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View Full Version : Breaking the Stereotype: Elves, Gnomes & Others



Nocturne
2007-05-06, 02:37 PM
Hi, All

OK, so with all the hate speech :smallwink: that goes on in these and other forums, I've decided to issue a challenge to y'all:

Build me (Story-wise) an Elf or Gnome character who is an absolute joy for members of the other races to be around, who is efficient and productive, doesn't have a stick up his/her ass, etc, etc.

And no funny business, ya hear (Difficult for the Gnome option, I know :smalltongue:)?! I want a serious character that breaks all your pet hates about the races, but still makes them a serious addition to any party.

You guys up for it? Let's go!

puppyavenger
2007-05-06, 02:43 PM
LN elf who's sole purpose in life is to kill drizzit clones.

Morty
2007-05-06, 02:46 PM
I don't quite understand the point of that thread. What's the problem in making an elf wizard(for example) who is good natured, tolerant, polite and helpful? I don't have time to go into details, but it wouldn't be hard.

Nocturne
2007-05-06, 02:51 PM
The point, M0rt (I quite like elves myself) is that plenty of people here and elsewhere seem to think all elves should be wiped from the face of the planet. Supposedly, they're too arrogant, too lofty, and generally have sticks up their asses. I'm encouraging them to play devil's advocate and make an elf character who isn't any of these things.
Likewise, gnomes are useful for nothing other than comic relief, and every gnome they've ever seen has either been an illusionist with a penchant for practical jokes, or an inventor whose player simply wants to introduce gunpowder or flying ships into a setting where those things weren't intended.

Make an elf who isn't arrogant or lofty, or a gnome who is actually a serious character. Break the stereotypes.

Morty
2007-05-06, 02:57 PM
I know what you meant, I know these stereotypes too well. It's just that breaking them is very easy. At least is case of elves, gnomes are harder.
Anyway, I'd add another stereotype to break: dwarf who is always drunk, hates elves, and solves every problem with axe.

Nocturne
2007-05-06, 03:01 PM
I'm fishing for stories. I want to read about such characters, how they were modelled, how they grew and evolved, and how they fitted into the party's they were members of. Maybe they elf started out as all arrogant, snooty and aloof, but grew into a well rounded character. Who knows?

The dwarf one is easy to break - pity I can't remember the name of the Dwarven Cleric from our very own comic strip right now! But to be honest, that's the stereotypical view I've always had about dwarves... Well, unless you count Golden Axe!

ghost_warlock
2007-05-06, 03:08 PM
Gnomes are easy to make 'serious.' Just focus on Illusion and head towards Dread Witch (Heroes of Horror) and possibly Shadowcraft Mage (Races of Stone). For feats, take Spell Focus and Greater (illusion) and a few feats from Tome of Battle - Martial Study (Shadow Hand - shadow blade technique), Martial Stance (Shadow Hand - island of blades), then Shadow Trickster.

When it's all done, the DC for phantasmal killer will be 21 before ability mod. (Minimum DC is 23 for Int/Cha of 14.) Hard not to take that seriously...

For real fun, add the Dark Creature template from Tome of Magic and buy-off the LA (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/variant/races/reducingLevelAdjustments.htm).

RP-wise, this character is a native of the Plane of Shadow and no stranger to the horrors that lurk there. Play up the sinister aspects of illusion-magic. Inflict quick flashes of horrors out of the corner of your foes' eyes to distract and unnerve them. Use darkness to your advantage, especially magical darkness. Once you get shadow conjuration, and the higher-level versions, use it to mimic the summon undead spells. Shadowcraft Mage will increase the effectiveness of shadow illusions by 20%.

Driderman
2007-05-06, 03:08 PM
I dunno, the only gnome PC I've ever met was a mage/cleric of Cyric. He was pretty damn serious...

skywalker
2007-05-06, 03:09 PM
How in depth would you like for it to be?

Would you like stats, equipment, etc.?

I can think of a chaotic neutral(evil) gnome who is a vicious fighter, but will only adventure in mountainous terrain. All work must be done in mountains, caves, or dungeons. After being nearly drowned/eaten as a young gnome by a rather large octopus, he will no longer go within 50 miles of the ocean, nor will he approach any lake, and must be forcibly moved across rivers. His most prized possession is a trident of warning, which he insists on carrying wherever he goes and using in seemingly the most unrelated situations. He is, by all accounts, a psychopath. His favorite way to enter battle is to be thrown into the fray by one of his larger companions, putting his spiked armor to good use. He will start bar fights solely for this purpose if the mood strikes him.

