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I actually quite liked the flavor text. It is very much in keeping with how I always saw Gnomes in fact. Very nicely done.
As for the stats ... keep as is if you want, change 'em if you want. It really has little impact on the flavor text which, to mind mind, was the primary point of the original post.
I like the fluff text.
I agree that Int +2, Cha +2 are good choices for positives.
I would only go with the Wis -2 (historical to 2e gnome). The gnome is already weakened by being size small and does not need to add on the additional Str -2 which removes any hope of using a martial weapon with any sort of damage.
The Keen senses like an Elf does not really go with the fluff text. I would go with instead Educated and have gnomes have a +2 to Knowledge Skills. This would represent that gnomes education system is superior and keeps them well rounded on a number of topics.
To return some fighting capacity to gnomes that they had in 2e and earlier editions when they were not size small, I would suggest that gnomes be listed as Sturdy Fighters. Sturdy Fighters would allow gnomes to use weapons without the reach characteristic or longbows as if they were size medium for damage.
A gnome could thus use a longsword one handed and deal 1d8 damage. This allows the return of some of the concepts from 2e in the gnome complete book of gnomes able to defend their homes.
They are not the best fighters but they are not a worst selection for fighter either.
I would suggest that the three gnome 0 level spells be replaced with a general ability that is usable 3 times a day, maxium once per round, as a free action, to cause a distraction. Opponent must save verses Will using a DC of 10 + Cha Bonus + level/2 or the subject is dazed as per the 0 level spell and can take no action on their next round (though they are not stunned and fully able to defend themselves; so, no attacks of opportunity). The effect works only on creatures which are not mindless and have a maximum hit dice of the character level times 2. It is left to the player and DM to describe the minor illusion of light and sound that is used to distract the creature.
Such a minor distraction could help in many ways to either use hide in shadows if a thief type or to pin down an attacker giving a wizard a chance to retreat a bit so they can safely cast a spell. This ability also scales with the character making it remain of use and flavour.
I would also replace the +2 save verses illusions with a general +2 verses magic which is a return to what gnomes had in 1e and 2e. A +2 verses illusions is too specialized to be useful (how often does this really come up in a game?). Halflings have a +1 to all Saves and Dwarves have a +2 to all magic and all poison. Returning the +2 to all magic makes this save meaningful with the gnome again and shows their knowledge of magic and how to defend against it.
Nice job. While I think I would just give them the -2 to STR as I don't see any gnomes as weak willed or unable to focus, I agree with the bonuses to the CHA and INT for the standard (rock) gnome. I was just trying to reconcile how I was going to incorporate a "frail" racial bonus HP score to a race with a CON bonus. You've solved my problem, for the standard gnome. However, I don't see forest or deep gnomes as having a bonus to CHA as they are described as being reclusive. I think I would give them a bonus to WIS instead of CHA.
Just to get a vote in real quick +2 Con, +2 Int, -2 Str-or-Wis
With all due respect, you say you like the fluff text and then you make a number of suggestions which, if implemented, would make the fluff text senseless. I don't get that.Gnomish fighters fight smart. They don't have any physical gifts towards fighting. The physical bonuses to combat you suggest put them on the same level as humans in martial combat.
While they should be able to fight on the level of the other races, they should be using their heads to do it.
For example, they might not use strength to do damage, but they might use poison. Your distraction ability is something which works really well with the flavor text.
Sensing hidden doors is part of keeping an eye out for tricks. In fact, I can't justify why a sylvan race (that is, elves) get this ability. My recommendation is that elves not get this ability, but that it be given to gnomes. Since this thread is about gnomes, not elves, I didn't mention that.
The flavor text states that gnomish education doesn't focus on rote memorization, but rather on wit and guile. That makes Educated a bad choice.
Gnomes are quite capable of defending their homes - through tricks, guile, and outwitting enemies. One of the essential parts of the fluff text is that they were unable to defeat enemies through physical might and, so, learned to defeat their enemies through smarts.
While I understand your comment on Gnomes need to fight smart (I do not see large hordes of Gnomes running around like Orcs or even bands of elves), I do not think they should be completly neutered in combat ability either.
The 1e and 2e gnome was capable as a gish class mixture of illusionist and fighter or as a fighter that could hold a tunnel against an attacking group of goblins.
