Gnome Books [Archive] - Wizards Community

Gnome Books [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
Char9er
02-25-04, 03:01 PM I hope this dosen't get locked like my question about the Starlight and Shadow series, but I was wondering are there any good Forgotten Realm Gnome books? I can't seem to find any and it's kinda nagging knowing there might be but there might not be.
Thrudjelmer
02-25-04, 06:01 PM I don't think gnomes get fair representation in the Realms (or D&D in general).

They're kind of dwarf-like in size, but don't nearly have the reputation for being hardcore tough guys.
They're kind of fun and cute like halflings, but not quite so much as halflings.
They're kind of smart and magical like elves, but have nowhere near the dignity that elves are portrayed with.

Nope, even in 2nd Edition AD&D, when there were several class & race books (Complete Fighter's Handbook, Complete Elves' Handbook, Complete Dwarves Handbook, etc), gnomes had to share a book with halflings. Pretty much the most information about gnomes specifically that I've seen collected for the FR setting specifically is in 3rd Edition's Races of Faerun.
WizO_BigSister
02-25-04, 06:06 PM In response to Char9er's comments hoping this thread is not closed, and referring to a thread that what closed as it violated the new rules about novels ......

If this question refers to good novels about gnomes then it violates the rules about novels.

If the question was asking which of the supplements and rule books has good information on gnomes then it is allowed.

Please check the Novels - Important Info - Read This!!!! (http://boards1.wizards.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=185204) thread to see the rules for posting information found in novels.
DwarvenBrew
03-02-04, 12:31 PM During second edition, there was a lenghty Harpers series of novels (guessing 10-15) in which one of the novels included a community of gnomes.

I beleive that it was called Soldiers of Ice. On the cover, it has a female ranger-looking person and I think some gnolls in the background. It also has a smaller figure in spiked armor with a spear, this is a gnome!

The story centers around the female ranger (a harper) and the defense of the gnome community. The story also involves quite a few gnolls and some elementals as well. It has been a LONG time since I read it, so it is almost certainly out of print. It shouldn't be too hard to find used though, as I find used novels that I'm looking for pretty frequently.
Lashan
03-02-04, 05:27 PM In the early boxed set for FR, gnomes were called the "Forgotten Folk" as it seems that no one ever saw them. It was a reference that they were a shy and quiet people. Or at least to the world. It goes into detail about what little history we have about them. The ancient city-states of Nethril enslaved the gnomes. They toiled endlessly under the yoke of Nethril oppression. The elven nations nearby did try to have an underground railroad and tried to free many gnomes. There are a few details of gnome communities that were settled after they escaped, such as the village of Hap in Volo's Guide to the Dalelands. There is also a great web article about the Trail of Mists (http://www.wizards.com/dnd/article.asp?x=dnd/mc/mc20010829f) by Eric Boyd.

Beyond that, there is little info about gnomes in the FR. There has been some attempt to turn them into tinkerer gnomes by having them associated with Gond in Lantan, but I sincerly reject the idea of tinkerer gnomes in FR. I've even read that gnomes were on the chopping block of DnD for 3E, but one of the authors did manage to save them.
Rynthief
03-03-04, 07:12 PM 3E changed gnomes a lot, they went from something halfway between dwarves/elves/halflings to their own identity, one that smacks of fey influence.

Pro-fey arguements:
They get innate illusion spells.
They can talk to animals.
They are optimistic, creative, and curious.
Most are recluse from the world and they live in their own woodland communities.

Humans, Elves, Dwarves, Orc, and Hin all migrated to Toril from some other plane (don't get me started on cosmology issues). The Gnomes were made from gems found in the very heart of Chauntea, given life by Garl Glittergold.

Maybe Garl himself is a fallen member of the Seelie Court, who grew too lawful and got dumped, or left for some other reason. He then went about breathing life into Gnomes on several of the prime planes. There is little known about Gnome history, because thats what the Gnomes want. Look at what the Zhents do to hybsils, simply because they have fey blood! No Gnome wants Zhent pieces-and-bits parties attacking them in the night... and so they will live on in abscurity, watching from their hills and trees...
Lashan
03-03-04, 11:28 PM I just remembered that there is a new racial book for dwarves and gnomes coming out sometime in the next 2 years. It's not FR specific, but it might have a lot more on gnomes to help flesh them out.
Reles Villian
03-03-04, 11:44 PM I presonally wouldnt mind seeing a Gnome Archwizard. Gnome powa

