Barbegazi (Ice Gnome)
A thin whistle echoes over the mountain path. Broad footprints appear across a slope untouched by boots, leading away from the trail and towards a low snow tunnel. Whoever made them is scarcely taller than a child. The signal may be a warning that the drift ahead is about to break—or an attempt to lure trespassers away from a hidden home.
Barbegazi are the ice-bearded little people of Alpine stories. Their enormous flat feet let them glide across snow and dig quickly into drifts. Some later accounts describe them warning or rescuing lost travellers. The Tome of Horrors Barbegazi is a much harder-edged fantasy creature, living in clans and defending its tunnels with traps. A GM can use either characterisation without pretending that every game detail belongs to local folklore.
At the Table
- Signs: broad, flattened tracks beside a narrow burrow, a short whistle on the ridge, or a hidden pit between snow hummocks.
- What it wants: strangers away from the clan’s food and ice shelter; a solitary watcher may instead want travellers off a failing snow shelf.
- Avoid combat: heed its warning, leave the tunnel alone or bargain with winter food and useful tools.
- Opening move: use cold magic from cover; the creature flees beneath the snow when threatened. A clan has prepared escape exits before the meeting.
- Counterplay: use a rope across suspect snow, probe snow bridges, watch for a second burrow exit and do not assume a clear icefield is solid. Fire hurts the game creature but may also ruin a refuge.
Folklore: Frozen Beards and Snowshoe Feet
Alpine retellings place the Barbegazi in the high French and Swiss mountains. The name is commonly explained as an allusion to a beard of frost or icicles. Their huge flat feet serve as natural snowshoes and can help them dig into deep snow. Tales also give them mountain tunnels and winter-only activity. Some later versions tell of hooting avalanche warnings or aid given to travellers. There is no strong evidence that all these details descend from one uniform ancient story, so the page distinguishes later retellings from older folk motifs.
The RPG Ice Gnome
In Tome of Horrors material, these small hunters fish, wrestle, build with snow, ice and stone, and prefer snares to open combat. Clans trade furs and meat with some frost giants and keep winter wolves as allies or guards. White dragons sometimes hunt them. Those relationships are game lore, not established traditional Alpine beliefs.
Barbegazi are about 3½ feet tall, weigh around 45 pounds and have pale hair, frost-blue eyes, large flat feet and an icicle-like beard. They rarely fight to the death unless their clan is cornered.
Barbegazi Monster Statistics — Four Editions
Edition provenance: the page previously provided a third-party 2014-era D&D 5e stat block and a Tome of Horrors Complete Pathfinder 1e block. The 2024 and 3.5e statistics here are original playable conversions, not official Wizards of the Coast or Paizo rules. An asterisk after a CR means it is an untested estimate. Pick only one panel’s rules.
Barbegazi — 2024 Conversion
Small Humanoid, Neutral · CR 1/2* (100 XP; PB +2)
AC 12 (natural armour); Initiative +1 (11); HP 13 (3d6 + 3); Speed 20 ft., Burrow 20 ft. through snow (10 ft. in ice).
| STR | DEX | CON | INT | WIS | CHA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 (+0) | 13 (+1) | 13 (+1) | 11 (+0) | 11 (+0) | 8 (−1) |
Saving Throws Str +0, Dex +1, Con +1, Int +0, Wis +0, Cha −1.
Skills Stealth +3. Damage Vulnerability fire. Damage Immunity cold. Senses Darkvision 60 ft.; Passive Perception 10. Languages Common, Barbegazi.
Traits
Snow Traverse. The Barbegazi ignores difficult terrain made from snow or ice and walks on top of loose snow without sinking. It has Advantage on ability checks to climb icy surfaces. Its burrowing does not work through rock.
Actions
Shortsword. Melee Attack Roll: +3, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 4 (1d6 + 1) piercing plus 3 (1d6) cold damage.
Dagger. Melee or Ranged Attack Roll: +3, reach 5 ft. or range 20/60 ft., one target. Hit: 3 (1d4 + 1) piercing, plus 3 (1d6) cold if the attack was melee.
Snow Magic. The Barbegazi casts one of the following spells as an action, with spell attack +2 and spell save DC 10, requiring no material components: 3/day Ray of Frost (range 60 ft., 1d8 cold damage; target’s Speed decreases 10 ft. until the start of its next turn); 1/day Hold Person (one Humanoid within 60 ft.; Wisdom save or Paralyzed; Concentration up to 1 minute, save again at the end of each turn).
Original 2024 game conversion; CR has not been encounter-tested.
