Selected in September’s Patreon Poll as the next 5e race handbook to receive an update, I’ve given the Gnome Handbook the usual post-Tasha’s updates.
Gnomes are in a weird spot mechanically in a post-Tasha’s world. Gnome Cunning becomes their big selling point, but with the Yuan-ti Pureblood on the table (they have Magic Resistance), that’s a difficult choice. On top of that, the Gnome’s subclasses offer few traits. The Forest Gnome and the Svirfneblin are easily the best options in any build. If you do plan to play a gnome, there aren’t any classes where they’re significantly better or worse than others because their racial traits don’t offer any interesting synergies with classes.
That assumes the game allows the optional Tasha’s content, and an optional NPC race from Volo’s.
Well, yes. Technically anything outside of the core rulebooks is “optional”. It’s difficult to make assumptions about what any given group might allow at their table, but that applies to all of my content. Hopefully everything I write is sufficiently informative that people can use my advice as a basis and adjust their plan based on the options available to them.
No mention of the Svirfneblin Magic feat?
Good catch. I added it.