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View Full Version : [4E] Being Small: Whats the point?



Vulkarius
2010-02-25, 04:07 PM
I know that small characters (I.E. my Gnome Bard Im going to start playing) can't use two handed weapons and have to use versatile weapons two handed. Getting the negative out of the way here. This leaves me to wonder about the positives. What are they? Why does something thats supposed to be a "sly trickster of the Feywild" only have move: 5? (Not saying that size=speed just thought that due to the negatives they would grant them a little speed to compensate) I guess that due to the fact that it's small he can get into narrow places and be thrown places by the tank but, other than that what's left to look forward to?

Oracle_Hunter
2010-02-25, 04:14 PM
Um, all the other Gnome Powers?

Gnomes have a ton of Racial Powers - including free Invisibility!

Vulkarius
2010-02-25, 04:27 PM
True I am looking forward to that very much :smallbiggrin:

oxybe
2010-02-25, 04:41 PM
2 words:
Shifty. Kobold.

i've yet to play one as a PC, but as DM i haven't created so much spite and sheer hatred towards a nameless & faceless NPC as that one kobold sorceror who kept shifting in and out of full cover & blasting the PCs in a LONG time.

also, kobold barbarian: double shift, charge. double shift, charge. not as much damage, but you can much more reliably use your charge powers (unaided by items or other PCs, anyways).

the benefits to the small races aren't obvious, but they are there. you just need to look around the negatives.

Colmarr
2010-02-25, 04:52 PM
I know that small characters (I.E. my Gnome Bard Im going to start playing) can't use two handed weapons and have to use versatile weapons two handed. Getting the negative out of the way here. This leaves me to wonder about the positives.

To be honest, those aren't terribly harsh negatives, so there don't need to be terribly great positives to counterbalance them.

I think it's safe to say that halflings and gnomes have some pretty good positives, so it's all a wash at the end of the day (even if being small does tend to push towards implement use rather than weapon use).

Kurald Galain
2010-02-25, 05:01 PM
Small characters do not play noticeably different than medium characters. It's just a bit of fluff, really.

Vulkarius
2010-02-25, 06:06 PM
Think I'll stick to my annoying little gnome. Thanks for the input I was looking forward to his size for a couple running gags (sleeping in his oversized hat etc) Nothing wrong with a small ammount of fluff.

slyfox99
2010-02-25, 08:45 PM
Ad don't forget that the gnome gets to bug the dwarf fighter with names like Big Guy and Tall Stuff and Highpockets, as well as asking him, "How's the weather up ther, Shaquille?"

cupkeyk
2010-02-25, 10:02 PM
Gnome Phantasmist/Feyborn Charm stack with Implement Expertise. This is a disincentive for playing a race other than gnome for illusionist wizard or charm bard.

rayne_dragon
2010-02-25, 10:11 PM
Gnome Phantasmist/Feyborn Charm stack with Implement Expertise. This is a disincentive for playing a race other than gnome for illusionist wizard or charm bard.

My eladrin wizard is quite jealous of gnomes for this reason. Those little guys get all the fun stuff.

cupkeyk
2010-02-25, 10:15 PM
I have an eladrin wizard too, made so that my stunlocker can qualify for winter sovereign. (With a frozen whetstone, i can force opponents to take a -5 to all my dailies' save ends effect even before i hit level 24.) But look and behold, gnomes have the fey origin too, so they qualify for winter sovereign easier. and they have a +2 cha, so they can put a 10 in cha and still qualify for spell focus at level 11. Maybe that's why gnomes are all so sneaky in the feywild, because eladrins want them dead for being too cool.

Shardan
2010-02-26, 02:49 PM
I had an adventure half planned (never had a chance to finish it) with the heroes setting out to clear out a kobold den.. which included small sized rooms and hallways. anyone over 4 foot tall would have penalties and give CA to small sized creatures because of having to crawl or stoop. of course, I had another section of the cave that had 4 foot of standing water in them making them pretty annoying for short characters too. Even though the rules don't work well for increments other than 5' i believe rule 1 most of all. ;)

Dimers
2010-02-26, 03:34 PM
I think there's a feat or two that hinge on how many Sizes larger than you your enemy is, so a Small character would have an advantage there. Although if you bring that up, you also need to factor in the abilities big critters get to use only on sufficiently small enemies ... so that's probably a wash.