D&D 5E Gnomes aren't Fey?

[Einlanzer0]

Are gnomes not considered Fey in 5e? I wonder why they felt the need to revert this, as making them small fey creatures akin to elves was more interesting by far than they ever were as just smaller versions of dwarves. I suppose it's an easy thing to houserule, but I also dislike how they swapped the heights back around. IMO, halflings should be the larger of the two races.

Ditto for Fomorians.

 

[Satyrn]

They probably felt it more acceptable to include them as a playable race if it was humanoid. 4e took some time adding them in to the game as fey, remember.

That's my best guess.

Though I agree gnomes are more interesting as garden decorations.

 

[the Jester]

In 4e, you had both an origin- natural, shadow, fey, etc- and a type- humanoid, animate, etc. So gnomes were "fey humanoids".

In 5e, type reverted to being a single element, not having an origin attached; so there are "fey" and there are "humanoids", but not both.

I suspect that gnomes (and elves) being humanoid is to allow them to be targeted by spells like hold person.

 

[TheCosmicKid]

Please note: elves aren't fey either in 5E.

 

[Einlanzer0]

In 4e, you had both an origin- natural, shadow, fey, etc- and a type- humanoid, animate, etc. So gnomes were "fey humanoids".

In 5e, type reverted to being a single element, not having an origin attached; so there are "fey" and there are "humanoids", but not both.

I suspect that gnomes (and elves) being humanoid is to allow them to be targeted by spells like hold person.

Okay, well this makes sense - except that Elves have the "fey ancestry" racial feature and gnomes do not. I guess if that just becomes a houserule no other alterations are needed.

 

[Einlanzer0]

Please note: elves aren't fey either in 5E.

Well, maybe not as a creature, but as a playable race they are.

 

[lowkey13]

*Deleted by user*

 

[Pauln6]

Yeah I think gnomes and elves should be fey. It was what passed as a stroke of genius in 4e and was the first time I was able to think of them as more than just slightly magical dwarves. That said, I did not like the revamp of their appearance much.

I will keep them both as fey I think.

 

[jayoungr]

Remember that the default setting for 5E is different from the default setting for 4E. If there is established lore that gnomes are not fey in the Forgotten Realms, then they won't be fey by default. Doesn't mean that you can't make them fey if your game takes place in a different setting, especially if it's a homebrew one.

 

[TheCosmicKid]

Well, maybe not as a creature, but as a playable race they are.

The Fey Ancestry feature is not the same as Fey Origin in 4E. It does not make elves count as fey. It's just their classic charm/sleep resistance.