Barbegazi — 5e / 2014
Small Humanoid, Neutral Evil · CR 1/2 (100 XP), third-party
AC 12 (natural armour); HP 13 (3d6 + 3); Speed 20 ft., burrow 20 ft.
| STR | DEX | CON | INT | WIS | CHA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 (+0) | 13 (+1) | 13 (+1) | 11 (+0) | 11 (+0) | 8 (−1) |
Skills Stealth +3; Damage Vulnerabilities fire; Damage Immunities cold; Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 10; Languages Common, Gnome (Barbegazi dialect).
Special Traits
Snow Walk. The ice gnome can cross and climb icy or snowy surfaces without an ability check; ice and snow do not count as difficult terrain for it.
Innate Spellcasting. Wisdom, spell save DC 10, +2 to hit with spell attacks; no material components. 3/day ray of frost; 1/day hold person. Use each spell’s ordinary 2014 casting time and effects.
Actions
Shortsword. Melee Weapon Attack: +3 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 4 (1d6 + 1) piercing plus 3 (1d6) cold damage.
Dagger. Melee Weapon Attack: +3 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 3 (1d4 + 1) piercing plus 3 (1d6) cold damage. Ranged Weapon Attack: +3 to hit, range 20/60 ft.; Hit: 3 (1d4 + 1) piercing damage (no cold).
Preserves the page’s original third-party 5e mechanics, clarified; not an official 2014 SRD monster.
Barbegazi — Pathfinder 1e
Neutral (evil tendencies) Small Humanoid (Cold, Gnome) · CR 1 (400 XP); third-party Tome of Horrors Complete
Initiative +1; Senses low-light vision; Perception +0.
Defence AC 14, touch 12, flat-footed 13 (+1 Dex, +2 natural, +1 size); HP 11 (2d8+2); Fort +4, Ref +1, Will +0; immune cold, vulnerable fire.
Offence Speed 20 ft., burrow 20 ft. (snow; half speed in solid ice); melee short sword +3 (1d4) or dagger +3 (1d3); ranged dagger +3 (1d3).
| STR | DEX | CON | INT | WIS | CHA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | 13 | 13 | 11 | 11 | 8 |
Statistics BAB +1; CMB +0; CMD 11; Feat Weapon Finesse; Skills Craft (trapmaking) +7, Handle Animal +3, Stealth +12 (+15 in native environment), Survival +7; racial modifiers +3 Craft (trapmaking) and Survival, +3 Stealth (+6 in native environment); Languages Common, Barbegazi.
Spell-Like Abilities (CL 3rd)
1/day each: chill metal (DC 13), icicle blast (DC 13; as burning hands but cold instead of fire).
Special Ability
Snow Move (Ex). The Barbegazi walks on the surface of deep snow and ignores movement penalties from snowy and icy terrain.
Ecology
Environment cold hills and mountains; organisation solitary, hunting party (2–5 plus 1 winter wolf), band (20–50, noncombatants and officers) or clan (50–100, noncombatants and officers, typically several winter wolves); treasure standard (short sword, three daggers, other goods).
Barbegazi — D&D 3.5e Conversion
Usually Neutral Small Humanoid (Cold, Gnome) · CR 1* (estimate)
Hit Dice 2d8+2 (11 hp); Initiative +1; Speed 20 ft. (4 squares), burrow 20 ft. through snow and 10 ft. through ice.
AC 14 (+1 size, +1 Dex, +2 natural), touch 12, flat-footed 13; Base Attack/Grapple +1/−3.
Attack Short sword +3 melee (1d4/19–20), dagger +3 melee (1d3/19–20) or dagger +3 ranged (1d3/19–20); Full Attack one weapon attack as above; Space/Reach 5 ft./5 ft.
| STR | DEX | CON | INT | WIS | CHA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | 13 | 13 | 11 | 11 | 8 |
Saves Fort +4, Ref +1, Will +0; Special Attacks spell-like abilities; Special Qualities cold subtype (immune cold, vulnerable fire), low-light vision, snow move.
Skills Craft (trapmaking) +7, Hide +12 (+15 in native snow), Move Silently +4 (+7 in native snow), Survival +5; Feat Weapon Finesse; Languages Common, Barbegazi.
Spell-Like Abilities (Caster Level 3rd)
1/day each: chill metal (DC 13); icicle blast (15-ft. cone, 3d4 cold damage, Reflex DC 12 half; based on burning hands with its damage type changed). Spell-like abilities provoke attacks of opportunity unless cast defensively.
Special Quality
Snow Move (Ex). Moves over deep snow without penalty; ice burrowing is slower and does not break rock.
