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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Shades of Green" data-source="post: 2999867" data-attributes="member: 3297">The main problem I have with gnomes is the lack of a good niche for them, both setting-wise and metagame-wise. The other races are:Humans are just Humans; the "usual" to compare all the unusual/magical/mystical stuff to; they are also (understandably) the easiest race to roleplay and the race with the most inspiration for (history and most fiction, including non-fantasy, ofcourse).Elves are mystical, magical fey-people with a deep connection to nature; they tend to be far more "in tune" with magic than the other races, and have a strange aura of mystery and mysticism on them wherever they go. They are also deep into art, and far less concerned about serious industry or commerce.Halflings are "cute" (tell it to someone they pickpocket!), hairy-foot small people who live in burrows, like to enjoy their lives (eating, drinking, comfortable dwellings and so on), are courious and, ofcourse, tend to be a bit sneaky and nosy and see "thief" as a "respectable profession". They tend to be good merchants, entertainers, petty criminals and small-time farmers, but rarely bureaucrats, soldiers or industrialists.Think a cross between Tolkien's Hobbits and Gypsies.Dwarves are short, stocky, grumpy, love gold but prefer a job well done more than it (especially well-crafted items), like to work and don't hesitate to fight; they are deep into smithing, mining, smelting, heavy construction, jewelery and technology (steamwork and clockwork IMC). They are great engineers, soldiers, inventers and industrialists, as well as decent traders (but not as good in haggling as a Human or a Halfling), but rarely good mages (except than magic related to machines and/or craftmanship and/or their gods), and usually see nature as a collection of raw materials to transform into super-quality crafted objects rather than something that has to be revered.Orcs/Half Orcs are big, short-tempered, quick to anger, strong, and in some cases not-so-bright (though there ARE several very smart half-orcs); they tend to be quite loyal to their families or tribes; they like to fight and to hunt, but can often be found doing grunt work or working as farmers or as (low to mid quality) smiths.No, gnomes are supposed to be short, burrow-dwelling, nature-connected, few-connected tricksters who are good with machinery and magic and love gemstones.Short, burrow-dwelling tricksters? Halflings could easily fill that niche.Nature/Fey Connected who are good with magic? Elves do that quite well.Good with machinery and magic and love gemstones? Dwarves readily fill that role.</blockquote>

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