THREE elven races, plus half-elves ... but they say gnomes have no niche?!

[Driddle]

So the designers feel they can justify teensy little differences between elves and "feywild" elves, and even evil dark-skinned drow elves, just enough to toss them into the PHB as iconic classes -- with comments that half-elves will still be around, too -- but they can't come up with enough of a creative spark to maintain gnomes?! How the heck does that work?

 

[Rechan]

How the heck does that work?

Like so:

"No gnomes." "Okay."

 

[Michael Silverbane]

It reminds me of the song, "One of these things is not like the others..."

Later
silver

 

[UndeadScottsman]

So the designers feel they can justify teensy little differences between elves and "feywild" elves, and even evil dark-skinned drow elves, just enough to toss them into the PHB as iconic classes -- with comments that half-elves will still be around, too -- but they can't come up with enough of a creative spark to maintain gnomes?! How the heck does that work?

First of all, Drow are not in the PHB; they're going to be in the Monster Manual, along with *gasp* gnomes. Secondly, the Eladrin and Elves DO fill two very seperate niches. The Eladrin are the high and mighty, magicial kingdom kind of elves and the Elves are the tree hugging, back to the nature kind of elves.

Half-elves are the niche of the between the worlds, doesn't fully belong anywhere kind of class. And Drow fill a very specific niche.. that niche being "drow."

Gnomes on the other hand.. what niche do they fill?

 

[Doug McCrae]

Elves are popular, gnomes aren't.

Three (or, more correctly, two-and-a-half) is a lot though. Instead of eladrin, elf, half-elf, I'd have gone for elf, drow, warforged. Maybe make half-races a feat or something.

 

[Voss]

On the one hand, I find gnomes to be pointless and stupid.

On the other hand, if designers can find a serious distinction between woodsy elves, magical elves, evil elves and not-elves that are different from other things that are not elves, there isn't any real reason why they can't say gnomes are <this>. Even if <this> is 'magical dwarves', as opposed to 'stony dwarves'. Or magical gypsy hobbits rather than thieving gypsy hobbits on rafts.

But then again, elves sell better than gnomes.

 

[Rechan]

I'd have gone for... warforged

You would have been dragged in the street and beaten with dicebags, given the way people react around here.

 

[Driddle]

The Eladrin and Elves DO fill two very seperate niches. The Eladrin are the high and mighty, magicial kingdom kind of elves and the Elves are the tree hugging, back to the nature kind of elves.

Half-elves are the niche of the between the worlds, doesn't fully belong anywhere kind of class.

Oh.
That's [sarcasm] so much clearer. I can understand why we needed at least two different elves now. [/sarcasm]

Gnomes on the other hand.. what niche do they fill?

None -- that's the point. They were written out of the book so that we could have more elves. The designers seem to have run dry on ideas after their massive elfgasm.

 

[Driddle]

On the one hand, I find gnomes to be pointless and stupid.

On the other hand, if designers can find a serious distinction between woodsy elves, magical elves, evil elves and not-elves that are different from other things that are not elves, there isn't any real reason why they can't say gnomes are <this>. Even if <this> is 'magical dwarves', as opposed to 'stony dwarves'. Or magical gypsy hobbits rather than thieving gypsy hobbits on rafts.

But then again, elves sell better than gnomes.

I respect your gnome-hating position. No problem there. (I've always sort of felt the same way about halflings.)

You get the point in that second paragraph, though, and for that I give you kudos.

 

[Rechan]

I'm afraid you're being a little vague Driddle. Please, tell us how you really feel.