Good news, the elves did nothing wrong…this time. Bad news, the fledgling human empire is now learning magic from an ancient lich and are doing unethical experiments on the gnomes they enslaved.
BG3 is my first introduction to anything DnD (not counting all the modern fantasy stories heavily inspired by it) so I'm counting on you veterans to help me out here.
Are gnomes typically mistreated in the world? You see both rock and deep gnomes enslaved during the game, and it appears that they aren't given much respect by other races.
From what I understand of them, gnomes are highly intelligent and are responsible for many technological feats. They also don't bother anybody and are generally good people.
Is this just a BG3 thing, or are gnomes abused as a rule in DnD?
I think the essence of good gnome characterisation & character design is based in the assumption that gnomes can't be sexy. Gnomes are so unfuckable that a gnome can't be UNattractive because that's just "looking like a gnome. As a result, they are free to be exactly who they are without pretension or self-consciousness. Which is super hot in a human or other race, hence the 'almost hotness' of gnomes.
I have. So many headcanons/thoughts on canon dnd races and I figured it was about time I shared them with more than just the people I know on discord. SO! Starting with gnomes because. I just really love gnomes? And have a Lot to say about them.
More of these coming soon though! I have one on a specific elf headcanon I have also posting today and more actively in the works. Feel free to send requests for different things you want me to talk about, though. I have many thoughts.
The image description got Really long so under the cut (including a transcription of the writing)
[Image ID: Two images presented in a way that mimics field notebook entries. The first is titled “Gnomes” with four associated images. In the top left is a full body drawing of an average-weight gnome with light tan skin and short dirty blond hair. They’re wearing a light green shirt and blue overalls. They have floppy, round ears, cat-like whiskers, four fingered hands with paw pads and small claws, and a tail with a tuft of the same color hair at the end. In the top right of the first image is a zoomed in example of a gnome’s four-fingered hand with dark tan skin, pink paw pads, and small claws. They’re wearing a braided bracelet. In the bottom left is is a series of 3 gnomes from the waist to the knees and facing away to show their tails. The first is thin, has dark skin, and black, tightly curled, natural hair (a patch at the base of the tail and a tuft at the end). She has a scar on her left side and is wearing black underwear tied in a bow over her tail. The second is thin, has pale skin and wavy brown hair that travels in a line from the base of his tail to the end. He’s wearing striped blue boxers that button over the top of his tail. The final gnome is chubby with stretch marks and light tan skin. She has a fully furred, long-haired black tail and is wearing pink underwear with a slot for her tail to slide through. In the bottom right of the image is a bust of a dark-skinned gnome with natural black hair pulled back into a large poof at the crown of her head. She’s wearing a purple cloak with a golden clasp and has some light aging lines.
The image has writing throughout that says: “One of the ‘small races,’ Gnomes, much like Dwarves, are evolved for partially subterranean life. They produce both hair and fur; hair appearing in patches both on the head, like most humanoids, and in varying densities on their tails. The rest of their bodies are covered in a thin, peach-fuzz-like layer of fur as part of their adaption to cold climates. To ensure maintained traction, gnomes have fur-less pads on both their hands and feet. Additionally, gnomes possess claws built for digging through hard-packed soil. Their whiskers, although largely vestigial now, have allowed them to better gauge the width of tunnels in their burrows, especially during expansion processes.” There is also a note at the bottom that reads, “A long-lived people, Gnomes ageing stops at what would be considered middle-age for humans.”
The second image depicts a gnomish town, a series of small hills with doors built into them. The town has many various trees, one with a small treehouse built into it. The doors the enter into the gnomish houses are all individual decorated with different plants and have either stairs or ramps that lead down to the main dirt pathways through the town. The lower part of the image transitions to a look at the gnomish homes under the surface. The one shown is a series of furnished tunnels with flooring and walling. One room is full of furniture and most walls are lined with photos. An additional room is shown full of various, colorful blankets and pillows.
The second images has writing at the bottom that says: “Gnomes traditionally live in large family burrows known as ‘warrens.’ Families consists of multiple generations and single children are rare. Marriages will either merge two small families or prompt one partner to join the other’s warren. Should a warren become too large, it will sometimes split into two seperate families. Towns, referred to as ‘clusters’ consist of multiple family warrens along with communal farming, livestock, and spaces. Community is an important aspect of traditional gnomish culture.” There’s an additional note pointing towards the room full of pillows with the note, “A family all sleeps in a single room of the warren full of pillows, blankets, and other soft things.” : End ID]
there is something so fucking hilarious about the fact that gnOMES are a d&d race. like we have all these d&d memes about the bard fucking the dragon or the wizard being weak and dying right away and listen they’re already hilarious and i will never get tired of them but take all of these stories and make the pc a gnOME. perfection. art. 1000000/10. comedy gold.
