If gnomes had the eladrin's powers would that make them more appealing?

[TwinBahamut]

Until Gnomes are a type of Earth-elemental spirit creature who exist alongside Water-elemental Undines, Wind-elemental Sylphs, and Fire-elemental Salamanders, I probably won't be satisfied.

So, no, I don't think giving them Eladrin powers will do it in of itself.

 

[Thyrwyn]

Blasphemy! He hath invoked the dreaded RQ reference!

and he forgot Lunes, to boot.

 

[Klaus]

I may just call Eladrin Gnomes IMC. I think it makes sense. There's enough Elves running around anyway.

Indeed, this would be my suggestion. Make Eladrins Small (using the height tables and guidelines for halflings) and keep everything else the same. Presto, instant fey-based gnome!

 

[(Psi)SeveredHead]

Unless gnomes have decent flavor, giving them cool abilities won't actually make them cool.

I played a gnome wizard in 3.x because it's a mechanically ideal choice due to the small size and + Con. (Slow speed sucks though.) Being a gnome didn't make him cool, instead it made him nearly invincible. Powerful isn't the same as cool.

 

[Doug McCrae]

Gnomes will never be cool, even if they take up smoking, wear a BLJ and play bass guitar in a band.

 

[Scholar & Brutalman]

Unless gnomes have decent flavor, giving them cool abilities won't actually make them cool.

I played a gnome wizard in 3.x because it's a mechanically ideal choice due to the small size and + Con. (Slow speed sucks though.) Being a gnome didn't make him cool, instead it made him nearly invincible. Powerful isn't the same as cool.

I played a whisper gnome for the same reason - great stats. They're hardly a great example of gnome flavour though.

My guess is that the Tiefling and the Gnome actually showed us some of the 4e gnome flavour. The eladrin are the beautiful aristocratic fey, the gnomes are the mad trickster fey. But they can be mad tricksters like Bugs Bunny, or mad tricksters like the Joker.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

All of you gnome-haters don't murderize me for suggesting it but if the gnome was given the Feyish powers that the eladrin has, would that change your opinion on how appealing they'd be to play?

Gnomes have always been pretty good mechanically. I don't know that mechanics are the problem the heathen gnome-haters have with the Greatest Race.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

I played a whisper gnome for the same reason - great stats. They're hardly a great example of gnome flavour though.

I disagree. I think they're a great example of gnome flavor if you view being really, really sneaky as coming from the same root societal cause as being really, really good at hiding your entire town with illusions.

Don't make me link my thread again, because I will.

 

[Crazy Jerome]

Indeed, this would be my suggestion. Make Eladrins Small (using the height tables and guidelines for halflings) and keep everything else the same. Presto, instant fey-based gnome!

Didn't we have this conversation already?

Yeah, I've been saying for some time that this is my plan. Elves restricted to nature-loving wild race. Silly name "elardrin" replaced with something that actually conjures an image in my players' minds. Gnome get the "magic using fey" niche that fits enough of the mythological concepts of gnomes that it will do. (That earth elemental thing is just too strange.) While we are at it, drop half elves completely. What's not to like?

 

[lutecius]

Gnomes have always been pretty good mechanically. I don't know that mechanics are the problem the heathen gnome-haters have with the Greatest Race.

You’re right, if I am any indication.

I don’t mind gnomes. I’d rather have them running around as NPCs or fellow PCs than dreadlocked-river-gypsy-halflings, tail-less-dragonborns or goat-alligator-tieflings.
Hey, I even prefer them over dwarves (more archetypal, less obnoxious)

The thing is, no matter what abilities they get, I just don’t find the idea of playing a tiny old man appealing.

Making elves/eladrin taller was definitely a hit for me. In previous editions, I liked the fey-vibe and the abilities but I hated being short. That even made me try half-elf *shudder*