Want anymore detail?

Diggorian
2007-05-06, 03:54 PM
Seems pretty easy.

Etem'raichon, an young elf courtier traveling to human lands to negotiate a defense pact versus local orc tribes, is impressed with the earthy wisdom of comely barmaid Laura at the local inn. During his stay, he engages her in debate over high minded notions, most of which she wins. He even does menial chores with her for more time. Finding respect for these so-called lesser folk and freedom in this nonpolitical way of life, the elf sells some of his wealth to buy a small vineyard on the outskirts of the town. His family disapproves but he convinces his lord to serve as ambassador abroad.

Over a year his friendship with Laura becomes more. They wed and have a child. Over the years, Etem shortens his name and sheds courtly manners to blend in with his neighbors as a simple farmer/winemaker. The court of his homeland distance themselves from him, but the ambassador has come to resent them anyway. Reports and replies become farther in between. He encourages his son to explore the world to learn new ways, Larem son of Etem becomes an adventurer.

On the eve of the return from his first adventure, the town is sacked by Orcs who've tracked the youth back to his home. The first Etem confronts wears the signet of elven house Raichon, a gift he gave his son for luck. Larem is dead. In a mix of sadness, guilt, and rage he flys into a fury of killing forgetting all else as he fights deep into the woods he knows so well. The next morning, wounded but unbowed, the winemaker returns to his sacked town. Many of his friends slaughtered, his vines burned, his wife dead ... his world destroyed.

Laura's grave looks lonely without her child's beside it. Etem gathers armement left and unsheathes his heirloom rapier Rachoneille to seek out Larem's remains even if it means spilling the blood of every orc tribe along the way. Alone in the woods with no companion but his obsession, Etem becomes a ranger.

Ravyn
2007-05-06, 09:52 PM
Elves people seem to have covered, so I'll pass. Gnomes, on the other hand...

One of my current projects is an arctic gnome by the name of Tala. Quiet, small even by gnome standards, and fiercely independent, she travels with a wolf named Mahele ("Loyalty", for those who must translate everything into Common.) She sees him as her guardian--when she was young, she'd wandered away from her trading caravan, blundered into a wolf's den and ended up helping to feed and protect the pups. From then on, she'd had a tendency to run into the same one, no matter where they went. Mist-grey, black up to the knee on one paw as if he'd dipped it in charcoal.

Things changed with her introduction to a crowd of bandits known as the Kelin Band, a large and well-organized group of ruffians who'd decided her family caravan was good pickings. Her family hadn't had a chance. She had survived due to being carried away by that same wolf who was always watching over her.

She learned to work with the creatures around her, to call for help from nature itself, to live within the woods--and when she called to the world around her for a creature to walk in her footsteps and watch her back, it seemed inevitable that the wolf would be the one to present himself.

And then she went back, tracking the Kelin and dogging their footsteps. Their badge of rank was the earrings they wore, rank designated by material and occasionally ornament; Mahele's saddlebags soon filled with such earrings, collected from her prey. After a while, they grew more canny, and turned the tables on her; after surviving an encounter with one of their better fighters by pure luck, she abandoned her attempt at revenge and focused on other things, most notably truly understanding her guardian. The answer was in the north--and soon enough, she found an excuse to follow it.

Perhaps because of her association with Mahele, she shows a strong "pack" mentality--everyone pulls their own weight to the best of their abilities, and a threat to one is a threat to all. She's fanatically devoted to the wolf, and seems somewhat lost those times when he's injured, disabled or otherwise out of the picture; under any other circumstances, though, she hides it under a disproportional insistence on self-reliance. While a bit sensitive about her height, she's more sensitive about people considering her unable to pull her own weight--and while she has no tolerance for people who won't make an effort, she's willing to cut a lot of slack for those who are still learning to compensate for their weaknesses.

In her current party, she's a strong supporter of the group as a whole and three individuals in particular--two of whom she owes for helping her and Mahele in various ways, one of whom she sees a bit of her own younger self in (and who seems to respect her completely, something she's not entirely used to). She's already gotten into a shouting match in defense of two of them, despite being the kind of person who doesn't talk much.

I'd designed her with a single picture in mind--the image of a scimitar-weilding gnome, tiny and pale as an ice spirit, charging into battle on wolfback. The insistence on making her own path just sort of followed from there.

