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02-27-2014, 06:56 AM #1
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Gnomes - in BR?
I know that officially there are no gnomes in the birthright setting. But if you were going to add them in the same vein as the elves and dwarves of BR (i.e. more from myth than Tolkien), how would you do it? Both background-wise and mechanic-wise. One thing I've always disliked about d&d gnomes is the trickster/joker theme, and the silly techy theme.
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02-28-2014, 09:50 AM #2
My party encountered them deep underground in Cerilia. Their community was one of myth, so their prehistory remained as a big unknown. We performed a task for them, then left. I can't remember what we got in return.
If I was DMing it myself, I suspect that the Shadow World would make their presence as individuals or a community easier to explain. They could also be treated as a genetic offshoot of the dwarves, may created by one of the Lost. They need not be mechanically minded, but I like the idea that they are great craftsmen. Maybe they could sort of be based on the doozers on Fraggle Rock - not much said, but lots understood between them. Perhaps they add order to the Shadow World through their skills.
SorontarLast edited by Sorontar; 02-28-2014 at 09:53 AM.
Sorontar
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02-28-2014, 02:37 PM #3
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The world is large, with many continents and islands, and untold civilizations underground or underwater. I see no problems with adding gnomes wherever you think it might fit. Since there were presumably no gnomes at Deismarr, I'd assume their blooded scions are very few and far between.
Technology can be ignored, damn Dragonlance for associating gnomes with tech forever. Read the first drizzt book. There's a small section on Svirfneblin culture and stuff in there. Maybe the Orogs have been kept in check by gnomes as much as dwarves, but the gnomes are very very deep, and the dwarves don't even know about them. You could introduce them to the campaign as Orog prisoners rescued by Dwarves.
Maybe gnomes have a strong civilization and completely control a continent, but they are afraid of water, and so dont know much about the outside world, perhaps its out of trade range and so little contact has been made, if any. Or maybe they are great seafarers, and their fine vessels have finally landed in Cerilia, offloading all sorts of goods to trade.
Option 1 are dour, grim, and very dwarf-like, option 2 are a little more happy go lucky(think halfling) type, or alternately, treat them as Star Trek Ferengi...ripping people off and leaving a trail of upset buyers in their wake...I like PBEM's.
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02-28-2014, 03:47 PM #4
I think Arentak's option #2 is about the only worthwhile use for gnomes I have ever heard of.
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02-28-2014, 09:48 PM #5
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You could use the original D&D kobold concept for them. Now kobold are distant relatives of dragons, but they were just small beings with dog faces. Except dog faces, gnomes could be quite similar to kobolds, maybe less evil but even more deceptive. After all one definition of kobold is german gnome that lives in a mine.
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02-28-2014, 10:13 PM #6
If I had to add gnomes to the Birthright realm:
- a smallish clan (only around 200 total or so)
- conquered and subjugated long ago
- now serve as the Gorgon's personal stock for meals (in short, they are bred to be 'et' (southern US slang for the past-tense of 'eat'.))
I know this doesn't help, but it's my only take on gnomes in the setting. :-D"Government is not reason; it is not eloquent; it is force. Like fire, it is a dangerous servant and a fearful master."
- George Washington
Quod illo, senito aliquos togatos contra me conspirare.
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03-03-2014, 09:15 PM #7
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Gnomes - in BR? [9#28454]
If someone REALLY wanted to put gnomes in their BR campaign, I`d
suggest these possible methods:
1. The offspring of a awn-/ersheghlien. There are several races
(sahuagin with the Kraken, lizard folk with the Hydra) who appear
more or less only as progeny of that particular iconic creature. One
could incorporate gnomes as the children of an ershegh, especially a
halfling or a dwarf.
2. Extra-planar transplants. Entire provinces of Cerilia were
transported into the Ravenloft setting in a kind of campaign
crossover, so you could theoretically bring them in from Greyhawk.
3. Travellers from a far off continent on Aebrynis. People have
written up animal races and Oriental adventures kinds of things for
BR, so gnomes aren`t that far afield given that the possibilities are
more or less neverending....
4. There is a "lost province" that was never named on the map for
Cerilia. It`s actually called "Lost Realm" in the BR computer game
and "Skywode" in the BR netbook. I kind of like the idea that it is
both.... It is unexplained as far as source materials go, meaning
you could do whatever you want with it. I could imagine gnomes
existing in some sort of weird transition between worlds in that
province. A province where the bizarre crossover between worlds
means technology operates there that would not exist anywhere else in
the setting. Or, maybe, there`s just a gate to Mechanus or something
like that. Gnomes existing in such a place might be doable,
especially if you give it a kind of BR feel. They aren`t gnomes in
the sense that they exist in other campaign worlds, but BR gnomes
that differ from the norm in the same way that BR halflings differ
from standard ones.
5. A unique creature. The existence of a single character is
possible. There is, for example, the occasional drow for some reason
in BR. There are members of The Lost who appear are incredibly
ancient and could degenerate/evolve into just about anything. A
single character can appear in BR due to some planar shift/accident.
Gary
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03-05-2014, 10:59 PM #8
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I can recall something from Rich Baker that talks about gnomes in Birthright. I can't recall the exact source, possibly from an old email thread, i can look it up later. He envisioned gnomes as being very nature oriented, basically another type of fey.
I'll see if i can find that source later...
-FizzLast edited by Fizz; 03-05-2014 at 11:07 PM.
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03-06-2014, 05:53 AM #9
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Ah, here it is... the source is from Mark Aurel. In prepping for the BRCS, Mark went through every item in the Birthright mailing list from Rich Baker. In this listserv note about potential player races, Mark explained what he learned from Rich's notes.
Sorry if that's a bit convoluted... anywho...
The crux is that Rich envisioned a very different niche for gnomes- that they are very much like "nature-spirits", with forest gnomes, mountain gnomes, meadow gnomes, etc., and that they should be very rare, and not a PC race.
I like the potential take on that. Too bad nothing official ever came of it.
-FizzLast edited by Fizz; 03-06-2014 at 05:56 AM.
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