Level Up (A5E) Level Up Playtest 1: Gnomes

[Micah Sweet]

Good point on the WoW reference. I think tinker gnomes became a thing originally because gnomes kinda lacked a strong identity as a race, being similar to both dwarves and halflings. Heck, even in 5e they're lumped in with halflings again in Mordenkainen's.

I don't get the laugh, @vincegetorix

 

[Tales and Chronicles]

Good point on the WoW reference. I think tinker gnomes became a thing originally because gnomes kinda lacked a strong identity as a race, being similar to both dwarves and halflings. Heck, even in 5e they're lumped in with halflings again in Mordenkainen's.

You are right!

I myself love the 4e's fey-exile gnomes fighting against the Formorian and SotDL's earth-elemental gnomes.

Even Mordenkainen's Haflings are hidden from the dangers of the world by almost magic intervention. To me it would be better as a gnome thing. Add to that the Tunneler or Twilight-Touched culture for the Halfling and the Badger-like wild Halfling culture from A5E, and the lines between Gnomes and Halflings tropes keep getting blurrier. Especially since the Hobbit-like, salt-of-the-earth Burgher culture could a general culture or be a thing for Humans or Dwarves.

 

[Undrave]

So gems, the aspect of earth that manipulates light. I love it !

I would downplay the psychic, and emphasize the play of physical light.

You could easily base the Gnome Cultures off of aspect of the Earth Element: Wood Gnome, Rock Gnome, Metal Gnome, Gem Gnome...

What else could we have... Dirt Gnome? Sand Gnome? or... AH! Magma Gnome!!! :O

 

[Tales and Chronicles]

I don't get the laugh, @vincegetorix

Its because you pointed to something funny in WotC's writing: the more they make the Halfling ''totally'' different from their Hobbit origins, the more they are becoming close to the Gnomes, to the point that they share the same chapter in the MtoF.

• Hidden people with inherent luck, positive and curious outlook on the world and full of child-like wonder.
• Have a knack for animal husbandry and have nimble fingers that makes them good at crafting or larcenous arts.
• Seen as chaotic and eccentrics.
• Lives in burrow, cares a lot for their family, be it from birth or by choice.
• Antipathy for the smaller monster-folk such as goblins and kobolds.

Were it not for tradition, gnomes and hafling could be the same thing.

 

[Haldrik]

Gnomes like animals, but may

You could easily base the Gnome Cultures off of aspect of the Earth Element: Wood Gnome, Rock Gnome, Metal Gnome, Gem Gnome...

What else could we have... Dirt Gnome? Sand Gnome? or... AH! Magma Gnome!!! :O

So:

• Wood culture: burrowing animals
• Metal culture: tinkerers
• Gem culture: light manipulators (including Invisibility, Minor Illusion, etc)
• Earth culture: the alchemists

 

[Undrave]

Gnomes like animals, but may

So:

• Wood culture: burrowing animals
• Metal culture: tinkerers
• Gem culture: light manipulators (including Invisibility, Minor Illusion, etc)
• Earth culture: the alchemists

Or, how about:

• Root Gnome: Burrowing animals
• Metal Gnome: Tinkerers
• Gem Gnomes: Illusionist, Feywild connection (Crystal Gnome instead?)
• Fungus Gnome: Alchemists
• Rock Gnome: Underdark Gnomes

 

[Micah Sweet]

Its because you pointed to something funny in WotC's writing: the more they make the Halfling ''totally'' different from their Hobbit origins, the more they are becoming close to the Gnomes, to the point that they share the same chapter in the MtoF.

• Hidden people with inherent luck, positive and curious outlook on the world and full of child-like wonder.
• Have a knack for animal husbandry and have nimble fingers that makes them good at crafting or larcenous arts.
• Seen as chaotic and eccentrics.
• Lives in burrow, cares a lot for their family, be it from birth or by choice.
• Antipathy for the smaller monster-folk such as goblins and kobolds.

Were it not for tradition, gnomes and hafling could be the same thing.

Ah, I get it. This has been a problem for a while. In 2nd ed, they had to share their "complete" book too.

 

[Undrave]

Gnomes like animals, but may

So:

• Wood culture: burrowing animals
• Metal culture: tinkerers
• Gem culture: light manipulators (including Invisibility, Minor Illusion, etc)
• Earth culture: the alchemists

also:

-Flower Gnome: hippies

 

[tetrasodium]

Myself would prefer the tinkering gnomes to be more alchemy-related that mechanical, using the component of their earth and metals to create wonders. Something like the Transmuter ability to change one matter to an other.

Alchemy might be an interesting way of getting away from the zany clockwork ott steampunk gnomes surrounded by rube goldberg machines. I'd like to & wish I could say that have nothing against people who like that.. but I'm tired of it consuming everything gnome to the point that there are racial hooks for that type of gnome & really no others aside from "generic". Eberron's SS/KGB kill squad policed coldwaresque gnomes are shut out & completely overwhelmed by adding it. MHI's thug/gangsta gnomes & arcadia's scaled back more kid friendly kinda monster gnome equivalent are converted to comic relief with it. The badass wizard who spent hundreds of years perfecting his craft goes from a serious Merlin type to a slapstick addition fit for stoking a child's laughter at serious moment. At least they had the good sense to make some of the inventions have a chance of maybe being useful during the course of a campaign. All that says nothing about the gnome molds from other editions people have mentioned

 

[Haldrik]

Or, how about:

• Root Gnome: Burrowing animals
• Metal Gnome: Tinkerers
• Gem Gnomes: Illusionist, Feywild connection (Crystal Gnome instead?)
• Fungus Gnome: Alchemists
• Rock Gnome: Underdark Gnomes

"Root gnome" is awesome.

Why "fungus"? When I think of alchemists, I think of turning lead into gold, as well as flames to heat water solutions of solvents, "spiritualizing" gases, and so on. It is mainly elemental. There is also alot of medical applications, for healing and longevity, but even these seem to use alchemical ingredients. I guess, some of the chemicals come from plants, like scraping dry wine barrels for certain crystals.



Rock gnome = deep gnome = svirfneblin

For svirfneblin, the name is Norwegian, apparently meaning "the black elf mist", a contraction of svart-alf-nifl-inn. Maybe emphasize arctic fog as well as stone. Rock gnome is great for them, and I still want to see a "children of the mist" vibe too.

Actually, I guess D&D already has some tradition about the Svirfneblin, but I would love it, if this is the go-to culture for the "Dwarf / Dark Elf" according to the Norse sources. If so, these gnomes are actually personifications of rock, more like earth elementals. They are human height, not small. They are crazy strong (!), especially in the sense of carrying weight. They are innately magical, and known for making magic items. Oh, and they petrify in direct sunlight! (And Drow thought that they had it bad.) They can create the magical mist during daytime as a sunscreen, to prevent the sun from petrifying them, during the rare times they venture onto the surface during daytime. They also wildshape into animals, including a dragon. I probably associate them most with Intelligence, Wisdom, and Strength, with them being mainly Wizards and Druids. They are also personifications of fate, like elves are, except these are moreso personifications of bad luck and failure, probably are responsible for many cursed magic items, and seem mildly evil, or at least apathetic toward humans.