Gnomes and Goblins

A while back (probably several years), I saw a random blog post notning very great similarities between the Gnome and Goblin entries in the first edition "Monster Manual", with the conclusion of the post being that these two 'races' were in fact two sides of the same coin; that is, that goblins were gnomes. Ever since then, I've been looking for a way to build that into my setting. But I've kept coming up against the problem that D&D goblins are part of a wider family - alongside hobgoblins and bugbears they are the goblinoid races, and I wasn't too keen to break that connection. How, then, could they also be gnomes?

The answer is actually obvious, and comes about by turning it on its head - it's not that goblins are gnomes, but rather than gnomes are goblins. That is, gnomes are a goblinoid race same as the others, with all that that entails.

And there's a lot there that fits really well - gnomes have always been the trickster race, which fits very well with the manic deviousness (and madness) that is associated with goblins in the latest iteration of my thinking (largely thanks to Pathfinder).

So, that's that.

Of course, one of the other things I've been positing is that goblins are an extremely mutable race, hence the existence of spider-eye goblins, poison dusk goblins, and all the other variants. In which case, mights gnomes also be very mutable? Or is their mere existence a mutation of the basic goblin stock?

(One more thing: having watched "The Dark Crystal" recently, I'm reasonably inclined to suggest that the gelflings in that series are closer to my conception of gnomes than they are to halflings. There's an argument for both, of course, but since my halflings are reasonably strictly nomadic creatures, while the gelfling are both more prone to putting down roots and also more inclined to magic, that would seem to make gnomes the better fit.)

And that's one more thing needing written up 'properly' for the Terafa "Ultimates Edition"...