D&D 4E Rich Baker on Gnomes in 4E

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

I wonder if Paizo would be up for a 16 page gnome splatbook or something ...

 

[KRT]

A stain on my honour

A word.

The above statement is a good example of what isn't okay to do in a discussion here. It effectively says "anyone who likes dragonborn is a 13 year old for people who can't role play." In doing so, it manages to state someone's opinion as a fact, insult a whole lot of people at once, and break several EN world rules in the process.

My bad. I'll keep the inside voice more .... inside.


I do stand by what i meant to state "Powered up races (and classes) discourage good roleplaying (not role players) and encourage marginal role playing (not role players).

 

[Falling Icicle]

This makes me wonder if gnome players of the Realms will get such a bone thrown their way...

Exactly what I was thinking. It's touching that Rich cares so much about the people who play Half-Orcs right now and wants to give them some way to convert their current characters. But apparently, those of us who play gnomes aren't worthy of such consideration, since we're going to have to wait until next year to get rules for playing gnomes.

 

[Mad Mac]

But apparently, those of us who play gnomes aren't worthy of such consideration, since we're going to have to wait until next year to get rules for playing gnomes.

Gnomes get a playable write-up in the MM and a full write up in print sometime next year. Half-Orcs by comparison will get some sort of write-up in DDI and aren't promised to appear in print anytime soon. I'd say Gnomes are getting the better deal, personally.

 

[Dinkeldog]

It seems that I too must have missed the 2nd edition Gnome Renassaince.

Honestly, Gnomes have never played a big role in D&D. Not just in that they aren't played much, but their role in D&D influenced novels, adventures, artwork, ect is virtually non-existant. The only Gnome concept that gained much traction with casual players are Tinker Gnomes, and most gnome fans hate em.

Nearly every campaign that I've played in has had at least one gnome--and sometimes they weren't played by me. I've done gnome illusionists, gnome thieves, gnome clerics, and the ever popular, ever amazing badger depopulation device--the gnome druid. Gnome mounted warriors are also really effective. Dire badgers will go places where ponies and horses can't, even the depths of dungeons.

Now, I may not count as "casual". After 30 years playing, that would be a difficult claim, especially given my habit of DMing.

So, no gnomes in 4E off the bat? Well, it just means that I write them up my own self and get the DM to approve them. (If it's a campaign I'm DMing, that turns out to be amazingly easy.)

 

[Mad Mac]

Nearly every campaign that I've played in has had at least one gnome--and sometimes they weren't played by me.

Oh don't get me wrong...I like gnomes, but I know that my personal awesomeness is only worth, say, 500 lesser indviduals, and that still isn't enough to make gnomes popular.

It's easy for me to say good gnome material was hard to find in any edition because I was one of the ones digging for it.

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

Gnomes get a playable write-up in the MM and a full write up in print sometime next year. Half-Orcs by comparison will get some sort of write-up in DDI and aren't promised to appear in print anytime soon. I'd say Gnomes are getting the better deal, personally.

The quality of the eventual writeup- if such happens- is immaterial for those in campaigns that feature both gnomes and half-orcs, such as the one in which I'm participating every 2 weeks right now.

The human, elf and dwarf players will be able to redo their PCs in 4Ed format and be ready to play...but my fellow partymembers are going to have to wait until late 2008 or even 2009 to get an equivalent workup? Campaigns have derailed over less.

That is not the way to boost sales.

 

[The Ubbergeek]

Honestly, frankly..... the two racial options are minor. They won't kill many campaigns.

I would have liked in PHB 1, but well, why don't you guys, yes, the whole FANDOM, didn't play them much if you think they where valuable?


Don't moan at WOTC for EXACTLy throwing a gift at the fandom - two races who are frequently removed from homebrew or disabled.

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

Honestly, frankly..... the two racial options are minor. They won't kill many campaigns.

I would have liked in PHB 1, but well, why don't you guys, yes, the whole FANDOM, didn't play them much if you think they where valuable?

While I'm not saying that WotC hasn't done market research or that it was done poorly, even the best market research can contain sampling error.

There is simply no way to know how many campaigns will get screwed by having not one but 2 racial options axed from the basic PHB, especially once you factor in varying playstyles.

And there is also no way to know how many people actually play half-orcs & gnomes. My personal experience (not evidence) is that in 30 years of gaming, in 5 cities in 3 states, I have never played a single D&D game without one or both races being represented (and no, not neccisarily by me- I play all the races).

That includes my current main gaming group of the past 10 years (with a 2 year investment in one particular campaign).

 

[Steely Dan]

Bummed that gnomes are out of the PHB I, but joyful at the exclusion of half-orcs.