D&D General Gnome Paladins


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Not everyone optimizes their PC. Sometimes you just roll up a character and us the mechanical shortcomings as fodder for replaying.



Even though I mentioned it, I'm not obsessed with the optimization thing. It's just that the idea seems like it might have grown out of 3e optimization culture as an example of "You're doing it wrong".



Purely hypothetical. People play Gnomes?



The first character I rolled up (as opposed to, "Here, play the cleric!") was a gnome.



Tinker gnomes aren't the only gnomish trope, it probably works better with some than others.


Tinker gnomes? The archetype I was thinking of was the gnomish trickster.

Although a tinker gnome paladin with a blunderbuss could be fun.
 

Serious answer: gnomes have a bit of a bad rep as being "joke characters" - especially since Dragonlance introduced tinker gnomes to the wider audiences. And very few players can make joke characters work. Sure you don't have to play a tinker gnome, nor do you need to flanderize it to Krynn levels, but if you don't, they're just magic-using halflings.

Of course, small characters generally are kind of a niche interest, so they wouldn't be popular if they didn't have the reputation for being chaotic stupid, but they get most of the flack.

Gnome paladins have simply never been a strong combo, although in 5e at least they're not a weak combo either. I don't know if they get a lot of play or are just a stereotyped poster-boy for "look how quirky I am!" players.
 



Do people play gnomes?

I’ve personally played a handful of gnomes 1Ed-3.5Ed. Some were more serious than others, but most of them had some kind of whimsical aspect. The Gnome Ranger who rode Mithril (a giant space hamster) and used twin repeating hand crossbows with silver-headed bolts was particularly noteworthy.

In one of the last 3.5Ed campaigns I was in, another player had a gnomish monk who definitely made an impression.
 

Do people play gnomes?

I’ve personally played a handful of gnomes 1Ed-3.5Ed. Some were more serious than others, but most of them had some kind of whimsical aspect. The Gnome Ranger who rode Mithril (a giant space hamster) and used twin repeating hand crossbows with silver-headed bolts was particularly noteworthy.

In one of the last 3.5Ed campaigns I was in, another player had a gnomish monk who definitely made an impression.

I missed one in C&C.

I've seen 4 played in 30 years. Half Orcs and Halflings are in a similar boat.
 

Gnome paladins are great, particularly when they ride a war dog.

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Isn't he a "goblin"?
 


i have no great hate for gnomes personally but nor do i have any strong interest in them either, i kind of wish they leant harder into their 'magic nature spirit' aspects to carve out a better niche than 'eccentric tricksters',
 

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