I love those gnomes!

[Quinn]

Not to ruffle any feathers (though I'm sure this will), can someone explain to me what role gnomes play in a D&D game?

Elves, I get. Dwarves, I understand. Halflings, ditto.

But whenever somebody has chosen to play a gnome in a game, I find them indistinguishable from the person playing the halfling. Looking back at articles on gnomes in Dragon, I get the sense that they are mechanically-inclined, illusion magic-inclined, pranksters who wear pointy red hats and judge status on the size of their nose. Or in other words, they're comic relief. Heck, back in the 2nd edition days, gnomes and halflings didn't even warrant their own individual handbooks! What does that have to say about the smaller races? Yes, that's unfair, but seriously, it seems that even old TSR and Wizards hasn't really given a clear idea of what a gnome is and does. Halflings have the benefit of a LOTR to help establish an example of their mindset, even though that has kinda been thrown out in favor of the Kenderized halfling. Gnomes don't even have that going for them.

So seriously, what is a gnome and what is their culture like in your game?

 

[Bihor]

I stated playing with the basic DnD. in the rulecyclopedia, there where no gnome , And the halfling was a mix between a fighter and a thief. I was happy with that until later on, switching for the 2e, one of my player wanted to play a gnome. I try to figure out what a gnome community would do in my campagne, they where so lame.
But every thing changerr last year when a new player wanted to play a gnome. I think the guy IS a gnome with a Disguise, he was funny and strange. He met is end when the half-orc catapulted him.

 

[Red Spire Press]

you will love gnomes, I guarantee it...
Red Spire Press

 

[Gez]

Not to ruffle any feathers (though I'm sure this will), can someone explain to me what role gnomes play in a D&D game?
[snip]
So seriously, what is a gnome and what is their culture like in your game?

I've answered that a thousand times. There, and on WotC's. I'm bored repeating myself, really bored.

But I'll sum up.

Gnome. Proper noun, comes from greek "gnosis", meaning knowledge and wisdom. Small faerykin creatures keeping the secret lore of the world, from alchemy to forgotten legends. Wise, scholars and loremasters. Gnome communities prefer to live isolated from the noisy, brutish and vulgar world by careful dissimulation, using both natural and magical means; but there are always curious gnomes traveling the world to watch, learn, and discover.

Nearly all racial abilities of a gnome are explained by this gnosis. They know some spells, regardless of there class (if they're smart enough) because they Know how. They can talk with some animals because they Know how. They have combat bonuses against certain foes because they Know. Their ability to pierce illusions better than other also comes from that wisdom, as well as their keen sense. Their alchemy bonus is explained the same way.

 

[Benben]

Gnome. Proper noun, comes from greek "gnosis", meaning knowledge and wisdom.

It's even more obvious than that: gamma-nu-omicron-mu-eta (gnome in the greek alpahbet) means "thought".

 

[Gez]

It's even more obvious than that: gamma-nu-omicron-mu-eta (gnome in the greek alpahbet) means "thought".

Psionic gnomes !

 

[Benben]

Gnomes Rule!

Psionic gnomes !

 

[JohnClark]

Personally I enjoy playing gnomes becuase you can be serious in important encounters, but a little more light hearted when you're just walking around town. Although in my particular campaign that's a little hard, since my DM refuses to play up roleplaying oddities. For example, in one campaign we had my gnome and his gondsmen (a clockwork person basically from the techsmith class), a 10ft tall elf one his way to becoming a half-red dragon, two gleaming knights of lathander and an earth genasi. Whenever we walked into a town people would behave as if nothing was wrong, would interact with the huge elf as if he was just a normal guy. It was really frustrating becuase you can't really say, "Hey peasent, what do you think of my clockwork man? Awfully strange, wouldn't you say?"

 

[Quinn]

I've answered that a thousand times. There, and on WotC's. I'm bored repeating myself, really bored.

But I'll sum up.

Gnome. Proper noun, comes from greek "gnosis", meaning knowledge and wisdom. Small faerykin creatures keeping the secret lore of the world, from alchemy to forgotten legends. Wise, scholars and loremasters. Gnome communities prefer to live isolated from the noisy, brutish and vulgar world by careful dissimulation, using both natural and magical means; but there are always curious gnomes traveling the world to watch, learn, and discover.

Nearly all racial abilities of a gnome are explained by this gnosis. They know some spells, regardless of there class (if they're smart enough) because they Know how. They can talk with some animals because they Know how. They have combat bonuses against certain foes because they Know. Their ability to pierce illusions better than other also comes from that wisdom, as well as their keen sense. Their alchemy bonus is explained the same way.

First of all, sorry if you're bored. If I had known you had answered it before, I wouldn't have asked.

Thanks, that's a pretty good explanation, and far more interesting than what is presented in the PHB and various Dragon articles.

 

[Sir Edgar]

Thanks that my photoshopping labours are appreciated!

I can't remember being that overt in saying I wanted to take over PCs though... on the other hand, my writing style is convoluted on occasion, so I might have written something which was more likely to be interpreted in a certain way.

Rav "Gnomes should have pointy hats."

Hmmm, I thought you were "gnomed", so now it's less funny, but still a good pic anyhow. Kudos to you!

Gez, nice definition of gnomes there. Did you write that up yourself? You must really like gnomes. I have to say though your pic freaks me out a bit.

Where do clockworks come from anyhow? I've only seen them in computer games.