The Gnew Gnome, are they just as useless and lame as the others?

[Twiggly the Gnome]

I love the changes being made to the Gnome. I'm glad to see them being moved away from the prankster stereotype (which I associate more with pixies, than Gnomes). I think the change in favored class to Bard is a good fit, especially since there is no mandate that a Bard has to be musical, only that they are a good performer. Banish from your mind the image of a prancing dandy strumming on a lute. Gnomish Bards should be wise storytellers, the historians of the world, and keepers of knowledge both magical and mundane. In the 2nd Edition PHB there was listed among the examples of legendery Bards, Homer of the Iliad and Odyssey fame, and lets not forget that William Shakespeare is often called simply "The Bard".

 

[Wippit Guud]

Man, I must've missed the typical gnome boat. My last two major character were gnomes...

In 2e, a gnome thief, who was far from a prankster, he was more of a force of chaos. He used the other 2 thieves in the party (9 PC part) as scapegoats for stealing from people, he went completely against the rest of the party in key decisions, and yet was overly protective of them (including jumping though a prismatic sphere with just a 32% MR to save a felow party member).

In 3e, in a PBEM, level 6 gnome illusionist, who's the de-facto party leader (not my choice) and considered everyone's uncle. Sure, he casts the odd illusionary hair dye on someone when they annoy him, and he's threatened to spy on the paladin and bard while they're egaged in personal activities and display it in the sky as a big illusion, but if an encounter happens it's as if he throws a switch and becomes uber-defender.

No tinkering, happy race here.

 

[Gez]

I'm going to make elves a Fine race, and half-orcs Large, to make them different from humans. (Half-elves won't exist anymore.)

 

[Felon]

I think the change in favored class to Bard is a good fit, especially since there is no mandate that a Bard has to be musical, only that they are a good performer. Banish from your mind the image of a prancing dandy strumming on a lute. Gnomish Bards should be wise storytellers, the historians of the world, and keepers of knowledge both magical and mundane. In the 2nd Edition PHB there was listed among the examples of legendery Bards, Homer of the Iliad and Odyssey fame, and lets not forget that William Shakespeare is often called simply "The Bard".

The ability was called "bardic music" in 3e. Do you have any insider knowledge that it will be changed? I have trouble imagining a bard countering a harpy's song by reciting excerpts from the Great Gatsby.

 

[Twiggly the Gnome]

The ability was called "bardic music" in 3e. Do you have any insider knowledge that it will be changed? I have trouble imagining a bard countering a harpy's song by reciting excerpts from the Great Gatsby.

The 3e discription of bardic "music" says that it can be song or poetics. To me, a recitation of the part in the Odessey where Odysseus evades the song of the sirens, would be a valid counter to a harpy's attack.

 

[AdamBank]

I blame Monty Python's Sir Robin's minstrel for the bard's mamby-pamby image in D&D. The class itself was modeled on the Welsh warrior-wizard-poets Taliesin and Aneirin, who were early medieval rapping badasses.

Plus, did you know that there's a style of poetry very fitting for bards known as "gnomic verse?"

 

[Gez]

The problem of the bard class is that its mechanics reflect a bard or a skald; but its description (and alignment) reflect a minstrel or troubadour.

 

[bwgwl]

At the risk of offending the gnome-lovers here, I wonder if they really should be a core race.

i'd rather see goblins as a core race than gnomes.

 

[bwgwl]

The ability was called "bardic music" in 3e. Do you have any insider knowledge that it will be changed? I have trouble imagining a bard countering a harpy's song by reciting excerpts from the Great Gatsby.

i don't.

my first 3e campaign was based on Arabian fantasy. Medieval Islam frowned upon music and singers, so i changed the bard's abilities to be based on poetry, oratory, recitation, and storytelling instead of music. the mechanics don't need to change at all. the class still worked the same way.

 

[Urbannen]

I agree that gnomes should not be a core race. Way back in OD&D, you had humans, elves, dwarves, and halflings. Gnomes were on the random encounter list. They were very rare and often found as a small minority living in dwarven communities. I personally like this interpretation better.