When did gnomes fall from grace?

[Tonguez]

Halflings do not even exist here as a myth character,)

Halflings don't exist anywhere as mythic characters - they are creations of Tolkien*

*yes, no doubt they were based on a mixture of folklore about Hobs et al (which were all Fey btw) but Hobbits as we know them are Tolkiens creations.

 

[Ralif Redhammer]

I think that the problem with gnomes is that throughout the editions, they've tried to be too many different things. Tinkers, pranksters, illusionists, bards, fey, semi-dwarves, and so on.

They've been diluted to the point that there's no longer an archetype to follow.

I've seen a few gnomish PCs and NPCs, but not since 2e.

 

[Belen]

When did gnomes become uncool?

They didn't have a bad rap in AD&D1. I don't remember them being hated in early Greyhawk. I remember lots of hate towards the DragonLance gnomes, but they were a different race, truly, anyway.

Quasqueton

I hate gnomes. I find no place for them in my games. We have the halfings and that is enough for anyone. I just do not see a niche for them.

In 1e, Gnomes had a cool class all to themselves. Now they are just another race and I find it difficult to have more than one small race in my games.

 

[ColonelHardisson]

Wouldn't you feel a little, well, inadequate next to the druid with his wolf, and the ranger with his bear?

Not really, no. There are plenty of tough burrowing mammals, especially if you include dire animals like dire badgers. But beyond that, it's not always about fighting ability. Being able to speak to animals in general is a pretty useful ability to have.

 

[TerraDave]

The great unapreciated race of gnomes...

As has been noted, gnomes are found in myth and folklore, otherwise they wouldn't be in everyones gardens! And if you can find the Hobbit in a book store, then you can probably find Gnomes. They are neither grim and greedy dwarves, nor high-faluting elves, but they are a little like hobbits...at least a little.

(as has been noted) Hobbits are a creation of Prof. Tolkien. In his earlier short stories, he had a small non-dwarf race that like to tell and listen to stories, he called the members of this race gnomes...

Of course, its one thing to exist in a world of fantasy, like dryads or talking frogs, and another to be a player race...and thanks to the Prof., here the hobbits had the edge.

"halflings" where in D&D earlier as a player race, including the basic sets that introduced so many people to the game, gnomes were not. And there niche has not been well defined, in large part because of the halflings...

I have had one gnome pc, and many gnome npcs. I am playing in an online game with another gnome pc. There role in Terra is defined well enough. But like Whizbang, we don't have halflings or hobbits...in a game of herioc fantasy, one small clever race is enough.

 

[Nebulous]

But actually I think Mouseferatu has hit the nail on the head. When have you ever seen a non-D&D-specific piece of literature featuring gnomes?

That's a good point. Gnomes just don't leap to mind as having a strong STORY background, although there was a cartoon about them long ago. Their actual history is in the realm of fairy tales as earth elementals, and they can tell you about every stone, every gem, anything that touches the earth or is hidden under it. Elves were historically just fairy tales too, but once Tolkien got hold of that they were jumpstarted into the spotlight and haven't left.

 

[Klaus]

I've always had a problem with gnomes. I was liking what Eberron dod to them, but then re-reading the SRD, I saw this little gem that I'd been trying to forget:

Spell-Like Abilities: 1/day—speak with animals (burrowing mammal only, duration 1 minute).

They speak with burrowing animals? Listen! It's the sound of their credibility being zapped!

Here's Eberron's official explanation for the "speak with Burrowing Animals" part, as well the dawn of the gnomes:

"The first mention of the gnomes can be found in the records of the Empire of Dhakaan. The Ghuurash Codex provides details about the first Dhakaani campaign against the "jungle rats" that infested the coast between the Howling Peaks and the Seawall Mountains. The gnomes of ten thousand years ago were feral and primitive -- a far cry from the civilization seen today. The hobgoblin sages believed that the gnomes were rodents that had been twisted by a conduit to Thelanis, or stunted, thin-blooded wererats that had lost the ability to shift forms. Proponents of this theory cited the small size of the gnomes, the strong instinctive bond within a family, the gnomish preference for burrows, and the racial ability to communicate with burrowing mammals.

The savage gnomes were no match for the disciplined armies of Dhakaan, and the empire spread across the region. The gnomes were enslaved or forced deeper into the wilds. But conquest was far easier than occupation. While primitive, the gnomes were masters of their environment and had a particular gift with poisons; they could not fight Dhakaani armies, but they could poison wells and ambush supply trains. While they never presented a true threat to the empire, the gnomes remained a thorn in the side of the goblin invaders for many hundreds of years.

The stalemate may have continued to this day, but destiny came in the form of the daelkyr. The extraplanar incursion crippled the empire, and the gnomes pounced on the weakened foe. In addition to physical sabotage and assassination, the gnomes began to employ the psychological techniques that would come to define their future nation. While the gnomes had yet to master the arts of wizardry, magic has always run through the blood of the gnomes. While many gnomes could summon a voice from the shadows, a few became full-fledged sorcerers, specializing in illusion. Combining magic with mundane arts of disguise and forgery, the gnomes took advantage of the shattered lines of communication in the empire to sow dissent among the commanders in the region, turning goblin against goblin and helping to ignite the civil wars that tore Dhakaan asunder. "

From the "Gnomes of Zilargo, part I" Dragonshard article.

 

[Red Spire Press]

How could I resist an opportunity to plug one of my favorite Dark Legacies races. Forget tinker gnomes, babbling inventors, and illusionists -- pah! Bring on the fearless war-mongering novags!

 

[Nebulous]

How could I resist an opportunity to plug one of my favorite Dark Legacies races. Forget tinker gnomes, babbling inventors, and illusionists -- pah! Bring on the fearless war-mongering novags!

http://redspirepress.com/products.htm

Hey! A gnomish Terminator! Now that's a twist. Every burrowing animal that answers get's it's head blown off.

 

[Red Spire Press]

Hey! A gnomish Terminator! Now that's a twist. Every burrowing animal that answers get's it's head blown off.

The burrowing type in DL tend to have horns and big nasty teeth.