One could argue that Elminster is freely being who he wants to be (a Trickster), and according to some that would be the epitome of healthy adjustment. As long as he takes full accountability for his choices, that is. I don't really know his backstory, though.
Oh . . . who's that "wertle wertle woo" guy running around the coastline? The one who wants you to get that stupid cursed ring from the shipwreck? Because, him.
Yes @Blackraven. I agree. But he is not mentally unhinged. It is simply that other races do not understand the significance of wertling to gnomes in general. In fact I think they think it meaningless! Well shame on woo!
@Anduin, Gnomes are really alien to what humans expect and see as normal, perhaps moreso than any other demi-human race. To me they also seem to be more diverse (less stereotypical) than other races, particularly Dwarves, and to a lesser extent Halflings and Elves. So I agree with you wertle wee wertle woo!
Edit: and yes, many Gnomes like speaking in rhymes and riddles and being liberal with word order.
As for a CHARNAME I once ran, I once played a BGT game using a Wild Mage who drew from Chaotic energy around him and applied it toward the Weave, so he cast Know Alignment for his potential adventuring mates and added only those with Chaotic alignments. I had him use Nahal's and Chaos Shield routinely, as as well as JOG's Wild Mage Additions mod Spellshaper kit spells. I guess that could be called unbalanced, but he was using Wild Magic after all...
Oh . . . who's that "wertle wertle woo" guy running around the coastline? The one who wants you to get that stupid cursed ring from the shipwreck? Because, him.
He is the Mad Arcand! Wertle-woo wertle-woooooo! Booberry trees and floating tortoises! Wertle-woo! END
Many years ago I charmed Mad Arcand once to help me fight the creatures on that map and he was great, actually. IIRC I also used the Surgeon and maybe Pallonia (?), but they weren't as impressive as that little guy.
I never thought about charming Madaline Arcand! (Please use his full name on a thread about mental unhingement. People will get the wrong idea. He was the only gnome sane enough and clever enough to wear that ring and suffer no lasting side effects...)
I'll put in an honorable mention of Victor Stark, the psychopathic sorcerer from InfernoCanuck's Let's Play of BG on YT. Never finished the series due to a multi-player game of the EE with two fellow LPers, but he had a good thing going with the role-play.
Elminster is not crazy, he's just -versatile- I would say. After he was transformed by Mystra into a woman named Elmara he (or should I call - she) enjoyed it greatly...
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Edit: and yes, many Gnomes like speaking in rhymes and riddles and being liberal with word order.
And of course... OOGIE WISHAM!!!
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