Gnomes have been present in mythology since the 16th century. Their roots can be seen in several mythologies, among which are the type of domestic fey that resided in people’s homes fixing broken items, gnomes that played pranks on people, gnomes that made deals in exchange for something, a type earth elemental, and the subterranean type of creatures that were used synonymously with such creatures as dwarves, goblins, brownies, kobolds, and the like.
Many times these creatures were depicted as being ugly or deformed in some way. These ideas coalesced into the gnomes that we know today in RPGs where they’re often depicted as being either mad scientists/ crafty inventors or illusionist specialists. Unfortunately these ideas as to what gnomes are can be unnecessarily shoehorn them into only these roles. But by looking at the roots of the character, examining their strengths, and seeing what various games have to say about them, a more complex depiction of these creatures can be derived. Continue reading “Class-Based Thoughts on Gnomes”