Ashdate
2007-05-06, 10:06 PM
I tend to roleplay a character based on their stats. If my Elf Wizard has a high Intelligence and a high Charisma, I'm going to step in and take charge, order people around, and generally assume I'm better then everyone else in the room.

And I've had pretty good success so far at being awesome, so why stop now?

- Eddie

Theodoxus
2007-05-06, 11:04 PM
Aerithandrinom, elf fighter. He fights with longsword and shield, dreams of acquiring elven plate, and in general is the life of the party. He makes fun of elves and their snooty penchance to drink airy wines. The party dwarf loves matching Aerith drink for drink of hearty dwarven ales. In combat he is an effective tactician, maneuvering the whole party like a Grand Chessmaster, but never hauty or aloof. It wasn't until their third encounter with a band of gnolls that the party finally understood that Aerith was better at strategy than they were - he never forced himself, just made suggestions - and when followed, there were few casualties.


Jeebes Battlecopper, the gnome ranger, loves his greatsword. Nothing makes him happier than swinging 'Bloodsplatterer' around. Except maybe hunting the undead, his favored enemy. Oh, and of course using his small longbow to pin people at a distance. But really, Bloodsplatterer is where it's at, for Jeebes. While he exibits his races flare for comedy, he isn't a practical joker... He doesn't practice his illusions, the undead don't fall for them.

Jeebes is the go-to guy for all kinds of knowledges. 'What's that big bug, Jeebes?', 'Which way is north again?', 'Crap, I think our food spoiled again, could you scrounge something up?' are the typical questions asked of him. Too jolly to be bothered by the simpletons he travels with, he answers or hunts for his companions.

Man, he does love that sword.


That kinda what you're looking for?

Lord Iames Osari
2007-05-06, 11:15 PM
Marthyn Marthynsfrin Rendon Rendonnell Farthing Farthington Marionette, known simply as "Marthyn" or "Instructor Marionette" to most at the Seven Paths Academy for Adventurers, is a gnome widower whose wife was killed many years ago while performing alchemical experiments. His children, Lia and Eldon, were too young at the time to remember the event, and they attend the school. Unfortunately, the salvageable remains weren’t enough to be raised, and Marthyn doesn’t have enough money to buy one of the more potent spells of resurrection. He hasn’t told his children how their mother died, and the Seven remain unaware of his troubles; if they knew, they would happily cast the necessary spell free of charge. Marthyn still grieves in the dead of night, and he has lately begun to dabble in necromancy. Ever since the accident, he has been irrationally frightened of performing any sort of alchemical experiment, despite his excellent skills in the field of alchemy. He will craft any standard alchemical item, however. He is 3’5” tall and weighs 45lb. His eyes are blue and his hair black. He mutters to himself constantly and is easily startled. Whenever a student who is studying alchemy with him begins to experiment, he becomes highly agitated, wringing his hands and shouting frantically for them to stop.

This guy is actually an NPC in my campaign setting, not a PC, but what do you think?

Caduceus
2007-05-06, 11:29 PM
Roywyn Garrick grew up as a child of one of the Dragonmarked House of Sivis' lesser branches, learning to scribe and read all manner of scripts and notes. Naturally, this sort of childhood lent itself well to the lifestyle of the writer. She began to spend her time wandering about her hometown in Zilargo gathering information and writing little articles about what she had discovered. Over the years, her family sent her off to a bardic college to give her greater opportunities to ply her chosen trade.

During and since the later years of the Last War, she secured a contract with the Sharn Inquisitive as a preferred freelance writer, and she wanders the land with whatever companions she can find and writes of their adventures and discoveries, making a fair salary in return.

She bears the Least Mark of Scribing, allowing her greater information gathering potential in multiple languages (comprehend languages 1/day).

-----

How's that for a serious and useful gnome bard?

Nocturne
2007-05-07, 12:41 PM
Wow!

Thanks, guys. This is great! Nice to see the guys here DO actually have an imagination.

I never really understood why Gnomes (For example) got their stereotype, but it's easy for me to see why Elves are perceived the way they are. It's been said before: when you've already lived for longer than the rest of the party put together, it's easy to think that there's nothing that you haven't seen. It's also easy to understand why the average elf would be extremely reluctant to befriend people of the other races. It hurts to lose the ones you love, and losing time after time after time... It's going to make one somewhat detached.