Ecology Cold mountains; solitary, hunting party or clan; standard treasure; advances by character class.
Conversion check: two racial Humanoid HD provide one feat and ten skill points (Craft 4 ranks, Hide 4 ranks, Survival 2 ranks); natural armour +2, size +1, Dex +1; BAB +1 and Grapple −3. Both save DCs are Charisma-based with +2 racial bonus (2nd-level chill metal DC 13; 1st-level icicle blast DC 12). This is an original conversion, not a published 3.5e monster.
Where to Find Barbegazi
Use Barbegazi above the highest summer pastures, where the snows last all year. The strongest campaign home is the western and central Alps, on Swiss and Savoyard glacier approaches. Nearby Swiss Confederacy settlements and roads provide people who might need guides, rescues or safe passage. Not every ice cave houses a clan; a pair of concealed exits, a larder and a small sleeping chamber can make a memorable lair.
Three Mountain Encounters
The Warning
A Barbegazi whistles down from a ridge and waves travellers away from a snow-choked pass. The safe detour is longer. Characters can read the overhanging cornice and make their own decision; ignoring it risks a natural avalanche, not a magical punishment.
Who Took the Food?
Trappers accuse a clan of stealing winter stores. Small tracks lead to a half-collapsed shelter where a stranded guide is spending the meat to stay alive. A negotiated rescue opens a previously closed mountain route; an attack convinces the clan to seal its tunnels.
The Dragon’s Claim
A white dragon demands Barbegazi captives from frost giants who control the upper pass. The ice gnomes know a concealed trail past the dragon’s watchers, but will only reveal it if the characters break the agreement. This is a question of trust and survival rather than a low-level boss fight.
No automatic lair attacks: Snow bridges, bad visibility and avalanches are environmental hazards, not powers all Barbegazi possess. Give signs, checks and escape routes. There are no legendary actions or supernatural regional curses in the base creature.
Clans and Characters
Original third-party Pathfinder material describes clans led by the eldest male, with women given less formal authority. This describes that game’s particular societies, not all Alpine folklore or every Barbegazi settlement in the campaign. Individuals can be guides, wrestlers, hunters, traders, clerics or scouts; the earlier site’s proposed reverence for Ullr is optional crossover worldbuilding, not Swiss tradition.
PF1e racial option (third-party): +2 Dexterity, +2 Constitution, −2 Charisma; low-light vision; two Humanoid racial HD (2d8, BAB +1, Fort +3, Ref +0, Will +0 before ability modifiers); +2 natural AC; cold subtype; one racial feat; racial skills Climb, Craft, Handle Animal, Heal, Profession, Ride, Stealth and Survival; +3 racial Craft (trapmaking) and Survival, and +3 Stealth (+6 in native snow); 20-ft. walk and snow burrow (half speed through ice); Snow Move; the two 1/day spell-like abilities and Charisma-based DCs with +2 racial modifier. Starting languages Common and Barbegazi; possible bonus languages Draconic, Dwarven, Giant and Gnome. These are not official player-race rules for the other editions.
Sources, Credits and Rules Status
Folklore: Katharine Briggs, A Dictionary of Fairies (1976), and later Alpine accounts, including Sanctuary of Ice (Alpine legends) and Barbegazi: The Alpine Snow Gnomes. The literature is patchy and some details are modern retellings.
Pathfinder 1e third-party: Barbegazi (Ice Gnome), d20PFSRD (3pp). Section 15 credit: Barbegazi from Tome of Horrors Complete, Copyright 2011, Necromancer Games, Inc., published and distributed by Frog God Games; Author Scott Green.
5e third-party credit preserved from this page: Tome of Horrors © 2018, Frog God Games, LLC. Contributing authors credited in the prior version: Kevin Baase, Erica Balsley, John “Pexx” Barnhouse, Christopher Bishop, Casey Christofferson, Jim Collura, Andrea Costantini, Jayson “Rocky” Gardner, Zach Glazar, Meghan Greene, Scott Greene, Lance Hawvermale, Travis Hawvermale, Ian S. Johnston, Bill Kenower, Patrick Lawinger, Rhiannon Louve, Ian McGarty, Edwin Nagy, James Patterson, Nathan Paul, Patrick N. Pilgrim, Clark Peterson, Anthony Pryor, Greg Ragland, Robert Schwalb, G. Scott Swift, Greg A. Vaughan and Bill Webb.
Edition distinction: 2014 and PF1e stat families retain the earlier third-party mechanics; 2024 and 3.5e are original playable site conversions with estimated CR. No official publication is claimed for the conversions. Illustration credits accompany each image; original art and page address are retained.
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