How do you like your gnomes best?

[JohnCB]

I prefer the psychotic red cap gnomes. Homicidal fey at their best.

 

[Gez]

That's mechanical. I'm talking about background, identity, and flavor.

I could take the orcs, with their -2 in each mental stats and +4 in Strength, and give them a background, identity, and flavor of wise, smart and charismatic pacifists; and it wouldn't tick.

The mechanics shouldn't be contrary to the flavor, it should support it. I don't see how the mechanics support a tinker flavor for gnomes. Tinkers have no reason to see through illusions and no need to talk to bunnies.

 

[Dragonhelm]

The mechanics shouldn't be contrary to the flavor, it should support it. I don't see how the mechanics support a tinker flavor for gnomes. Tinkers have no reason to see through illusions and no need to talk to bunnies.

That's because the PHB gnome isn't a tinker gnome. The Dragonlance Campaign Setting version is.

 

[Shade]

I like two subraces: tinker gnomes and forest gnomes.

 

[megamania]

Eberron gnomes easily.


Never trust an Eberron Gnome. Tell him or her anything and he / she will share it.

 

[theemrys]

Personally I don't like tinkerer gnomes at all. I was cool for the DL setting and well done, but not my cup of tea.

I love gnomes. I still kinda like the illusionist thing, but can accept the bard side of it. In my games, Forest Gnomes have Druid as their favoured class, and Rock Gnomes have Bard.

Heck, they've almost become what halflings USED to be when they were more hobbit like.

 

[Ralif Redhammer]

Pun intended?

My gnomes are part classic D&D gnome (hill and gem loving semi-dwarves) and part 1e/2e illusionist gnome (without the trickster archetype, for the most part). I've made them reclusive and rare, too, since gnomes have traditionally been the least-played race in all the campaigns I've run.

and Rock Gnomes have Bard.

 

[crazy_cat]

Gnomes? What gnomes.

extinct implies they existed in the first place, in my campaigns they never even happened.

Both QFT.

 

[Anti-Sean]

Eberron gnomes easily.

Yes, yes, a thousand times yes! Looking at previous settings and trying a few ham-handed attempts at my own homebrew, I was never able to come up with a niche for the race that I was particularly happy with. I love the gnomes of Zilargo to pieces, though.

 

[airwalkrr]

I like gnomes, but I don't believe they really belong in the list of core races. Classically, gnomes are very reclusive creatures, forest-dwellers who hide and play tricks. Some folklore depicts them as creatures made of pure earth who dwell underground as well, but the point is they are not particularly gregarious with any society other than their own. They are also supposed to be shorter than D&D presumes. Tiny would be a better size approximation.