I've seen some wonderful examples of elves who are not like that. I'd like to understand exactly how they avoided falling into that trap. How do you keep your perspective, as an elf? Surely every problem is one you've dealt with before, or at least witnessed someone dealing with. How do you resist the temptation to constantly preach to people the right way of doing things? To wade along with your party into a plan that you know spells certain death - to you and them - without so much as the smallest protestation? Obviously, you knew for a fact that the plan was suicide. You've seen it tried and fail countless times before... Haven't you?

Telonius
2007-05-07, 01:11 PM
A character concept I've had for a little while is a gnome Cloistered Cleric/Artificer, in the Eberron setting. He's a really bookish little guy, who has a particular interest in philosophy. Specifically, the intersection between reality and illusion. This seems a natural fit for Gnomish philosophy, since they're a weird mix of engineers and illusionists. I'm toying with the idea of his primary motivation being trying to figure out the mysteries of the Warforged, which (to him) represent the unity of reality and simulation. He does have a bit of a penchant for experiments going awry, but that's not the primary focus of the character.

Quincunx
2007-05-07, 01:20 PM
Someone will come in and give the background of the Tinker Gnomes. I only know the name of the common ancestor of all the mad scientist, if it doesn't work the first time add more gunpowder, I just got the GREATEST idea EVER! gnomes.

Coming at the stereotype sideways, I could make a gnome diplomat determined to bring the gnomish harmony to all the other races. Random humans have vendettas, random elves remember centuries-old insults, random half-orcs eat each other when there aren't gnomes around (or so the gnomes tell it). Clearly, the short yet superior race has some key to harmony which the others lack:

KABOOM

mutual joy in demolitions.

The arcane casters have the rudiments of the idea, but not everyone can cast Fireball, and those that do more often compare than rejoice. The solution? Travel and peddle custom-built anger-defusing devices (with fuses). True gnomes would just enjoy setting them off, but most others prefer to buy and use them upon a third party and/or a structure. Shrug. Whatever makes them happier.

Ospero
2007-05-07, 01:33 PM
Hmm...actually, there is a character who broke the stereotypes- gathering dust in my character sheet binder *sigh*...Vethnar, who started out as a 3rd level gnome ranger. I did not really have a concept in mind- it was my first time playing 3(.5) D&D, and the combination "gnome ranger" seemed so strange at first glance that I just had to pick it. He developed into the party's tank (the other characters were a human Rogue/Diviner going for Arcane Trickster, a halfling Bard, an elf Wizard and a human...whatever (he started out as a Barbarian 1/Druid 1/Sorcerer 1, and I have no real idea as to how he continued, but he was focusing on his magic rather than his combat skills), and I came to enjoy playing him as the reluctant front-line fighter type, shoved into the position willy-nilly, and against his better judgement (I am supposed to go front line?!). I eventually (after a rather long stint as a single-class ranger, up to level 9) found the Prestige Class for this character: the Lion of Talisid (out of the Book of Exalted Deeds), going from "front-line fighter and tracking specialist" to "campaigner for good and nature", without truly losing the reluctance that the character shows (you know, the type that usually goes "oh, okay, if nobody else is there, I might as well do it", though he knows perfectly well that he is supposed to do it, and secretly even enjoys doing it). In other words, gnome yes, but certainly not a happy-go-lucky type of character (the halfling filled that role in the group better than I could ever have dreamed of doing).

I truly wish I could play him again...just when things for the class were becoming truly interesting. Ah well...

Greets Ospero

The Gilded Duke
2007-05-07, 02:25 PM
Sargent Kel Essel, member of the Pre-emptive Confrontation division of the Trust.

Kel Essel is a level 6 Lawful Evil Gnome Ranger. He works for the Trust of Zilargo. The Trust is the secret police force of the Gnome nation which works to secure itself from any source of disruption to either its security or economy. Kel Essel specializes in killing and disrupting goblinoids and goblinoid tribes before they become a threat to the nation of Zilargo.

All of his favored enemy focus is on goblins. He took the two weapon fighting style combat track and dual wields a greatsword and armor spikes.

Against goblins he gets +1 to attack and +4 to damage in addition to +4 on a great deal of skills against them.

He knows Goblin and has taken cross-class knowledge Local (knowledge of humanoids, including goblins)

He is equiped with amoung other things a hat of disguise, and his spiked armor is specifically made to imitate goblin style.

Animal companion is a wolf.

