How do you like your gnomes best?

[Gez]

Yet what are gnomes without tinkering? Illusionists? Tricksters? Anybody can be these. Miners of gems? We've got dwarves.

Druidic monks. A bunch of Yoda.

I'll say it again: their racial abilities are talking to animals, having spell-like abilities, being good alchemists, and being good at making and piercing illusions. This doesn't much lead itself to suicidal mechanists. Alchemy's quite a different thing. Being naturally skilled for a type of magic, having magical powers, and being able to talk to animals make them a thousand time better suited with the "spellcaster in tune with nature" niche than the elves.

So, make tinker elves (they make toys for Santa, after all) and give the "wise elder race" niche to gnomes.

What are halflings? Rogues? Anybody can be these. What are elves? Wizards? Anybody can be these. What are dwarves? Fighters? Anybody can be these. What are humans, bland? Anybody can be these.

Your argument isn't fair.

 

[Brennin Magalus]

I think gnomes are superfluous now that dwarves have access to arcane magic.

 

[Zander]

I've always had a fondness for the flavor of the Gnomes of Wil Huygen & Rien Poortvliet although their size was a distinct problem for a D&D setting... so I tended to combine the flavor of the works with the rules of the 1st edition AD&D gnome.

I agree! The 1E gnome was, I believe, inspired by a character from Poul Anderson's Three Hearts and Three Lions so I combine that concept with the 1E and Huygen and Poortvliet ones for gnomes in my homebrew. IMC, gnomes have 2 favoured classes: druid and illusionist, not bard.

 

[Dragonhelm]

What are halflings? Rogues? Anybody can be these. What are elves? Wizards? Anybody can be these. What are dwarves? Fighters? Anybody can be these. What are humans, bland? Anybody can be these.

Your argument isn't fair.

That's mechanical. I'm talking about background, identity, and flavor. Elves are the knowledgeable elder race. Dwarves are stonecutters, workers under the mountain. Halflings...well, that sorta depends on which take on halflings you like.

And granted, each race may vary depending on your setting. Point is, when I think of most races, I have a picture of what they're like in a D&D setting. I don't quite get that same vibe with gnomes.

Am I missing something here?

Whatever the case, I prefer tinkers. If you guys don't, that's cool. There's room for more than one point of view on gnomes.

 

[Darklone]

Gnomes are female dwarves. Silly, not logical, a bit more social... and they still got a beard!

 

[The Green Adam]

Gnomes are female dwarves. Silly, not logical, a bit more social... and they still got a beard!

I know this is more of a Dwarf comment then a Gnome comment but...has anyone seen or played Lineage II. The female Dwarves sorta look like cute anime girls but still sport mighty huge axes and other weapons. I love that idea. lol

 

[Gez]

Gnomes are female dwarves. Silly, not logical, a bit more social... and they still got a beard!

Elves are female dwarves. I mean, you're not implying seriously an elf could be male, are you? Male elves are dwarves.

Plus, it ties in so well with their constant rivalry and bickering!

 

[MoogleEmpMog]

Dragonlance.

I love tinker gnomes; find 'em hilarious and find they create interesting situations in-game.

 

[MoogleEmpMog]

Gnomes are female dwarves. Silly, not logical, a bit more social... and they still got a beard!

I've seen this idea before and actually like it quite a lot. It would be very cool to have more pronounced sexual dimorphism in a PC race.

 

[Kid Charlemagne]

So, Gnomes...

Thoughts?

My gnomes are half-fey/half-dwarf, with a resulting affinity for magic and technology. In my world they are inventors, quirky and funny, but rarely bungling. They invented gunpowder and firearms, and maintain a monopoly on the critical elements involved in gunpowder production, using that monopoly as a political "big stick" to get what they want.