Deep Gnomes through the editions

[Olgar Shiverstone]

The most recent Dragon history update reminded me of a monster/NPC I used to enjoy using back in the 1E days as a friend of lost adventurers deep in the underdark: the smurf-nibblin / svirfneblin / deep gnome.

But frankly I can't recall -- have they been ported through the years? I think I remember them vaguely in 3E, but don't remember seeing them at all in 4E (though I haven't picked up MM3).

Anyone have a feel for how the ecology of the deep gnome has shifted through the editions? The drow have evolved some; the duergar have seemed to remain relatively static, and the gnomes ...?

(Ironic aside ... I find regular gnomes as a PC race to be obnoxious and superfluous, especially since the 3E halflings became everything gnomes were, but never had the same feeling about their Underdark cousins as NPCs, not sure why).

Edit: Must I choose a prefix? There's no "Monsters" category, no "D&D History" category, nor a "D&D General" category! Arrrghhh ...

 

[Piratecat]

Q: What did one hungry mindflayer say to the other?

A: "Hey, are you gonna eat that little blue deep gnome, or are you just smurf nibblin'?"

 

[Olgar Shiverstone]

Bah da bump. (Must spread XP before giving to Piratecat again ...)

Remebering: the deep smurfs made their original appearance in D1 Descent into the Depths of the Earth and were published in Fiend Folio. Man, that UK monster manual had some great and enduring monsters. And enduring flops, too.

 

[the Jester]

4e's reluctance to use subraces means that we'll probably see svirfneblin rolled into generic gnomes imho.

That said, I freakin' LOVE them. AND watching peoples' faces contort while the try to work out the pronunciation. I took a lot of inspiration from the very word "svirfneblin" when I ran the pcs through an adventure in the xvart city of Xvaangensleff.

 

[Piratecat]

My favorite NPC from my last campaign was a deep gnome named Priggle. The players still refer to him.

 

[Nahat Anoj]

Svirfneblin haven't really been introduced in 4e yet. Underdark has entries for gnomes who can meld with stone, which sounds like a perfect ability for svirfneblin. But the gnomes in Underdark aren't called out as being especially different from regular gnomes.

At one time I thought we'd never see the word "svirfneblin" appear in 4e, because it's too hard to pronounce. However, they have ixitxachitls in MM3, so I could be wrong.

I have the 2e Monster Mythology book - which I read to this day - and always thought Urdlen, the evil gnomish mole god, would make a cool exarch of Torog.

 

[Kobold Avenger]

I kind of suspected their wouldn't be any mention of the Svirfneblin in 4e, even if they could easily introduce a bloodline feat that allows for a meld with stone encounter power.