If your mechanics were chosen for the Gnome it would leave them in the same place that they currently are in 3e with a very sub par choice for anyone with a martial leaning only they would be further weakened by the Str -2.
One thing that Pathfinder should try to do is improve the range of choices for races. Gnomes being size small is a big hit for anything but a rogue (which halflings have cornered the market on) or a straight mage class. Going with the change that I suggest opens the possability for Gish, Clerics, or most types of martial characters. This gives players flexability on how they run their character or develop the character instead of being 'pigeon holed' into one style of character.
Increasing the quality of the gnome in using weapons does not take away from them being able to fight smart. There are not armies of gnomes in the world so they need to make each fighter count since they can not just hordes of them in wave tactics. The Int +2 and Cha +2 will still increase the number of skills known and the ability to bluff and charm opponents.
Noticing secret doors has been the schtick of elves for so long (back to original DnD days) that your arguement for gnomes being able to puzzle the existance out is good but I think that I would just leave it with the elves unless they were going to surrender it.
Whether it is because Gnomes are better at figuring out answers or that they just know more, the result of a +2 to knowledge checks works out to be the same. Gnomes are sages or get more value out of what they learn because of how they apply that knowledge to problems (what else do you use knowledge skill checks for but to see if you can come up with an answer to a problem?). Whether a person knows more of heraldry by having studied lists of who's shield goes with with who or they know that such symbols belong to which families which means they can decipher who a person must be related to the end result is identifying the person.
Thanks on the distract ability. I think it has better game application.
Again, I don't think that you can have a player race be too lacking in martial or brains and still be considered playable (look at the half-orc of 3e for the gnome problem in reverse as a race that can normally be used for brute physical classes only ~ resulting in an under played race).
Personally, I like to leave it up to the player to express the 'combat style' of the race rather then forcing one option or another on the player.
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Seperate item: Gnomes in 1e and 2e had infravision 60'. Returning darkvision to them would make them more an underground race while going with low light vision makes them more of a forest race.
Personally, I am good with either expression of the gnome. This is somewhat of the halfling sub-type consideration that some halflings were more underground race then others.
Here's a little something I wrote up after I learned that 4e was removing gnomes because the game designers couldn't come up with a theme for them. Use it if you like it.
Have you had the opportunity to read up on Golarion's gnomes? They already have a rather unique place and role in the setting.
Golarion gnomes are beautiful. With the addition of the flavor text blurb in the Pathfinder Alpha they hit exactly what D&D Gnomes have become in very clear terms. There is nothing wrong with the Pathfinder Gnomes, there stat block is just fine. A player can choose to focus on Intelligence when stats are rolled, thanks to the +2 Con and +2 Charisma.
Lets take the Non-Elite and Elite arrays modified by Gnome Stats, with a focus on Intelligence being the highest score and a balance in stats.
Non-Elite Pathfinder Gnome: 11, 11, 10, 12, 10, 11
Elite Pathfinder Gnome: 13, 13, 10, 14, 10, 14 <— Is this the Iconic Smart and Devious Gnome you're looking for?
Playing to the racial strengths instead:
Non-Elite Pathfinder Gnome: 6, 10, 14, 11, 9, 15
Elite Pathfinder Gnome: 6, 12, 16, 13, 10, 17
From a more generic D&D perspective....
The 'forest' overlap that troubled the 4e designers was mentally irritating to me. Elves have a history of raw power, given the split between High Elves and Wood Elves in Tolkien's works, that breaks easily into Arcane Power and Divine(Nature) Power.
That is very different from the Gnomes who are more closely linked to subtle Arcane(Fey) powers (drawing on folklore gnomes). Gnomes also have the Dwarven root in D&D (hardness and craftsmanship) that has lead to them being Alchemist and Tinkerers.
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At the time that I wrote this, I did not yet know about Galorian gnomes. Now that I've read the Alpha, it seems like they aren't all that well fleshed out. Is there a better source on Galorian gnomes than the Alpha?
Gnomes and Elves have been kept a little under wraps in Galorian (The inclusion of The Forlorn making that easier with elves). For Elves this has meant Paizo can do a big reveal with Second Darkness, presumably something similar is cooking for our -fey-tastic anime-haired gnomes.
