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May 27, 2003
Okay, This One I Don't Much Like...
Dungeons and Dragons players probably know by now about 3.5, the errata-and-more update of the Third Edition rules due out in just over a month.
Well, for the first time since WOTC started leaking hints about this, there's one I don't like.
What don't I like? Well, it's right at the end... Somehow, Gnomes have changed their "favored class" from Illusionist to Bard.
Oh, it's probably a good change. Gnomes in 3E got shorted a bit, since being a specialist mage is a restricting choice and that was their only favored class option. And Bards are already strong on Illusion-type spells (with strong rumors that their list will get even better on 3.5), so it isn't that dramatic a change (and the +1 to Illusion spell save DCs is nifty)... But by changing the Gnome favored class to Bard, many gnome characters will need to be given house rule protection or will start eating multi-class experience penalties (and those are very unpalatable things). Also, by changing from an INT based casting class to a CHR based class (for more than just spellcasting), existing Gnome characters will have the wrong attributes for their new favored class.
And this from a design team that probably still won't make Paladin into a prestige class because it will disrupt too many long-standing D&D assumptions? Well, Gnomes being illusionists is as long-standing as the Gnome race, if memory serves. Now, suddenly, their race stereotype changes from clever trickster to charming trickster. A small but significant shift to make for an whole race, even one that was probably the least-used of D&D player races.
It's a minor grumble, compared to the improvements I've seen coming in 3.5, but this is the sort of sweeping (if subtle) change I was hoping would only be made if vital, and I don't think gnomes were critically broken as they were.
Posted by ghoul at May 27, 2003 08:25 PM
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Comments
This reminds me of when White Wolf revised Mage, and began to require Hollow Ones to use foci, which seemed to go directly against some of the Hollower's core ideas.
I've played more then a few bard's, and I can't think of a single occassion when my bard concept would have ideally suited a gnome. I can understand why they would want to change the favored class, but I can't say that I agree the way they have chosen to go about it.
Much like the rule about Hollowers using foci. gnomes as bards seems like the type of rule that I'll take note of, file away for convention gaming, and cheerfully ignore within my own games.
Posted by: Jessi at May 29, 2003 09:43 AM
Let's face it: no matter what's done with them, gnomes blow.
Posted by: James at May 29, 2003 11:48 AM
Heh. "Gnomes in 3E got shorted a bit." Heh.
Posted by: *** Dave at June 4, 2003 12:02 PM
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