| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| Belfar |
Posted - 06 Nov 2003 : 04:49:35
I having been thinking about how gnomes are the most unplayed race in the DnD. I think they are so underated because they don't excel at anything in paticular. Dwarves are fighters, elves are wizards/ranger types, and humans are a jack of all trades. I was really disappointed when the favored class for gnomes was changed to bard from illisionist. I have been wanting to play a gnome but I don't really know what class to play as. So what are your opinions on the "forgotten race"? |
| 25 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| AlorinDawn |
Posted - 14 Sep 2007 : 19:57:49
In my 25+ years of playing D&D I've played one gnome. He is my current and most recently created character. I selected bard since bard is class I had not played before either, and the fact that bard was the favored class of gnomes in 3.5. Playing Glimish Rocktapper the rock gnome bard has been a BLAST. I remember someone playing an illusionist/thief back in 1st edition quite effectively as a sneaky little trickster.
My role in the party is based more on my profession then race, but race does come into play. I assume from the questions you are asking your group has a heavy focus on roleplaying. A combat heavy game would make many of these “colorful” aspects nearly moot.
I’m small and have a 9 strength, so when it comes to combat I usually one of the least effective of the group. While I do play up some comic relief when someone has to save my ass, overall I try to use my strengths such as charming an enemy or taking them out of combat rather than draw my blade. Mirror image is my friend. When negotiations are needed, as any good bard worth his lute I am the power player here. I use my small size and colorful dress to lull my foes into underestimating me.
I read somewhere that gnomes do not look at marriage as other races might. If a relationship isn’t working out, a gnome sees nothing shameful or socially unacceptable in just going their own way and seeking out a more beneficial relationship. I play Glimish this way when it comes to romantic interactions. Recently when in the extreme wilds of the High Forest I was wed to a water spirit (A Nereid or some such I think) who was able to take on a physical form. I will go back once a year to see my “wife” as long as things work out…The half-elven druid/ranger of Rillifane Rallathil in our group that performed the bonding ceremony and Glimish argueed at great length about Glimish’s take on romantic relationships and commitment. It was a fun roleplaying moment.
I thought as a gnomish bard it would have been one of my tasks prior to becoming an adventure struck with wanderlust to memorize and be able to recite my family and village history. I try to work this into the game when able as well.
I know I’ve rambled, but hope some of this is helpful to you and your gnometrek.
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| sirreus |
Posted - 14 Sep 2007 : 16:46:25
i've played many gnomes and feel they're as viable as any other race. wizards would surely outnumber sorcerors. they are consumate mechanists, musicians, alchemists, & engineers. they are raised to be studious, attentive, and yes wily. the races of stone book details the core gnomes well, and check out lantan and the great dale regions. hope it helps. |
| reddfox321 |
Posted - 14 Sep 2007 : 06:04:03
I think that the favored class for Gnomes should be Sorcerer. Its more spontaneous than Wizard not to mention the elves already have Wizard as their favored class. And I just find Bard spell progression to be too slow.
There could even canon explanation for it. Rilmohx Sha'Quessir saw the Netherscrolls, particularly the part pertaining to Illusion magic and granted all of his line a special intuitive relationship with Illusions. Perhaps that gave them an innate (dunno if I'm using that term right for D&D purposes) grasp on magic, also. |
| Cult_Leader |
Posted - 05 Dec 2003 : 14:55:23
Well. The short people are just as good as the tall. Whgile taller people can get hit easier, can reach things up higher, and other things, Smaller folks can hide, not get hit, use a rope if they cant reach soemthing up high, and just be generally a big problem. If you want to see a big problem you should come see me play a Kender some time. If not the kender then a Quickling. |
| Bookwyrm |
Posted - 04 Dec 2003 : 23:45:04
Sure, but it should be reflective of the race itself. Elves have a close connection to magic, so their favored class is wizard. (Especially for gold elves, since they have a +2 Int bonus, instead of the D&D-standard +2 Dex.) Half-orcs are usually unsophisticated and tend to direct action, so they get a favored class of barbarian.
I know you don't have to follow it, but it's there because of a general racial tendancy. You can argue the quiet storyteller, but I don't think it quite works unless you change the spell-like abilites to something relating to that outlook. |
| Mumadar Ibn Huzal |
Posted - 04 Dec 2003 : 20:28:03
LOL Bookwyrm, there is the choice. There is no rule that says a gnome character HAS to be a bard... sure if one wants to try and get as many bonusses as possible with races and class combo's, the favored class can be a must...
And a bard also doesn't need to be the flamboyant worldwise chap as the stereotypical bard is portrayed. Gnome culture revolves a lot around storytelling, with or without visual aids... the gnome bard is the best of those storytellers, masters of gnomelore and keepers of the gnome culture.
