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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Arkhandus" data-source="post: 3913479" data-attributes="member: 13966">Those two points are only really due to1) Tolkien's Middle-Earth didn't have gnomes, even though many folks whine all the time that D&D should be less slavishly based on Tolkien's work2) WotC messed with the gnome in 3E and made it less distinct, moreso in 3.5, removing some of their old qualities that made them more interesting or different; and they just plain chose stupid racial traits for them (given how gimped illusion magic is in 3E, they should've at least given gnomes more than just the lowliest of cantrips).Gnomes have their place in folklore and fantasy fiction.  D&D just doesn't represent that so much these days.  And really, WotC should've probably put Forest Gnomes in the PHB instead of Rock Gnomes if they were so uncertain about how to differentiate them from Dwarves or Halflings.Gnomes are the tricksters and magic-users, the ones who aren't stuck up and fragile like elves nor irksome and overly serious like dwarves.  They're the kind of folks that are actually fun to have around regardless of your own race, who always seem to have a trick up their sleeve, despite being kind of annoying once in a while with their mischief.They're the clever race, but 3E took that away from them.  For whatever reason, WotC didn't keep the gnomish Int bonus and Wis penalty, because they didn't want to bother making it work fine in-game without unbalancing the race as wizards.  Go figure.  The existing rules already massively favor certain races.</blockquote>

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