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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Vocenoctum" data-source="post: 4374403" data-attributes="member: 2477">Traditionally (in D&D) Gnomes have been the finer craftsman. The dwarves were blacksmith's and the gnomes were jewelers. All the dwarven craftsmen stuff kind of glosses over the uber-elf craftsman too though.Elves tend to the "overpowered" side of magic, grand illusions and world altering magic, gnomes tend to the minimalist approach of things. They live in hills rather than grand tree cities or mountain fortresses. They rely on wit and intelligence to see them through rather than brute (physical or magical) force.And they do it all with a sense of humor.IMO, gnomes are about inspiration and quick wits. The "stats like dwarves" is a 3e conceit. Gnomes were smart (+ int) but not always the most careful thinkers (- wis).Gnomes fell by the way side because:1) they're small. People have a serious problem with a small race being useful in a fight. Sure they can work with a human plunging 3' of cold steel into a 300' dragon and that's fine, but a 3' race plunging 1 & 1/2' of cold steel into a human, that's "silly".2) They don't have a niche in Tolkien. People came to D&D through pop culture, and tightly defined niches help them visualize. The fact half the people that play the game decry the limits of classes and alignments and other role-restrictions while lambasting gnomes for not having such a restriction... well that's just standard on the internet.3) They are not well represented by the folks that run the game. Monte Cook said once that he wanted gnomes out of 3e but they caved. (He also made a comment for AU that he tossed the one race in as a nod to the fans that, for some reason, wanted a small race.) Greenwood never really integrated them into FR, and they were easy to fall by the way side.Folks really didn't want to be bothered doing the work to understand their contribution and bring them through to the later editions, so after Greyhawk/1e, they languished. When "Illusionist" became a part of Wizard, it became even more redundant.4e is designed with the idea that anything too difficult to adjudicate gets cut. Grapple wasn't ready for prime time, nor Shapechanging. Gnomes don't have a niche, so bump them. I am pretty sure halflings also would have gone bye bye if not for their protected status in the Tolkien Pact.</blockquote>

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