--------------------------------
Kel Essel grew up in Zilargo hearing stories of the countries former occupation under the Goblin empires. He heard stories of the brave revolutionaries who fought against the Goblins and cut the goblins down in their sleep. He studied the ancient combat styles more then other gnomes of his age, and swore to devote his life to the death of Goblins, that the nation of Zilargo might never be oppressed again.

When he was older Kel Essel joined a gnomish regiment of the Breland army, fighting against enemies who might try and destroy his home. During the war, and after Breland allowed Zilargo to become an independant country, Kel Essel was contacted by the newly forming Trust.

The Trust was the new secret police under direction of the various councils that ruled the new nation of Zilargo. Zilargo had an effectivley invisible government, things got done, but nobody was ever quite sure who ordered them. This was in Kel's mind a necessary step to take to avoid foreign interfearance.

The Trust brought Kel Essel in and worked with him and other Last War veterens to form a group of specialized assasins capable of traveling great distances to remove "problems" before they could become threats. The unifying goblin tribes are their main target.

Kel Essel will kill, torture, steal, and die to insure this does not happen. All for Zilargo, All for the Gnomes!

Kel Essel assasinates Goblin leaders while masquerading as members of other tribes, hoping to forment rebellion and war between the goblins. These are his orders, and he will not defy them... but each time he wishes he could leave behind some mark, some mention that it was the Gnomes of Zilargo who accomplished this crime.

Kel Essel is a patriot who might never be remembered.

This hurts him more then his lost morality.

Dark Knight Renee
2007-05-08, 06:52 AM
I'd like to think my Gnome Cleric of Tymora wasn't a typical gnome. Sure she was named Zippee Punpen, but she wasn't a practical joker, and was most certainly not for comic relief. Nor was she an inventor, or any of the other gnome stereotypes I can think of - including the anti-gnome stereotypes. *shudder*

Lets see... basically, she was recruited as a replacement for a cleric that the party's murderous halfling rogue secretly killed. To begin with, major sense of humor and some practical joking, as is to be expected really. But only until serious adventuring started, and especially once things such as old hatreds, good-aligned vampires, and character deaths started occuring. Then she quickly became one of the most responcible PC of the lot. Fastforward through some good adventuring until she too was killed and stayed that way...



Aditionally, the PCs have gotten the distinct impression that all Moon Elves, including half-elves, are sarcastic, nosy, and outright annoying. And often morally ambiquous as well. It took the PCs quite a while to seriously interact with the stereotypical elves they'd heard so much about but were begining to doubt actually existed.
Also, the party has a Sun Elf who is quiet, serious, but not particularly aloof or superior (just less vocal or nuts than the other characters tend to be), who has her race's arrogence and notions of racial superiority as one of her personal pet peeves. Suffice to say, she doesn't get along with her folks all that well.

NullAshton
2007-05-08, 07:08 AM
Jeebes Battlecopper, the gnome ranger, loves his greatsword. Nothing makes him happier than swinging 'Bloodsplatterer' around. Except maybe hunting the undead, his favored enemy. Oh, and of course using his small longbow to pin people at a distance. But really, Bloodsplatterer is where it's at, for Jeebes. While he exibits his races flare for comedy, he isn't a practical joker... He doesn't practice his illusions, the undead don't fall for them.

Jeebes is the go-to guy for all kinds of knowledges. 'What's that big bug, Jeebes?', 'Which way is north again?', 'Crap, I think our food spoiled again, could you scrounge something up?' are the typical questions asked of him. Too jolly to be bothered by the simpletons he travels with, he answers or hunts for his companions.

Man, he does love that sword.


That kinda what you're looking for?

So when the rest of the party needs to know something, they just 'Ask Jeebes?'

*ducks thrown tomatoes*

Jewish_Joke
2007-05-08, 04:20 PM
This is why they invented wood/wild elves and whisper gnomes...

McDeath
2007-05-09, 06:56 AM
I'm playing a gnome sorcerer at the moment. He is not a practical joker. He is not an illusionist. His kill count goes up every session. He is polite, urbane and genteel to everyone he meets - often while he's killing them. Oh, and a paladin once made a short joke during combat (we're an evil party). Val (my character) knocked him out, dominated the paladin's partner, had the partner cut the paladin's legs off at the knee, woke the paladin up, killed the partner in front of him, had the druid stop the bleeding, and then dumped the paladin in the street.

No more short jokes.

Rasumichin
2007-05-09, 07:20 AM
This reminds me of something...

Evil gnomes are as rare as they are frightening.