It seems that in the published works halflings get a better share of the stories... wonder if the word hobbit has anything to do with that... but there are some pretty interesting gnomes if one goes through the various Volo's Guides... e.g. the propriators of the Friendly Arm inn (well known to most BG players). |
| Bookwyrm |
Posted - 02 Dec 2003 : 21:55:38
A lot of the "short-folk" niche is taken up by halflings. Personally, I think gnomes should overlap halflings a bit, but be behind-the-scenes sort of people. Halflings are flamboyant. I think gnomes should take on the kind of personality that lends well to gardeners and cooks and other craftsmen; it's enough that their work is recognized and liked, and they're content to stay out of sight.
That's why I thought the gnome and the bard just don't match. It's not in the racial "profile." Halflings, sure. Gnomes? No way. Actually, druid might be a good one, if they really had to get rid of the illusionist aspect. (Though if they did that, then why keep the spell-like abilities? Should have changed that one, too.)
Of course, I've never liked the locked-in Favored Class; I've thought they should have choice. Elves could choose between ranger and wizard, halflings between bard and rogue, etc., at first level; after that, it was fixed, and based on their personality. |
| Trafaldi |
Posted - 02 Dec 2003 : 16:52:55
There is a prestige class that is in all actuallity perfect for a gnome, the Arcane trickster. |
| The Sage |
Posted - 02 Dec 2003 : 12:40:05
I disagree.
I have always liked the 'illusionist' aspect of the gnomish race as a whole. As for the 'techie' facet...well that, like Faraer said, 'should never have leaked from Dragonlance'. Tinker gnomes were purely the result of the accidental release of the magic of Chaos...but that's a different story.
While the 'rural backwater survivor and loner' has some appeal, I would still like to see the gnomes as equal contributing members of urban societies. Besides, the halflings fill the rural cultural society in Faerun, I really don't like the idea of another.
I think the ideal form of the gnome in the Forgotten Realms setting, is whatever you and your players feel comfortable with. This is probably the one advantage to having them represent a 'forgotten' race - you can make of them what you want.
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| Maecenus of Westgate |
Posted - 02 Dec 2003 : 05:41:46
quote:
Originally posted by Bookwyrm
So what should the gnomes be like?
I always liked the way gnomes were portrayed in the novel "Soldiers of Ice" by David Cook (Book 7 in the Harpers series). Less of the techie illusionist types and more rural backwater survivors and loners. |
| Bookwyrm |
Posted - 02 Dec 2003 : 01:02:14
So what should the gnomes be like? |
| Faraer |
Posted - 01 Dec 2003 : 18:07:37
The original badger-loving, illusion-favouring AD&D gnomes -- as defined in the rulebooks and seen in S4 and WG4 -- are perfectly coherent and compelling, as is Ed's twist of them. The tinker-gnome concept should never have leaked from Dragonlance. Realms gnomes are, of course, the Forgotten Folk, and I fear Realms gnome splatbooks (after Races of Faerûn) -- the kind that WotC publishes -- would if anything make gnomes less appealing to me. |
| The Sage |
Posted - 01 Dec 2003 : 10:31:19
An interesting interpretation on the gnome Edain...thanks for sharing it.
Aside from the Tinker gnomes, I don't think there has ever been a really serious effort on the part of WotC to fully make the gnome race a truly interesting race in their own right. I think perhaps, that there should be less emphasis placed on the elven subraces, and a little more light shed on the more 'forgotten' races of D&D - the gnomes and dwarves...
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| Edain Shadowstar |
Posted - 30 Nov 2003 : 20:24:17
Funny thing about this thread, after sitting at my desk for a few minutes an odd fact struck me, I have never had a grou with a Gnome in it. Lots of Gnome NPCs, but I cannot recall ever having a Gnome PC. How weird is that? (apparently not as weird as it should be, but I like to say things simply because I can)
Honestly, it was never being short that made me not want to play a Gnome, it was I thought they were far too much the one trick monkies, like the hobbi--I mean halflings. I mean, is it not automatically expected a Gnome be some sort of tinkerer or trickster. Halflings are similar in that sense, since they are expected to be thieves.
It also doesn't help them that they are also made out like comic sideshows (*cough*BG2*cough*). So aside from being heavily restricted be percieved roles, they have no dignity because most people expect them to be funny. Now, who wants all that pressure to perform, really? (well, other than a bard, and they're dumb....kidding  ) |
| Bookwyrm |
Posted - 28 Nov 2003 : 19:50:15
quote:
Originally posted by Cardinal Deimos
Just what are they supposed to be half of anyways?
