D&D General why do we have halflings and gnomes?

[Feyfiendmonsterer]

I think Forest Gnomes would also get Druid and Ranger.

Absolutely.

 

[Feyfiendmonsterer]

King of the Garden Gnomes.

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That's the most brilliant mix of Gnome and Dwarf I've seen yet.

 

[Maxperson]

Now for something different
A thought experiment

Imagine you were making a barebones D&D edition or clone. However each race was defined by the stereotypical classes they were allowed to be and their specialization within those classes. You know, like the olden days. How would halflings and gnomes lookin compared tothe other races? What would be their allowed classes?

Gnome: Fighter (Artillery, Light Blade, and Pick Specialization) Rogue (Tinkering and Perception focus), Wizard (Illusionist)
Halfling: Fighter (Bow, Light Blade, and Sling Specialization), Rogue (Pickpocket and Stealth focus)

Halflings are very close to their gods and nature. They would get Cleric and Druid(the lore even mentions Druids) as well.

 

[Minigiant]

I think Forest Gnomes would also get Druid and Ranger.

Halflings are very close to their gods and nature. They would get Cleric and Druid(the lore even mentions Druids) as well.

So...

Gnome: Fighter (Artillery, Light Blade, and Pick Specialization), Priest (Druid), Ranger (Swarm keeper), Rogue (Tinkering and Perception focus), Wizard (Illusionist)

Halfling: Fighter (Bow, Light Blade, and Sling Specialization), Priest(Cleric or Druid), Rogue (Pickpocket and Stealth focus)

 

[doctorbadwolf]

The pure fact that 2 important classes (Witch and Ninja) weren't included

The witch has little meaningful history in D&D as a class, and the Ninja is a subclass of monk, or if you want a non-magical variety, a subclass of rogue.

2,000 posts! I knew you could you make it!

And still, no one willing to address the plain fact that gnomes were a mistake. You all know it's true, deep down.

Gnomes are the best lineage in the PHB.

Everybody knows what a DnD monk is. They attend monasteries up in mountains where they live ascetic lives and train constantly under the supervision of some mysterious old dude with a long, thin moustache who says meaningless crap that sounds deep, then they go off into the world and do kung fu.

Anyone who's ever watched television understands what this is trying to be.

Nobody knows what the hell a gnome is. Your going to lie to yourself and pretend that gnome is a well-understood archetype that we all agree on because you're steeped in decades of DND culture, but the basic races and classes should be those I can explain in detail to someone who knows nothing about DnD or its spin-offs by saying something like 'a Hobbit, like in Lord of the Rings'.

I mention gnomes and people think of stupid little guys with red hats in the gardens of people with poor taste. Or we have a big confusing discussion about folklore and the development of fantasy stereotypes because their native language does not distinguish between gnomes and dwarves.

@#&! gnomes.

Gnomes are great. I have never met a single person in all my life who didn’t know what a gnome was, or had any trouble understanding “like cartoons or whatever, but less silly, and either more Fey or more tinker depending on choice of culture”.

 

[doctorbadwolf]

That's the most brilliant mix of Gnome and Dwarf I've seen yet.

Nah that’s just a gnome.

 

[Nellisir]

That's the most brilliant mix of Gnome and Dwarf I've seen yet.

I think it's a dwarf raised by gnomes. And his granny made his cap JUST FOR HIM.

 

[Nellisir]

So...

Gnome: Fighter (Artillery, Light Blade, and Pick Specialization), Priest (Druid), Ranger (Swarm keeper), Rogue (Tinkering and Perception focus), Wizard (Illusionist)

Halfling: Fighter (Bow, Light Blade, and Sling Specialization), Priest(Cleric or Druid), Rogue (Pickpocket and Stealth focus)

I run gnomes as woodsy and dangerous, and less "druidic", so I'm OK with dropping druid and emphasizing ranger. Not up-to-date with 5e, so whatever allows them to run with the badgers. And otters. And wolverines. And foxes.

The illusionist is spot-on, though. Elves are more pure fighter/wizard. Polearms are good for small folk too. Gygax had pikegnomes.

 

[doctorbadwolf]

I think it's a dwarf raised by gnomes. And his granny made his cap JUST FOR HIM.

I’d go with a PC Gnome Gloomstalker Ranger called “The Red Cap”, but either way yea his granny definitely made his cunning cap just for him.

 

[doctorbadwolf]

I run gnomes as woodsy and dangerous, and less "druidic", so I'm OK with dropping druid and emphasizing ranger. Not up-to-date with 5e, so whatever allows them to run with the badgers. And otters. And wolverines. And foxes.

The illusionist is spot-on, though. Elves are more pure fighter/wizard. Polearms are good for small folk too. Gygax had pikegnomes.

Yeah I am definitely killing the “heavy weapons” restrictions for small folk. They would simply make less end-heavy, slightly shorter, polearms. Guess what folks, humans also did that, and they still worked!