Rich Baker confirms new look of Gnomes

[Voss]

An interesting point. There is a large pile of sinister and creepy (giving the benefit of the doubt here. They could be seriously going for stupid and madcap) fey concepts that could have been used in this niche. Kicking them out and forcing the gnome in is an odd decision. It doesn't fit this niche any better than it fit being the runner up of the short, magical and nature races.

 

[The Ubbergeek]

I just hope(d) for a design not ridiculous, dumb...

 

[t1l7]

What about the Eberron gnomes?

In Eberron the gnomes play a important role, they have a nation called Zilargo and there is even a gnome dragonmarked house (House Sivis). With all this changes, especially the apparency one, what is going to happen with them? I think that we will see a Eberron specific gnome at the races section of the new ECS, do you agree?

 

[Rechan]

In Eberron the gnomes play a important role, they have a nation called Zilargo and there is even a gnome dragonmarked house (House Sivis). With all this changes, especially the apparency one, what is going to happen with them? I think that we will see a Eberron specific gnome at the races section of the new ECS, do you agree?

Considering that Eberron's pretty much changed the fluff of everything in the PHB, and that Half-Orcs are also important, I'm pretty sure that the 4e fluff will not impact Eberron one lickin' bit.

Keith Baker, Eberron's designer, has all ready floated different fluff for tieflings for Eberron.

 

[Voss]

In Eberron the gnomes play a important role, they have a nation called Zilargo and there is even a gnome dragonmarked house (House Sivis). With all this changes, especially the apparency one, what is going to happen with them? I think that we will see a Eberron specific gnome at the races section of the new ECS, do you agree?

Pretty much. Or they'll suddenly be eaten by the goblinoids swarming over the mountains. Or a new mournland! That'll solve it.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

Truthfully, I think that's what goblins should look like, along with the fey trickster thing, etc. Having said that, Paizo's take on goblins moves them sufficiently away from the Hobbit to work that way. (I just used them that way myself, in fact.)

But if gnomes are to be this way, I don't think this is a HUGE issue. (And I say this as a current gnome player and gnome-using DM.) The guy we saw in the cartoon was a younger gnome, without a full beard, that's all.

And if you don't love the look, let them all use disguise self to look like the old ones. Since we'll likely be converting an ongoing game for 4E, I'll try and negotiate a compromise between the not-kender look and the Greys.

 

[Scribble]

I like it... With the absence of Alignment you can really make the gnomes fun...

Imagine a fey creature, that appears tio be pretty much the mad hatter lunatic... Doesn't mean to be evil, but it just doesn't really understand what the problem with killing someone as a joke is...

 

[Klaus]

So I took 30 minutes to whip up a portrayal of the 4e gnome:

Might give everyone a better basis for analysis than the cartoony version.

 

[Dragonbait]

Edit: ^^^^ 30 mins gets that? Dang.. I need to get back into art so I can wip up cool stuff like that.

The appearance and story fluff are the easiest things to change. Afterall, it's a game of the imagination

Granted, the books will draw 'em the new way but if gnomes are pushed to the MM, there will probably be very few images of gnomes.

 

[Rechan]

Truthfully, I think that's what goblins should look like, along with the fey trickster thing, etc. Having said that, Paizo's take on goblins moves them sufficiently away from the Hobbit to work that way. (I just used them that way myself, in fact.)

To me, and I've said this in several threads, Goblins are like the critters from the movie Gremlins mixed with a baboon.

Malicious, cruel, eager to tear things apart for fun, and laugh at anything's pain. Pure petty wickedness for the sake of petty wickedness. They have no culture, no redeeming qualities, nothing beyond small scale destruction.

Whenever anyone has a mean, spiteful, malicious thought, a goblin is born somewhere in the world. So to spread their numbers, goblins will often set boobytraps in people's houses or kill their livestock, just to make them curse and shake their fist in the air in anger - thus making new goblins.

A goblin is the malevolent, hateful part of your Id.