Hats off to the creators/contributors of the Deep Gnome area. It is a very nice, immersive area that allows Deep Gnomes to remain safe before entering a truly nasty area (the Underdark). After creating a Deep Shadow ranger, I do have some suggestions, and I will try my best not to divulge any crucial information. Mods feel free to edit things as needed.
The weapon:
Their is a certain roleplay with the Deep Shadows that all members will forever use the issued weapon. This is an idea I really like, however I would suggest some minor tweaks with it. The weapon itself is of tiny size, this was probably so you could use it in your off hand when you get the dual wield skill, however this size difference comes with a -2 to hit penalty, which can be brutal for a character that has to use ONLY this weapon until level 32 (dual wield). Additionally, during the quest line, they recommend getting the feat, "weapon finesse" for better accuracy with it, but because the weapon does not fall into the "light" category, it is not affected by this feat.
Weapon suggestion:
Make the weapon small in size, to remove the hit penalty, even with dual wield, a player can still use this weapon as a primary, and a smaller weapon like a dagger or shortsword, as the off hand weapon. If this is a no go, then I would recommend making the pick a light size weapon so weapon finesse works with it. I personally think the weapon should be made small size, and made into the "light" version of the weapon, instead of the "heavy" that is currently is, so as to utilize weapon finesse. This would make it so the weapon damage still stays the exact same, and would remove the two issues above.
The armor:
The Deep Shadows are restricted in what they can wear, and I'm all for this. There is a point, through faith, where a player can earn a very valuable set of mithril armor. However, this armor is classified as medium, and also outside the realms of the armor restrictions they are allowed.
Armor suggestion:
This suggestion really isn't as important as the weapon one, but if the armor from above was modified to be in line with elven chain, or reclassified as a light armor, that would certainly alleviate the issue, and additionally not restrict any of the Deep Gnome classes from utilizing that amazing armor piece.
Just some suggestions to the creators. The Deep Gnome side is a hard place to start, and arguably even harder once you start leaving the main city, but it's a chance at different roleplay, and an interesting side overall. Come play!
Brando
Deep Shadows Weapon
Re: Deep Shadows Weapon
That sounds like absolutely the most difficult race/class combo in the game. Kudos to you.
Re: Deep Shadows Weapon
As an update to these suggestions, I just read that the to hit penalty that is applied for wielding two weapon is worse when the off hand weapon is anything other than "light." This being said, it would only make sense that the weapon issued should definitely fit under the light size category.