I need help.

[SangoProduction]

I want to play a gnome. Not just any gnome though - one which uses a power that eats them from the inside out in a horrifically painful way....if they screw up. It's from some splat book out there, but the details aren't relevant.
*note: it's not neccesarily evil

I would like ideas and suggestions for how to play this gnome, and what would have driven them to seek/use such power.

Or just how I would play a gnome in general.

EDIT: 3rd edition D&D.

[Troacctid]

Have a look at Chapter 2 of Races of Stone. It's entirely dedicated to gnomes, their culture and society, and how to roleplay them.

[fishyfishyfishy]

It would help to know more about this power/ability. It's easier to give advice on something when you know all the details about it.

[Gildedragon]

A why this particular power? what is your concept for the character? The answers to these can help us give you advice.

[SangoProduction]

hmm. last time I asked, I got no responses at all. Figured it was the splat book (or whatever it is called) that was the reason.

Thanks for the info on the races of stone.

The power is "Chaos Magic". Basically, it's semi-modular spells, where you choose the effects of a spell, which increases some check DC which you must make or face a sort of chaos mutation, which is never a good thing, and after enough of them, you're, for all intents and purposes, dead. Whether that's because you became a mad ghost that haunts the land, a weeping tree, incapable of motion or thought, or you become an immortal....who's paralysed with pain which is impossible to heal or suppress, thus is trapped in a living hell.

[fishyfishyfishy]

That's only the answer to one of many questions posed to you in this thread.

Why this ability? What is your concept? Character background? What do you want this character to be capable of? How did they get this ability? Why gnome? Have you already decided on a specific subrace or does this abilities limit you to the PHB gnome?

[Eloel]

Figured it was the splat book (or whatever it is called) that was the reason.

Third party. It's called third party, because it is not published by the creator of the game. 99.9% of the time, unless you explain what a third party power/feat/spell/skill/class/race/whatever is, nobody will have any idea what it is (example: Book of Erotic Fantasy).

A splatbook is a book that is not necessary to play the game, but is still published by the creator of the game with the intent to extend the setting/character options, hence, 'official' (example: Complete Adventurer).

You also have a glaring lack of system-specification, so you could be playing 3e, d20modern, Pathfinder or something else that is d20, and we'd have no idea of pinning which one it is. It's usually assumed you're playing 3.5 or PF here unless you specify otherwise, as they're the two best-selling systems that don't have a more fitting subforum.

[SangoProduction]

That's only the answer to one of many questions posed to you in this thread.

Why this ability? What is your concept? Character background? What do you want this character to be capable of? How did they get this ability? Why gnome? Have you already decided on a specific subrace or does this abilities limit you to the PHB gnome?

Those are questions I am proposing to the forum.
Why this ability? Because why not?
Why gnome? Because I felt like making a gnome. I haven't yet so may as well.
No subrace decided yet. This ability doesn't limit race in any way.

What would drive one to chaos magic? Likely insanity of some degree. To think one could innovate and perfect chaos magic perhaps? idk. Perhaps they grew up in a stingy, and boring wizard community, and rebelled to choose a slightly easier, if riskier, path of chaos magic?


Third party. It's called third party, because it is not published by the creator of the game. 99.9% of the time, unless you explain what a third party power/feat/spell/skill/class/race/whatever is, nobody will have any idea what it is (example: Book of Erotic Fantasy).

A splatbook is a book that is not necessary to play the game, but is still published by the creator of the game with the intent to extend the setting/character options, hence, 'official' (example: Complete Adventurer).

You also have a glaring lack of system-specification, so you could be playing 3e, d20modern, Pathfinder or something else that is d20, and we'd have no idea of pinning which one it is. It's usually assumed you're playing 3.5 or PF here unless you specify otherwise, as they're the two best-selling systems that don't have a more fitting subforum.

Thanks for the definition clarification. I did explain it all in my previous post, but as I said, it got absolutely no comments, so I felt I may as well experiment with asking in a different way (and you have to admit, this was much more successful than getting nothing).

Good point. Yeah, it's 3.5. I put that in my OP. Thanks. Didn't think it too much of a mechanical question, so I didn't think to mention the system.

[SangoProduction]

Thanks a ton for pointing me towards races of stone. I actually like the fluff they give for gnomes as a progressive (literally, not modern politically) society that's constantly changing as change is needed, despite being an exceedingly long lived race. Indeed, reading more in to this, they have a naturally chaotic bent, so seem to be the best non-human candidate of the core races for chaos mage.

EDIT: ...and send in the chaos gnomes! lol. Perhaps going a little overboard on the whole chaos thing, though it's...basically a perfect fit without needing a character that breaks the mold even a little bit from their race (which is kinda bleh). But that chance to reroll a failed check to avoid chaos mutations....that's tempting.

[Flickerdart]

A power that kills you if you use it wrong. Whee. Who would want to use such a thing?

A proud man
Some people view this sort of thing as a challenge. I imagine there's a certain pride with which a user of this magic presents himself - he wields a power that is widely known to be corrupting, and yet his body and mind are pristine. Such a character might take pains to groom himself, practice elocution, and wear extra revealing clothing, just to make himself stand out more from the ranks of crippled, disfigured, and crazed users of chaos magic, who probably all wear cloaks and robes and hoods and speak in oracular riddles.

A short-sighted man, or a man who has nothing to lose
Power - especially magical power - always comes at a cost. For the wizard, the cleric, or the psion, that cost is time. Time spent practicing and honing their craft, time spent in study and meditation. This is a cost not everyone is able, or willing, to pay. Just like warlocks make pacts with demons to trade their souls for power, a chaos magic user is someone interested in a quick and easy path to becoming stronger. Such a character may have some time-sensitive goal (killing the bandits that have occupied the village, saving his dying wife) or just wants to spend more time using his power than earning it. A character falling into this category might also have no reason to treasure his body or his life. Perhaps he is depressed, or dying, or held in thrall by a master he doesn't particularly care to serve. Perhaps that uncaring master was the one that forced him to use this ability. Either way, the drawback of the power becomes less of a drawback in the character's mind.

An addict
Power corrupts. Half of the reason is because getting things done is good. But the other half is because it feels great to use power, and the more you use, the more you want to use it. Not long after killing his first dragon, this character is already en route to his second. Every problem he comes across is solved by a healthy dose of point blank annihilation, just because he can. Especially twisted individuals in this category will behave much like the proud man, treasuring their mutations and indulging in the reactions they get from others. Or perhaps the character is ashamed of the power, and struggles against the urge to use it whenever a problem presents itself.

[SangoProduction]

Cool. Those are nice suggestions that make a good deal of sense.

I think the Proud one would be the most fun to play. Although, if that doesn't work out, going with the second one and being a Chaos Gnome who sees games of chance as fun, could be nice...if short lived based on my luck.

[Sillybird99]

I think chaos gnome with the fatespinner prc
Would fit this character.

Maybe he is a gambler/risk taker, self destructive, self loathing because he gained this power in an unsavory way that makes him more or less ambivalent about his own demise (not strictly suicidal). He is always testing fate, just waiting for his luck to run out, not kind of afraid of what might happen.

Idk a lot of it depends on his own understanding of the power.

[Gildedragon]

Toss in a few luck feats, fortune's friend, and control luck around you

[SangoProduction]

I like that. Thanks. I'll have to ask the DM to waive the conditions for 4th level arcane spells, but that shouldn't be hard.