For the first time... apprehension

[kennew142]

I'm quite certain they could make a better gnome. But the fact of the matter is is that for the 3.5 PHB, they didn't. I'm just saying that its a self fulfulling prophesy. Make gnomes poorly in the 3.5 phb and they're not popular. Well, duh. If they made gnomes better, they'd be more popular.

Possibly. Do any of us know how popular gnomes were in AD&D? In my experience, this isn't the case. I've encountered one gnome PC in 28 years of D&D gaming. I don't know what other's experiences show. I've never seen so much gnomophilia as on the ENWorld forums.

At the heart of it all, this is where our differences reside. I feel that to staying true to the original is where the game belongs.

I agree that we differ here. I welcome new and (IMO) interested material, even if it means that older and less interesting material has to go to make room for it. Besides, moving it to a different book doesn't mean that you can't play it. 2nd edition removed half-orcs and monks, both of which were in AD&D 1e.

Same is true with Beowolf. I'm not such a fan of the new movie It wasn't true to original poem. The original poem, IMO, is one of the things that inspired LotR and OD&D and similar.

Okay, we'll have to agree here. The movie Beowulf (IMO) is visually unappealing and devoid of any artistic merit. It may be the only movie this year worse than 300.

 

[Mistwell]

I think the other numbers are closer than yours. Some discretionary income, and moms are disproportionately represented (it's easier to squash a few trolls in the wee hours of the morning than to join a bowling league when you have little ones). I can't count how many times I've had to pause a late night City of Heroes for, "Sorry, need to nurse the kid, brb" or something along those lines.

http://www.nickyee.com/daedalus/archives/001365.php

"From the survey data, the average age of the WoW player is 28.3 (SD = 8.4). 84% of players are male. 16% are female. Female players are significantly older (M = 32.5, SD = 10.0) than male players (M = 28.0, SD = 8.4). On average, they spend 22.7 (SD = 14.1) hours per week playing WoW. There are no gender differences in hours played per week."

 

[Dormammu]

They should have made elves haughty and distant (see my Melnibonéan comment above) and made Gnomes the ones associated with Fey. In fact, Gnomes and Goblins should be brother good/evil races that have strong Fey associations. Also, Bards should in no way be linked to Gnomes. Where the heck did that ever come from?! Also, Sorcerer should have been Elves' favored class instead of Wizards, but that ship sailed seven years ago! Oh wait, now I'm just devolving into how I run D&D races. Heh.

 

[Darrin Drader]

But for the first time I find myself extremely apprehensive.

You aren't alone, and I share in many of your concerns. I won't be making the switch (or if I do, it will be in only a very limited capacity) and I designed a bunch of stuff for 3rd edition.

 

[dmccoy1693]

I agree that we differ here. I welcome new and (IMO) interested material, even if it means that older and less interesting material has to go to make room for it.

*Remembering a Chris Rock joke about "Comittment or New P****" * I guess I'm a Comittment kind of guy, wanting to turn the old into new.

 

[pawsplay]

FAIL.

I've only read a few of Howard's original Conan stories, but I would best describe them as not D&D.

Why?

Let's look at People of the Black Circle. Conan gets jumped by his hirelings, coerced into doing a quest, forms an unlikely partnership with a noblewoman/ninja, finds a conveniently placed magic item, and defeats an evil wizard. Then he and the noblewoman/ninja parts ways without having PC-on-PC sex.

Sounds like a D&D game to me!

 

[Gloombunny]

I'm quite certain they could make a better gnome. But the fact of the matter is is that for the 3.5 PHB, they didn't. I'm just saying that its a self fulfulling prophesy. Make gnomes poorly in the 3.5 phb and they're not popular. Well, duh. If they made gnomes better, they'd be more popular.

For what it's worth, I don't think I would like your gnomes any more than the PHB ones. Favored class: bard is an obvious error, but then, favored class is a pretty dumb idea anyway. Other than that it's a pretty subjective question what makes a good gnome.

Also, Bards should in no way be linked to Gnomes. Where the heck did that ever come from?!

Because beguiler, sadly, isn't a core class.

Beguiler: the bard that Doesn't Suck. And the perfect evolution of the gnome illusionist concept.

 

[pawsplay]

Beguiler is an elegant interpretation of the thief/illusionist archetype.

 

[VirgilCaine]

Beguiler: the bard that Doesn't Suck. And the perfect evolution of the gnome illusionist concept.

Beguilers embody, IMO, neither the Bard nor the Illusionist.

They don't have the Bard spell list nor the Illusion school's interesting spells (the Images, Hallucinatory Terrain, Mislead, Mirage Arcana, Phantasmal Killer, the Shadow spells...).

They are something in between. Spellcasting and trapfinding? Cool. A spell list without the unique mix of the Bard spell list and none of the really cool Illusion spells. Ass.

 

[Gloombunny]

They could use a bigger list and/or more advanced knowledge checks, true. Maybe an option to dump some enchantment spells in favor of more illusion spells or vice versa. They're not perfect, you're right; just better than bards.

(Mislead is on their list, though.)