It's just a reference to their height, compared to humans, elves, and half-elves. It's a strange name for an entire race, you might think, but it's due to a legal problem. After all, you can't call them "hobbits" -- but "halfling" isn't held in copyright. 
It's something that a certain family I know (the biggest Tolkein fans I know) like to rub in when they can.  I remember when one of the kids (twelve, child #5 of 9) saw my Icewind Dale saved game and said, "Oh, look, a halfling thief. With a ring that helps him sneak around. Gee, where have I heard that before?" |
| Ezindir the dark |
Posted - 28 Nov 2003 : 15:45:57
I think gnomes sould be multi classed whit mage and somthing random becouse they are allowed to be illusinist in a multi class. Have anyone notised that gnomes often have the same voices. If you compear the voise gnomes have in BG 2 whit Jan Jansens and Oswalds voice I think you will find out that they are very like. |
| Jaysen Darclyght |
Posted - 12 Nov 2003 : 12:27:00
I personally have never played as a gnome, but I am a gnome fan. Playing BG2 and walking through the Bazaar in Amn is quite a thrill ride for a techie guy like myself. They are definitively the techies of the FR world. Their little airships and flying machines are nothing compared to modern vehicles, but hey, Da Vinci would be proud of such things. And that is cool. |
| Mumadar Ibn Huzal |
Posted - 10 Nov 2003 : 21:15:55
Gnomes are often the comical side-kicks in a group, however if played right, they are on par with any other character/class combo.
I have recently started to play a gnome illusionist(2)/bard(2)/cleric of Baravar Cloakshadow(1). Three spell casting classes makes for a nice arsenal in spells, even though I have chosen a large overlap because of the specialization in Illusion (with the domains Gnome and Illusion and Spell Focus [Illusion], it makes for a nice trickster).
Going for the Mystic Theurge prestige class (spell advancement in both divine and aracane classes) or the Loremaster will enhance the little guy to decent heights... for one of such small stature
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| Trafaldi |
Posted - 06 Nov 2003 : 22:29:52
truthfully the gnomes class would be set to illusionist and bard. because gnomes are more tricksters than anything. They are also technologically advanced to other races. Any race played is up to personality. Such as most elves are snobbich to most races. Dwarves are blunt and snobbish, all of thhis from the human Commoner standpoint which is what you interact with the most in a game. |
| Dracandos the Spellsage |
Posted - 06 Nov 2003 : 21:09:07
like Arivia said, the short folk just dont appeal 2 me...i have nothing against them, they just dont interest me
but 2 belfar's ? i c gnomes as illusionists and i dont c y their favored class would be changed 2 bard...that makes no sense, when i think of bards, i think of humans, elves, or half elves. |
| The Cardinal |
Posted - 06 Nov 2003 : 20:30:39
Ah the Brotherhood of the Vertically Challenged...
Truth is I'm no good with short races, dwarves, Gnomes, Hin/Halflings (Just what are they supposed to be half of anyways?)... I never have enough power to avoid the attention of becoming bait... and usually the result is fatal... |
| Cult_Leader |
Posted - 06 Nov 2003 : 13:24:33
Blah. Gnomes are just as good as any other race. The thing that comes into play is most people do not know how to play them good enough to find out the best ways to work one. Infact we had a gnome and Kender thing going on in a DL game. We ended up founding a group call "Short Side". Yes. A gang like thing for the short folk. Anyway. Both the Gnome and my Kender were very very good assassins. |
| Lolth slayer |
Posted - 06 Nov 2003 : 12:23:02
One of my friends plays a Gnome artificer / techsmith / cleric of Gond and he's doing really well, Techsmiths get to have a little Golem henchman which comes in handy. |
| The Sage |
Posted - 06 Nov 2003 : 07:04:49
Belfar said -
quote:
I have been wanting to play a gnome but I don't really know what class to play as.
Perhaps you should look into the DLCS 3e interpretation of the Gnome. In Dragonlance, the gnomes favored class is whatever class the gnome first selects when they become a 1st-level PC. The benefits and abilities are then determined after the class has been chosen.
If you are interested in this idea, I can summarise the race as presented in the DLCS 3e and send it out to you. I liked the idea as well, and converted the race to FR 3e. It wasn't that difficult anyway since most of the gnomish race in my Faerun campaigns are either regular gnomes or tinker gnomes.
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| Arivia |
Posted - 06 Nov 2003 : 05:06:00
It really comes down to personal preference. I don't like playing the short folk(dwarves, hin and gnomes), but I'm not going to bash others who like playing them. They simply don't appeal to me. If I had to play a gnome, I'd most likely play a forest gnome. Gnomes do excel at one thing-being short. |
