Why isn't druid the gnome's favored class?

[Brown Jenkin]

Gnome = Druid
Elf = Sorcerer
Half Elf = Bard
Half Orc = Barbarian
Dwarf = Fighter
Halfling = Rogue

Sounds good to me.

 

[Pielorinho]

Gnome = Druid
Elf = Sorcerer
Half Elf = Bard
Half Orc = Barbarian
Dwarf = Fighter
Halfling = Rogue

Sounds good to me.

Sounds good to me, except I'm tempted to make two changes:
Dwarves get +2 CON, -2 DEX; and
Dwarves favor paladin.

I really like the idea of these little waddling tin cans full of holy whoopass.

Daniel

 

[Estlor]

To answer the original question as posted, when making favored class distinctions for D&D 3.X, WotC did not base them around the statistical advantages of a race. More important to the idea of favored class was the standard personality and interests the race is played up as having.

Gnomes in 3.5 are pranksters, musicians/performers, and information-mongers. All of these are aspects of the iconic bard, hence the gnome favored class became bard.

Another thing you will notice is races with caster favored classes NEVER have a racial adjustment to the ability score that powers their casting. Making the races this way seems like an attempt at WotC to assure that no one race is actually "better" at their favored class than the other. Otherwise the temptation to always play an elf when playing a wizard would exist. Granted, this doesn't always align itself on the other classes, as a halfling rogue does get that nifty Dex bonus.

As for elves being sorcerers... um, no. The elven race is depicted as a magically inclined race that STUDIES magic, not a race with a talent for it due to racial ancestry. If the iconic sorcerer description was changed, perhaps it would suit the elves better. But, as written, wizard is totally in their nature.

 

[Pielorinho]

Another thing you will notice is races with caster favored classes NEVER have a racial adjustment to the ability score that powers their casting. Making the races this way seems like an attempt at WotC to assure that no one race is actually "better" at their favored class than the other. Otherwise the temptation to always play an elf when playing a wizard would exist. Granted, this doesn't always align itself on the other classes, as a halfling rogue does get that nifty Dex bonus.

As for elves being sorcerers... um, no. The elven race is depicted as a magically inclined race that STUDIES magic, not a race with a talent for it due to racial ancestry. If the iconic sorcerer description was changed, perhaps it would suit the elves better. But, as written, wizard is totally in their nature.

Actually, you'll note that no class receives a bonus to any mental stat (Int, Wis, or Cha) -- it's not just that races don't receive bonuses to their primary stat for their favored class when it's a caster.

I really like having gnomes as druids -- while it breaks with D&D tradition, it keeps them much closer to their earth elemental spirit tradition in mythology. And I like having elves as sorcerers, too: it suggests they're innately magical creatures, which appeals to me. Obviously, it's a matter of how you like your campaign to run, though.

Daniel

 

[kenjib]

To answer the original question as posted, when making favored class distinctions for D&D 3.X, WotC did not base them around the statistical advantages of a race. More important to the idea of favored class was the standard personality and interests the race is played up as having.

Gnomes in 3.5 are pranksters, musicians/performers, and information-mongers. All of these are aspects of the iconic bard, hence the gnome favored class became bard.

Another thing you will notice is races with caster favored classes NEVER have a racial adjustment to the ability score that powers their casting. Making the races this way seems like an attempt at WotC to assure that no one race is actually "better" at their favored class than the other. Otherwise the temptation to always play an elf when playing a wizard would exist. Granted, this doesn't always align itself on the other classes, as a halfling rogue does get that nifty Dex bonus.

As for elves being sorcerers... um, no. The elven race is depicted as a magically inclined race that STUDIES magic, not a race with a talent for it due to racial ancestry. If the iconic sorcerer description was changed, perhaps it would suit the elves better. But, as written, wizard is totally in their nature.

While none of us knows for sure, it seems to me that you've got it backward. It looks like they decided these racial traits you describe above in order to justify the preferred classes, not vice versa. So, if elves were sorcerers instead of wizards they wouldn't have been depicted as you described above, likewise for gnomes. IMO WotC tends to come up with the mechanics first, and then invents fluff to justify it, rather than the other way around (which would have been my preference).

 

[Pixie Barbarian]

Another thing you will notice is races with caster favored classes NEVER have a racial adjustment to the ability score that powers their casting. Making the races this way seems like an attempt at WotC to assure that no one race is actually "better" at their favored class than the other. Otherwise the temptation to always play an elf when playing a wizard would exist. Granted, this doesn't always align itself on the other classes, as a halfling rogue does get that nifty Dex bonus.

Well, there is the kobold. -2 Charisma; favored class sorcerer.

 

[MeepoTheMighty]

Well, there is the kobold. -2 Charisma; favored class sorcerer.

From the SRD:

Kobold characters possess the following racial traits.

- -4 Strength, +2 Dexterity, -2 Constitution.

 

[Norfleet]

Chr, is, unfortunately, a highly overloaded stat with attributes that are often entirely unrelated, or perceptively subjective. It covers everything from the projection of an air of confidence and self-assurance to persuasiveness and leadership ship ability, to physical appearance.

For instance, dwarves are -2 Chr. This suggests that, as a race, dwarves are disunified due to a reduction in leadership, which, of course, makes no sense: Dwarves are a highly ordered lawful society with strong leaders....that have low charisma. Yes, dwarves tend to be cranky, loud, and rude, by human standards, but if the majority of dwarves are that way, then that's something dwarves appreciate, rather than disapprove of....yet the dwarf -Chr penalty affects their relations with other dwarves also. It also negatively affects things like the dwarf's ability to be a paladin, despite the fact that dwarves are certainly not lacking in force of personality. So what if he's disagreeable by human standards? He's a paladin of dwarf god, and shouldn't other dwarves think he's just fine?

 

[Zaruthustran]

Chr, is, unfortunately, a highly overloaded stat with attributes that are often entirely unrelated, or perceptively subjective. It covers everything from the projection of an air of confidence and self-assurance to persuasiveness and leadership ship ability, to physical appearance.

For instance, dwarves are -2 Chr. This suggests that, as a race, dwarves are disunified due to a reduction in leadership, which, of course, makes no sense: Dwarves are a highly ordered lawful society with strong leaders....that have low charisma. Yes, dwarves tend to be cranky, loud, and rude, by human standards, but if the majority of dwarves are that way, then that's something dwarves appreciate, rather than disapprove of....yet the dwarf -Chr penalty affects their relations with other dwarves also. It also negatively affects things like the dwarf's ability to be a paladin, despite the fact that dwarves are certainly not lacking in force of personality. So what if he's disagreeable by human standards? He's a paladin of dwarf god, and shouldn't other dwarves think he's just fine?

As you say, Cha is a poorly defined stat. One of the definitions is self awareness. The 3.0 SRD said that a "Any creature capable of telling the difference between itself and things that are not itself has at least 1 point of Charisma."

So Dwarves, with a -2 Cha, aren't very self aware. This fits the fantasy stereotype of dwarves identifing more with their clan than with their own selves.

Me, I'd rather give dwarves a -2 Dex than a -2 Cha.

-z