How would you roleplay a Svirfneblin?

[hammymchamham]

My charecter died last night, so I made a Svirneblin because and I just love them. Problem is, I know so very little about them, so first off, any links to stuff about them or references to books about Svirfneblin (not stats, but their society, how the act etc), even if its from 1st or 2nd edition or other role playing games.

So now how would you roleplay him?

Right now he's a 6th level Rogue (effectively a 9th level Charecter)

Stats (after racial mods)
STR 14
DEX 19
CON 14
INT 14
WIS 10
CHA 4

Feats
Improved Initiative
EW Prof: Gnomish Battle Pick
Combat Reflexes

Skills:
Apraise
Disable Device
Eascape Artist
Hide
Move Silently
Open Lock
Pick Pocket
Search
Spot
Tumble

Gear
+1 Sure striking Gnomish BP
+1 Mithral Shirt (Shadow, Silent Moves)
+2 Ring of Protection
MW Small Metal Sheild
Portable Hole

 

[Xarlen]

Reclusive, quiet, but a loyal little SOB. The deep gnomes have been fighting Drow for centuries, so they're likely going to be pretty gruff, in some aspects, but definetly a friend to have.

 

[I'm A Banana]

Check out my deity-a-week thread for the major god of the Svirfneblin to give you a perspective on them. Link's in the sig.

 

[Xarlen]

Pimping out your own thread. Sheesh.

Do the kobold deity, Dangit!

 

[derverdammte]

I just can't take a name like "svirfneblin" seriously. It makes me want to roleplay them by talking in a high-pitched, denasal, "munchkin voice." Actually, what I'd do (if it were a bit player) is play it in a sad, self-important munchkin voice, then do the rest of the roleplaying for the character DEAD-STRAIGHT. That could actually be interesting.

But I'm weird that way. I give Derro French accents and roleplay them with oodles of arrogance.

Ooh...give him a rough, Lemmy-style voice (or Shane MacGowan--you know the sound I'm talking about) with a Swedish accent (just make it a little singsongy if you can't do the actual accent--DON'T go over the top with it), and play him like a recluse, with an invisible wall between him and the rest of the party.

 

[Xarlen]

But I'm weird that way. I give Derro French accents and roleplay them with oodles of arrogance.

The French and Dwarves. The concepts clash in my brain. Aaah!

 

[derverdammte]

The French and Dwarves. The concepts clash in my brain. Aaah!

Derro just look French to me. Especially with the picture in the 2nd edition Monstrous Manual. The other dwarves look Scottish, but I've never played them with a Scottish accent because I've never been able to do a frontal roll for my R's.

 

[Xarlen]

That was more a shot at the French, really.

 

[Zerovoid]

Well, the best information I know of about the Snirfneblin is in the second book of the Dark Elf Trilogy. Drizzt befriends one while he is out wandering the underdark. I can't remember very much, but they seemed alot different from regular gnomes. I don't remember the gnome's name, but he got his hands replaced with mithril hammers after they were cut off by the drow.

They are eeking out an existence for themselves as the only good race in the underdark, and they are caught between the Drow, Duegar, and Mind Flayers. Because of this, they are alot more serious than surface dwelling gnomes. They're much more like dwarves than they are like other gnomes. They are the consummate survivors, and only manage to survive by sticking together and helping each other out. I think they have very strong family and friendship ties.

Other people mentioned them being arrogant... I would think exactly the opposite. The Snirfneblin are powerful by surface standards, but they are a very small fish in a very big pond, a fact that they are all too aware of.

 

[derverdammte]

Other people mentioned them being arrogant... I would think exactly the opposite. The Snirfneblin are powerful by surface standards, but they are a very small fish in a very big pond, a fact that they are all too aware of.

I was talking about Derro. Sorry if there was confusion. In reference to Svirfneblin, I used the term "self-important," which is a completely different idea.