Gnome Favored Class: BARDS?!?

[Nyeshet]

Initially, halfling = hobbit. In fact, I think that halfling is actually used for hobbits a few times in the LotR books. Then Dragonlance came along and introduced its own varieties of the races. Thus we have tinker gnomes and kender [halflings]. Neither really matched the original inspiration, but the alteration is seemingly permanent. Halflings in the current edition are more akin to a half and half mix of hobbit and kender. As for gnomes, they are a mix of the legendary origins, tinker gnomes, and a few other bits and pieces.

Of the core classes, the bard is perhaps the best fit for the gnome (and, arguably, the halfling). Note, however, that many classes have been introduced since then. Perhaps, were all the 20 level classes introduced by WotC for 3.5e considered, another might be found better suited for the gnome. What of the Beguiler, for instance? Of course, this could be said to be true of all the races?

I wonder what a poll would show if each race was given a poll to determine its 'new' favored class, listing all the 20 level classes currently available from WotC? Well, it might be best to leave Elves off it, as some see them as sorcerous, others as rangers, others are scholars, others as druidic, others as bardic, etc. But Halflings, Gnomes, Dwarves, and Half-Orcs might make for an interesting set of polls . . . .

 

[Legildur]

If any core race should have favoured class: Bard, then surely it should be half-elves?

 

[irdeggman]

If any core race should have favoured class: Bard, then surely it should be half-elves?

Ah but half-elves can still go that way. They inherited the human's adaptability and have favored class: any

 

[irdeggman]

Really, gnomes should just have favored class wizard, and elves should favor bards, since that would tie their artistic, magical, and combative interests together.

In Birthright ( http://www.birthright.net/) the Cerillian elves have favored class: any arcane caster (pick one). To reflect their inherent tie to the magic of the land and the fact that they taught everyone the bardic ways.

 

[Legildur]

Ah but half-elves can still go that way. They inherited the human's adaptability and have favored class: any

(Yes, was aware of that) And yet they still aren't a popular race! Only time my goup have ever played one was as a result of a Reincarnation.

 

[Sejs]

If any core race should have favoured class: Bard, then surely it should be half-elves?

The other argument is that elves would be the candidate for having bard as a racially favored class. The jack-of-all-trades nature of the bard does a good job reflecting the idea that during their century-long warm up period elves have indeed picked up a little bit of everything. Bit of fighting, bit of magic, bit of skill-use, snippets of useful knowledge on a broad smear of topics, and even the singing part fits well.


Leave half-elves being able to have FC: Any, and have gnomes favor either beguiler (if you want more illusion-using trickster gnomes) or druid (if you want more reclusive naturey demifey gnomes).

 

[Sejs]

(Yes, was aware of that) And yet they still aren't a popular race! Only time my goup have ever played one was as a result of a Reincarnation.

You know what really makes people start to appreciate the half-elf? Playing up lighting.

Seriously - trying to be a sneaky scout/rogue type when you can't bloody well see is very painful. Either announce your presence with a bright light source or stumble around in the dark.

Half elves combine the two wonderful traits of being able to see in the dark and being able to pass as human to casual inspection. Both amazingly useful to the right type of character.

 

[KarinsDad]

You know what really makes people start to appreciate the half-elf? Playing up lighting.

Seriously - trying to be a sneaky scout/rogue type when you can't bloody well see is very painful. Either announce your presence with a bright light source or stumble around in the dark.

Half elves combine the two wonderful traits of being able to see in the dark and being able to pass as human to casual inspection. Both amazingly useful to the right type of character.

The issue with this is that if you boost it for Half-elves in some manner, you then boost it for Elves and nothing is gained. Being about to disguise as a human tends to have limited utility in a game system with 7 core races plus illusion magic.


My agreement with the OP's point is that the weakest core race is assigned the weakest core class. How lame is that?

 

[Inigo Carmine]

Remember that favored class only ever matters if you multi-class.

The gnome that goes straight illusionist has lost nothing by this change...and it's generally not a great idea to multiclass wizard anyways.

multiclassing a bard, on the other hand, can only be a good thing, because bards are weak (kidding...mostly).

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

Initially, halfling = hobbit. In fact, I think that halfling is actually used for hobbits a few times in the LotR books. Then Dragonlance came along and introduced its own varieties of the races. Thus we have tinker gnomes and kender [halflings].

Well, 2E was post-Dragonlance, but halflings were still hobbits. Unfortunately, in the 3E redesign process, someone (who didn't play halflings) decided hobbits weren't cool and so out they went, and in came kender with the serial numbers filed off, complete with a fear resistance (making them Age of Mortals kender rather than the ADD original flavor).

As someone who loved the old halflings and, in fact, ran an all-halfling campaign set in the Five Shires, I don't for a minute find the current incarnation of halflings to remotely resemble hobbits, unless there are some very different Untold Tales JRRT left laying around for eventual publication.

If you want to play a tobacco farmer who likes to sit on his front porch and blow smoke rings at the sky and have elaborate birthday parties, it's not going to be a 3E halfling that will fit that role. It'll be a gnome.