ummm. how greatly am i hindering myself by making a gnome warrior

[Shea]

As a gnome warrior, let me say with confidence that you're not hindering yourself choosing gnome, with the one caveat being that ogres get frontal stun immunity, making them ideal main tanks for raid situations.

Some things that people don't realize about gnome warriors is that they have innately high dex, which means that in group situations (especially ones without shamans for dex buff) they really do shine - higher dex = higher chance of proc rate = better aggro overall. Also, gnomes can wear enchanted dwarven plate armor, which is up there with the best plate armor in the game and evens out their stat weaknesses. The Enchanted dwarven plate greaves, for example, are pretty close to cobalt greaves, -15ac, -8dex, but +4MR +2FR. Almost all the pieces have MR which add to a gnome's already stellar innate MR.

Yes, gnomes have less innate STR/STA, but those are the easiest stats to max as a warrior so the deficit in that regard is not bad.

So my advice would be to go for it, they are really nothing to sneeze at.