[3.5 Revision Spotlight] The Gnome

[FireLance]

For what it's worth, I was toying with the idea of making bard the favoured class for gnomes. Looks like WotC saved me the trouble of coming out with a house rule.

The whole gnome-illusionist thing was a holdback from 1e, when illusionist was a class in its own right, and gnomes could not be wizards because of race/class restrictions. 2e reinvented the illusionist as just one type of specialist wizard, but the race/class restrictions stayed. After 3e lifted race/class restrictions, I gradually came round to thinking that made no sense that the gnomes' favoured class was effectively a sub-class of wizard.

From a game mechanic perspective, this might also help gnomes to find their niche. Bring on the gnomish bards, I say.

 

[dema]

Gnome Rock Band

Anyone else having images of a Gnomish Rock band now?

I'm scared, but looking forward to the mosh pit.


Ok, it was just an image.

Still looking forward to the changes in e3.5

 

[Someone]

I like the change. I´ve never seen in my games a gnome or a bard, and now I know why!

 

[LGodamus]

i can just see a little gnome bard troupe running around singing and dancing to the munchkin song from wizard of oz


ding dong the witch is dead , the witch is dead, the witch is dead

 

[ph34r]

i can just see a little gnome bard troupe running around singing and dancing to the munchkin song from wizard of oz


ding dong the witch is dead , the witch is dead, the witch is dead

harhar, that is teh funny!

 

[Doc_Souark]

Does the Bard list still just goes up to 6th level ?

 

[Vocenoctum]

in Midnight, the gnomes are favored class rogue, but gain +4 cha and -2 strength, they're boating traders. I could see Midnight Gnomes being as bards.

I still prefer the core gnomes being +2 int/-2 wis and illusionists.

I don't see any justification for gnomes to be bards, anymore than most of the other races. For a gnome I can justify rogue, wizard, druid long before bard.

The iconic gnome really is a rogue-illusionist (to me), but a bard is NOT a rogue illusionist.

I also hate that they kept the 1 minute limit on Speak With Animals, that's just silly.

So, regardless, I'll be modifying them for my next campaign, so no biggy... unless I want to play one. It's all well and good for folks to say "rule 0 it!" but most of my DM's are so stuck in the rules they will never do that. They're sure paladin's can't multiclass because it would ruin game balance. They're sure a Lawful Bard would so ruin the rules of the game that to even think it is anathema.
Basically, They trust that Wizards did everything for a reason. I wish Wizards would get things right the first time.

 

[Umbran]

For a gnome I can justify rogue, wizard, druid long before bard.

Before we start trying to justify the bard thing, would it not be wise to actually see the new bard? Hm?