Gnomes: Gypsy Insects?

[KnejaTurch]

Good Evening playgrounders! I have recently reworked both the fluff and crunch of Gnomes in my setting, mainly because I don't like regular gnomes. My final decision was that the Gnomes are a nomadic, insectoid race, looking pretty much like anthropomorphic beetles. They live in walking huts and their culture is based on Romani gypsy culture, i.e. the idea of things being pure and impure, and a few of their more esoteric cultural traits. And instead of being renowned bards, their renowned Witches (pf witches) and every other race treats them like a mixture jews/gyspy ("theyre not welcome here" "everythings their fault" "they steal children" etc). I have worked out that because they have mandibles and not lips they cant say Ps, Bs, Vs, or Fs, and so their speech is a little off. I do want them to have some sort of bardic ability though, after all, gypsies were musicians too, so what kind of art form should gnomes do? any cool ideas you have or questions/comments are welcome!

[Elric VIII]

I like this idea. I have always kind of hated Gnomes as they are. Maybe some form of grasshopper-like abdomen rubbing? The various ages, sizes, and stages onthe lifecycle can create different tones which, when played together, allows them to create harmony.

[Chilingsworth]

For art, maybe they have several dances that take advantage of Iridescent. patches on their carapaces? Or, maybe they have something akin to a cricket's "fiddle"? Or both?

edit: swordsaged on the fiddle idea.

[Fouredged Sword]

Maybe they have a parrot like bifurcated trachea, allowing a great range of generated sounds. They could uses this to sing harmonies that most races would find physically impossible. I like the idea of a creature that most races will find hideous having angelic voices. It would be creepy though, because their mouths would not move when they talk.

[Gnome Alone]

I dislike not gnomes but that there's both them and halflings - bit redundant. For my campaign I revamped halflings to "Lapine": semi-itinerant rabbitman tribes.

I dig the beetle gypsies. Re: the witch thing, I suggest a seer who speaks in rhymed verse.

[Ellrin]

Not to rain on the parade or anything, but why even call them gnomes at this point? I mean, gnomes had an identity pre-D&D. Just make this new race (call 'em what you want) and say gnomes don't exist in your world if you dislike them so much.

[Fouredged Sword]

The idea is the gnome stats on a new flavored fluff chassis. New name, same stats.

[Rubik]

How about dromites (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/psionic/psionicRaces.htm) and thri-kreen? They're already insectoid, and they're supported in both the XPH and CPsi. Make them related, but with thri-kreen being the evolved later-life stage. If you don't want all the LA for PCs, note that taking away all the psi-like abilities makes thri-kreen LA +1.