D&D General Should Gnomes be Tiny

[Horwath]

It makes every monk and rogue into a gnome.

if it comes with reduced unarmed damage die and speed penalty, it might be a trade off.

That's the issue with penalties, they make you want extra bonuses.

it's call game balance.
but with all games, some penalties can be ignored or mitigated and some bonuses can be synergyezed with other features.

 

[Yaarel]

I feel Fairy, should be Medium, humansize. Plus be able to be to shrink at will, to Small and Tiny. This is the mythologically accurate depiction, as Shakespeare and others describe. Note, the younger the Fairy appear the more powerful they tend to be, so some are Small in the sense of appearing as a humanlike child.

Other Fey concepts may be in this category of shifting size at will.

Generally Small is waist-high to an adult Human, and Tiny is knee-high. Depictions of gnomes can be either, and it should probably be players choice.

 

[mellored]

if it comes with reduced unarmed damage die and speed penalty, it might be a trade off.

I don't think taking 1 damage away from a rogue is going to do much.

it's call game balance.
but with all games, some penalties can be ignored or mitigated and some bonuses can be synergyezed with other features.

Just do it your first way.

Tiny, but can't have more than 10 Str. No extra bonus (still get the gnome saves).

You have your flavorful penalty, and it doesn't hurt game balance.

 

[Horwath]

I don't think taking 1 damage away from a rogue is going to do much.

Just do it your first way.

Tiny, but can't have more than 10 Str. No extra bonus (still get the gnome saves).

You have your flavorful penalty, and it doesn't hurt game balance.

yup.

but I like also this fast "small" template for all races.

small size
cannot use Heavy weapons(add 1Handed STR based weapons that deal base d10 damage)
-5ft speed
+1 AC

 

[mellored]

yup.

but I like also this fast "small" template for all races.

small size
cannot use Heavy weapons(add 1Handed STR based weapons that deal base d10 damage)
-5ft speed
+1 AC

So every tank is now small...

Why not just
Small: cannot use 2 handed weapon.

 

[CreamCloud0]

yup.

but I like also this fast "small" template for all races.

small size
cannot use Heavy weapons(add 1Handed STR based weapons that deal base d10 damage)
-5ft speed
+1 AC

oh you mean a 'fast designed' template rather than a 'fast small' template, was trying to square the -5ft speed with 'being fast'

 

[Deset Gled]

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

But isn't this just another form of every thread about racial ASI? The discussion is fundamentally the same, it's just a question of where people draw their lines.

 

[jayoungr]

I checked "optional / temporary." I personally have no interest in Tiny gnomes, but I have no objection to a homebrewed or even official Tiny variant.

 

[Horwath]

oh you mean a 'fast designed' template rather than a 'fast small' template, was trying to square the -5ft speed with 'being fast'

yup, fast in design and application. literally less that a minute to apply to character sheet.

 

[Horwath]

So every tank is now small...

in order to be a tank, you need to give them reason to attack you.
less damage, less efficiency as a tank

Why not just
Small: cannot use 2 handed weapon.

smaller frame, less of a target, +1 AC fits.