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Char9er 02-25-04, 03:01 PM	I hope this dosen't get locked like my question about the Starlight and Shadow series, but I was wondering are there any good Forgotten Realm Gnome books? I can't seem to find any and it's kinda nagging knowing there might be but there might not be.
Thrudjelmer 02-25-04, 06:01 PM	I don't think gnomes get fair representation in the Realms (or D&D in general). They're kind of dwarf-like in size, but don't nearly have the reputation for being hardcore tough guys. They're kind of fun and cute like halflings, but not quite so much as halflings. They're kind of smart and magical like elves, but have nowhere near the dignity that elves are portrayed with. Nope, even in 2nd Edition AD&D, when there were several class & race books (Complete Fighter's Handbook, Complete Elves' Handbook, Complete Dwarves Handbook, etc), gnomes had to share a book with halflings. Pretty much the most information about gnomes specifically that I've seen collected for the FR setting specifically is in 3rd Edition's Races of Faerun.
WizO_BigSister 02-25-04, 06:06 PM	In response to Char9er's comments hoping this thread is not closed, and referring to a thread that what closed as it violated the new rules about novels ...... If this question refers to good novels about gnomes then it violates the rules about novels. If the question was asking which of the supplements and rule books has good information on gnomes then it is allowed. Please check the Novels - Important Info - Read This!!!! (http://boards1.wizards.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=185204) thread to see the rules for posting information found in novels.
DwarvenBrew 03-02-04, 12:31 PM	During second edition, there was a lenghty Harpers series of novels (guessing 10-15) in which one of the novels included a community of gnomes. I beleive that it was called Soldiers of Ice. On the cover, it has a female ranger-looking person and I think some gnolls in the background. It also has a smaller figure in spiked armor with a spear, this is a gnome! The story centers around the female ranger (a harper) and the defense of the gnome community. The story also involves quite a few gnolls and some elementals as well. It has been a LONG time since I read it, so it is almost certainly out of print. It shouldn't be too hard to find used though, as I find used novels that I'm looking for pretty frequently.
Lashan 03-02-04, 05:27 PM	In the early boxed set for FR, gnomes were called the "Forgotten Folk" as it seems that no one ever saw them. It was a reference that they were a shy and quiet people. Or at least to the world. It goes into detail about what little history we have about them. The ancient city-states of Nethril enslaved the gnomes. They toiled endlessly under the yoke of Nethril oppression. The elven nations nearby did try to have an underground railroad and tried to free many gnomes. There are a few details of gnome communities that were settled after they escaped, such as the village of Hap in Volo's Guide to the Dalelands. There is also a great web article about the Trail of Mists (http://www.wizards.com/dnd/article.asp?x=dnd/mc/mc20010829f) by Eric Boyd. Beyond that, there is little info about gnomes in the FR. There has been some attempt to turn them into tinkerer gnomes by having them associated with Gond in Lantan, but I sincerly reject the idea of tinkerer gnomes in FR. I've even read that gnomes were on the chopping block of DnD for 3E, but one of the authors did manage to save them.
Rynthief 03-03-04, 07:12 PM	3E changed gnomes a lot, they went from something halfway between dwarves/elves/halflings to their own identity, one that smacks of fey influence. Pro-fey arguements: They get innate illusion spells. They can talk to animals. They are optimistic, creative, and curious. Most are recluse from the world and they live in their own woodland communities. Humans, Elves, Dwarves, Orc, and Hin all migrated to Toril from some other plane (don't get me started on cosmology issues). The Gnomes were made from gems found in the very heart of Chauntea, given life by Garl Glittergold. Maybe Garl himself is a fallen member of the Seelie Court, who grew too lawful and got dumped, or left for some other reason. He then went about breathing life into Gnomes on several of the prime planes. There is little known about Gnome history, because thats what the Gnomes want. Look at what the Zhents do to hybsils, simply because they have fey blood! No Gnome wants Zhent pieces-and-bits parties attacking them in the night... and so they will live on in abscurity, watching from their hills and trees...
Lashan 03-03-04, 11:28 PM	I just remembered that there is a new racial book for dwarves and gnomes coming out sometime in the next 2 years. It's not FR specific, but it might have a lot more on gnomes to help flesh them out.
Reles Villian 03-03-04, 11:44 PM	I presonally wouldnt mind seeing a Gnome Archwizard. Gnome powa