Revision Spotlight on Gnomes

[thalmin]

This week's 3.5 Spotlight is on the revised gnome race. It can be found here.
Changes include:
Add +1 to the Difficulty Class for all saving throws against illusion spells cast by gnomes.

Weapon Familiarity: Gnomes may treat gnome hooked hammers as martial weapons rather then exotic weapons.

Favored class is Bard.

Gnomes now use CHA instead of INT to get their inate spells.

 

[Sejs]

those last 3 words are probably the sweetest. Favored. Class. Bard.


Wow, look.. they have their own flavor now.. they're not just dwelves.


Jolly good revision in my oppinion. The iconic even looks good. He certainly dresses better than most of the rest of them.

 

[thundershot]

Holy crap! Favored class is BARD?! A pretty ballsy move, but I'm glad they did that. All in all, looks nice and smooth (and Gimble just oozes cool).

Oh, and this settles the question of whether the Giant type is sticking around...



Chris

 

[Stalker0]

While its counterintutive that the gnomes gets more powers with illusions, yet loses the illusionist favored class, I like the overall change.

 

[Li Shenron]

Oh, and this settles the question of whether the Giant type is sticking around...

Are we sure that it is not going to become a Subtype? The bonus would still be worded the same, I suppose.

Anyway, about the Gnome... nothing much new and that's fine. We already new about Weapon Familiarity (good thing, and not a real boost) and about Craft (Alchemy) (very unneeded and possibly confusing change). I appreciate the clarification about the spell-like abilities.

I don't mind much the change to the Favored Class, since IMHO favored classes shouldn't be a critical problem. But I do have some concerns about Gnomes to have an attitude for a Charisma-based class rather than an Intelligence-based class, although it might be my own wrong stereotype of gnomes...

 

[Li Shenron]

While its counterintutive that the gnomes gets more powers with illusions, yet loses the illusionist favored class, I like the overall change.

...but I would have prefered (in 3e) that they had Wizard as favored class. As a matter of fact Illusionist is not a class, but a nickname for Wizard class plus a specific choice for a class feature. Therefore, i didn't like this design choice in 3e - although it makes sense from the flavor POV. It's like having favored class Ranger-with-Dragons-as-favored-enemy (you can call him Dragonslayer but the class is still Ranger) or favored class Cleric-of-Corellon.

It is very likely that the majority of e.g. Elf Clerics are Clerics of Corellon, but as I wouldn't like such a restriction on favored class, I didn't like Illusionist either.

add: to have Wiz as FC doesn't force you to be a non-illusionist BTW; plus you can be a great illusionist without specializing

 

[Kae'Yoss]

...but I would have prefered (in 3e) that they had Wizard as favored class. As a matter of fact Illusionist is not a class, but a nickname for Wizard class plus a specific choice for a class feature. Therefore, i didn't like this design choice in 3e - although it makes sense from the flavor POV. It's like having favored class Ranger-with-Dragons-as-favored-enemy (you can call him Dragonslayer but the class is still Ranger) or favored class Cleric-of-Corellon.

Point me to a reference in the PHB where elven clerics of Corellon are called Cleric-of-Corellon or Rangers with Dragons as favored enemy are called Dragonslayer. You can't cause there isn't any. Illusionist, on the other hand, is the official name of wizards that specialize in illusion magic.

 

[Li Shenron]

Point me to a reference in the PHB where elven clerics of Corellon are called Cleric-of-Corellon or Rangers with Dragons as favored enemy are called Dragonslayer. You can't cause there isn't any. Illusionist, on the other hand, is the official name of wizards that specialize in illusion magic.

I know... but I mean that I still think Illunionist is not a different class, even if it is the common way to call him. At least, it doesn't work as a class (e.g. for the purpose of multiclassing). So IMHO an Illusionist is of a Wizard class.

No problem with that, but I hope you see what I meant. I don't want you to agree

 

[Kae'Yoss]

I know... but I mean that I still think Illunionist is not a different class, even if it is the common way to call him. At least, it doesn't work as a class (e.g. for the purpose of multiclassing). So IMHO an Illusionist is of a Wizard class.

No problem with that, but I hope you see what I meant. I don't want you to agree

Yes, I know what you mean.

It's one of the sacret cows, which now is heading to the slaughterhouse. Get your plates, get your knives, get your forks, soon they will dish up.

 

[Darklone]

They actually slaughtered a sacred cow. Wow.