D&D General Why Do People Hate Gnomes?

[Oofta]

While I don't hate gnomes, that's pretty much how I feel about them. But then I feel like that about some of the other D&D species as well including the goliath. In my experience, the goliath pretty much fills a similar niche to the half-orc but I haven't found a lot of people who hate them.

Yeah, goliaths just feel like "big brute guy without the baggage". Gnomes have just been around longer and people are simply more prone to make jokes about short people or species. It's part of why the Ferengi on Star Trek, which were supposed to be a significant threat, were treated more as comic relief.

 

[Oofta]

How do you save a drowning bard?

Spoiler

Oh, you don't know? GOOD!

It's never come up because water is too big of a fan and they just wave at the bard.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

Keep talking, everyone; I'm making a list.

 

[Mind of tempest]

Yeah, goliaths just feel like "big brute guy without the baggage". Gnomes have just been around longer and people are simply more prone to make jokes about short people or species. It's part of why the Ferengi on Star Trek, which were supposed to be a significant threat, were treated more as comic relief.

I do feel like Goliaths could be better both with place in the setting and visually

 

[Yaarel]

That and it's kind of a running joke, much like @Snarf Zagyg pretends to hate bards even though we all secretly know they're his favorite class.

Heh, even the avatar of @Snarf Zagyg is a Bard! True admiration for Bards.

 

[el-remmen]

Gnomes > Goliaths

I've considered running a game with nothing but humans and gnomes!

I'd allow a firbolg in my game before a goliath, and I don't allow firbolgs!

 

[el-remmen]

And anyone looking for gnomes to love should read (reread? ) the Garvan Gnomes portion of my "Out of the Frying Pan" story hour, during which the PCs were the "guests" of gnomes for three (in-game) months - and then went on to feature gnome to varying degrees on and off for the next 70ish sessions.

Edit to Add: I mention this because multiple readers commented back then that it was the first time they'd liked gnomes or considered them interesting in D&D (and to self-promote, of course).

 

[Yaarel]

I do feel like Goliaths could be better both with place in the setting and visually

Essentially these are a playable Giant species.

Possibly, the Orc includes all of the Giants.

• Orc descends from Ogre
• Orc descends from Storm Giant
• Frost Giant
• Fire Giant

Etcetera. These can all be Orc ethnicities, when the main criterion are "brute".

But Giants can also be highly magical, intelligent, perceptive, beautiful, and so on.


Even better. Let Giants themselves be various playable species. Play a Frost Giant or Storm Giant. Most Giants are humansize, Medium. A player character can increase in size categories as Strength and Constitution increase. The Huge Giants are ancient and high tier. There can even be Gargantuan Giants who are epic tiers.

 

[Mind of tempest]

Essentially these are a playable Giant species.

Possibly, the Orc includes all of the Giants.

• Orc descends from Ogre
• Orc descends from Storm Giant
• Frost Giant
• Fire Giant

Etcetera. These can all be Orc ethnicities, when the main criterion are "brute".

But Giants can also be highly magical, intelligent, perceptive, beautiful, and so on.


Even better. Let Giants themselves be various playable species. Play a Frost Giant or Storm Giant. Most Giants are humansize, Medium. A player character can increase in size categories as Strength and Constitution increase. The Huge Giants are ancient and high tier. There can even be Gargantuan Giants who are epic tiers.

I do not think orcs are giant kin or at least I am fairly certain they are not.
orcs are well bad things made by a guy from north of me they have no clear myth thing maybe kids of cain with him being catholic and all?

 

[jmartkdr2]

Essentially these are a playable Giant species.

Possibly, the Orc includes all of the Giants.

• Orc descends from Ogre
• Orc descends from Storm Giant
• Frost Giant
• Fire Giant

Etcetera. These can all be Orc ethnicities, when the main criterion are "brute".

But Giants can also be highly magical, intelligent, perceptive, beautiful, and so on.


Even better. Let Giants themselves be various playable species. Play a Frost Giant or Storm Giant. Most Giants are humansize, Medium. A player character can increase in size categories as Strength and Constitution increase. The Huge Giants are ancient and high tier. There can even be Gargantuan Giants who are epic tiers.

Eh, orcs carry a lot of lore baggage that Goliaths don't, and I think that's a big part of the appeal of goliaths. They're big guys but without being hated for existing. Not everyone who wants to be strong wants to experience racism.