At the time that I wrote this, I did not yet know about Galorian gnomes. Now that I've read the Alpha, it seems like they aren't all that well fleshed out. Is there a better source on Galorian gnomes than the Alpha?
Not yet. As GeraintElberion noted, Paizo's kept information on the race somewhat quiet so far. But it's clear they have plans for them, and a strong concept/background already in place.
To return some fighting capacity to gnomes that they had in 2e and earlier editions when they were not size small,...I hate to break it to you, but gnomes have always been Small.
Sorry, you are correct. Gnomes have been size small since 1e.
Yet, in 1e, Dwarves were also classed as size small (see Monster Manual). Size Small had no bearing on the choice of weapon in 1e or the damage that you could do with the weapon (it only mattered the size the target that you hit with the weapon). A gnome fighter in 1e could wield a 2H sword. Typical village had 60% armed with spears and 45% had a short sword. Only 15% were armed with a missile weapon in the form of a sling. Levels 2 to 5 had chainmail and shield while levels 5 and up had platemail and shield. In the monster manual gnomes were resistant to magic and poison.
In 2e, dwarves and gnomes did not appear in the initial Monstrous Compendiums (4th Compendium has Dragonlance Dwarves with Tinker Gnomes). Dwarves and Gnomes have a reference to size small giving an advantage in combat (same as 1e) but the Dragonlance Dwarves of Hill and Mountain type were listed in the Compendium as Size Medium. Thought the listing for the Giant Igauna? lists being able to swallow small races like Dwarf and Halfling on a 19 to 20. Further to this, the rule comes in that weapons are now classed as size S, M, L and that if you are size then you can use a maxium of Size Medium weapon with two hands. Size now means that a Gnome can use a Bastard Sword as the biggest weapon (interestingly Blowguns were also classed as size Large). Still, 2d4/2d8 is not bad damage (Bastard Sword).
The Complete Gnome and Halfling Book offered the kits of Breach Gnome and Goblinsticker for the Gnome Fighter.
3e and particularly the change in 3.5e (The Order of the Stick has a good comic on this update happening and the halfling ranger finding the weapons shrink in his hands) dropped the value of weapon damage by small size races. Damage is now 25 to 33% less as a small race. Further, races now have bonuses to strength that further increases the spread between choice of one race over another. Add in the number of combat penalties from tactics like Bull Rush, Trip, Grapple when size small and you begin to see that 3e does not promote any small fighters.
Lilith's suggestion of a -2 to Strength would further worsen this situation with a spread of 4 points in Strength from a medium race with strength bonus to the size small gnome plus the additional penalties of being size small.
This is what I mean by the gnome getting neutered from 1e where every gnome was considered to be capable of fighting.
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Seperate thought. I looked at the free downloads of gnomes in the Rise of the Runelords and Curse of the Crimson Throne player guides. I am not sure what is the special nature of Galorian Gnomes.
The Crimsom Throne described Gnomes as being connected to Acadamae. Members of the Acadamae spurn Sorcerers do to their lack of strict study of magic. Yet, the Alpha Mechanics give a +2 Int to Halflings and a +2 Charisma to Gnomes. This would make Halflings better wizards then Gnomes and Gnomes would be better as Sorcerers.
The mechanics do not promote what the fluff says should be happening.
There are also some pretty insulting fluff for the gnome (again from Crimson Throne) 'Outside of the Acadamae, Gnomes live as gnomes do, clumsily attempting to emulate the larger races and acting as menaces not to be ignored.' {ed note: Bold text by editor}.
Rise of the Runelords has a few rumours of Gnomes being connected to Fey courts and describes them as wanderers and traders. This is promising but does not have much in the way of detail.
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There are also some pretty insulting fluff for the gnome (again from Crimson Throne) 'Outside of the Acadamae, Gnomes live as gnomes do, clumsily attempting to emulate the larger races and acting as menaces not to be ignored.' {ed note: Bold text by editor}.
Rise of the Runelords has a few rumours of Gnomes being connected to Fey courts and describes them as wanderers and traders. This is promising but does not have much in the way of detail.
From what I remember on the boards when RotRL was still fresh; Gnomes are going to be very Fey and have a different psychology to the rest of the races (I think I recall something about them often being experts on completely useless things). So those that choose to live amongst humans would probably try to fit in, but not really make the correct assumptions about what they saw, and thus do a lot of daft and/or dangerous things.