammering on about history, duty and honor.

 

[Mr Jack]

I'd rather Gnomes were in the PHB but, really, I don't care. It's hardly a buy/don't buy point for me. Apart from anything else they're going to be right there in the MM so if I want 'em, I can have 'em.

I'm more disappointed that neither Half Orc nor Orc made it to the PHB; how disappointed I am depends on the details of Dragonborn.

And, finally, I'm more disappointed that Half Elves are still ponging the place up than I am that either of them are left out.

 

[Lord Fyre]

This poll appeals to the Lowest Common Degnominator.

 

[Wormwood]

And, finally, I'm more disappointed that Half Elves are still ponging the place up than I am that either of them are left out.

Oh can I get an AMEN

 

[Gez]

As a player: four gnomes, one halfling, one half-orc, six humans, one changeling.

As a DM, countless NPCs, but I've got a half-dozen important Gnome NPCs in my homebrew, and something like three or four in Eberron.