D&D General Should Gnomes be Tiny

[HaroldTheHobbit]

Only if i can still wield a greataxe.

This. Since every PC is the same in 5e - 30’ move, no race limit for stats etc - this would raw allow an all Smurf party

 

[Reynard]

This whole "all benefits,no penalties" of Tiny size attitude is baffling.

 

[Horwath]

This whole "all benefits,no penalties" of Tiny size attitude is baffling.

This why I believe that default "species" for dnd should all be medium with addition small and large are optional with real benefits and penalties.

 

[KYRON45]

Be the Gnome you want to be in life.

 

[mellored]

This whole "all benefits,no penalties" of Tiny size attitude is baffling.

Nothing stops you from playing a gnome with 8 Str.

But the main issue is that the penalties are an excuse to add extra benefits (I.e. -4 Str means +2 Dex),
But you can easily avoid any actual penalties (dual wield, cast spells).

 

[Horwath]

Nothing stops you from playing a gnome with 8 Str.

But the main issue is that the penalties are an excuse to add extra benefits (I.e. -4 Str means +2 Dex),
But you can easily avoid any actual penalties (dual wield, cast spells).

that is also valid approach, no modification to STR but highest you can start in str would be

Medium: 18,
Small: 14,
Tiny: 10,

then add max possible stat:
Medium: 20
Small: 16
Tiny: 12

you get no penalties to STR and you get no bonuses to other abilites.

 

[CreamCloud0]

It’s a nice idea but ultimately one that i think would cause alot of hassle,

elaborating on this, i just don't think 5e ruleset is designed in such a way that ever intends player characters to be Tiny (unless magically altered in which case it is a temporary state and their gear is likely altered too), it relies too heavily on the convenience of everyone being more or less the same size in relation to how they interact with the world around them, with only a little stretching of disbelief you can imagine that possibly the 7ft goliath could potentially wield and wear the exact same longsword and fullplate as the 4ft halfling, but the former handing their gear to a hypothetical 2ft gnome to wear them like they do does not seem realistically possible, and Wizards doesn't want to write up a whole section about gear sizes to acount for this, or about strength caps and penalties on the species end of things.

we have the fairy in 5e as a player species, if my knowledge of previous editions is correct it was a tiny creature in those, but in 5e it is merely small, i believe if any player species would be tiny in 5e it would be the fairy, but it's not, so i don't believe 5e is intended for tiny player species.

 

[sevenbastard]

I don't use gnomes....

Should be a poll options.

 

[mellored]

elaborating on this, i just don't think 5e ruleset is designed in such a way that ever intends player characters to be Tiny (unless magically altered in which case it is a temporary state and their gear is likely altered too), it relies too heavily on the convenience of everyone being more or less the same size in relation to how they interact with the world around them, with only a little stretching of disbelief you can imagine that possibly the 7ft goliath could potentially wield and wear the exact same longsword and fullplate as the 4ft halfling, but the former handing their gear to a hypothetical 2ft gnome to wear them like they do does not seem realistically possible, and Wizards doesn't want to write up a whole section about gear sizes to acount for this, or about strength caps and penalties on the species end of things.

we have the fairy in 5e as a player species, if my knowledge of previous editions is correct it was a tiny creature in those, but in 5e it is merely small, i believe if any player species would be tiny in 5e it would be the fairy, but it's not, so i don't believe 5e is intended for tiny player species.

Just out of curiosity. What are the new rules for size?

I don't see any general rules besides "space you take up In combat", and being in other creatures spaces.
And a few other ones like grapple, or "push large size or smaller".

And I missing anything?

So tiny gnome (with no other rules) would be able to wield a great axe and have a 5' reach without issue.

And you want to play one with 8 Str, you can do that.

 

[DEFCON 1]

For me, the "tiny forest gnome" is the Quickling. And if/when I ever need an even smaller step down in size from dwarf to rock gnome to X... I usually call X a brownie.