Gnome

Norse Rock Gnome

Gnomes stand 3 to 3½ feet tall and weigh 40 to 45 pounds. Their skin color ranges from dark tan to woody brown, their hair is fair, and their eyes can be any shade of blue. Gnome males prefer short, carefully trimmed beards. Gnomes generally wear leather or earth tones, though they decorate their clothes with intricate stitching or fine jewelry. Gnomes reach adulthood at about age 40, and they live about 350 years, though some can live almost 500 years.

Gnomes speak their own language, Gnome. Most gnomes who travel outside gnome lands (as traders, tinkers, or adventurers) know Common, while warriors in gnome settlements usually learn Troll.

Most gnomes encountered outside their home are warriors; the information in the statistics block is for one of 1st level.

Gnome
Size/Type	Small Humanoid (Gnome)
Hit Dice	1d8+2 (6 hp)
Initiative	+0
Speed	20 ft. (4 squares)
Armor Class	16 (+1 size, +4 chain shirt, +1 light shield), touch 11, flat-footed 16
Base Attack/Grapple	+1/-3
Attack	longsword +2 melee (1d6/19-20) or light crossbow +3 ranged (1d6/19-20)
Full Attack	longsword +2 melee (1d6/19-20) or light crossbow +3 ranged (1d6/19-20)
Space/Reach	5 ft./5 ft.
Special Attacks	–
Special Qualities	Gnome traits
Saves	Fort +4, Ref +0, Will -1
Abilities	Strength 11, Dexterity 11, Constitution 14, Intelligence 10, Wisdom 9, Charisma 8
Skills	Hide +3, Listen +1, Spot +1
Feats	Weapon Focus (light crossbow)
Environment	Temperate hills (Forest gnomes Temperate forests)
Organization	Company (2-4), squad (11-20 plus 1 leader of 3rd-6th level and 2 3rd-level lieutenants), or band (30-50 plus 1 3rd-level sergeant per 20 adults, 5 5th-level lieutenants, 3 7th-level captains, and 2-5 dire badgers)
Challenge Rating	½
Treasure	Standard
Alignment	Usually neutral good
Advancement	By character class
Level Adjustment	+0

Combat

Gnomes prefer misdirection and deception over direct confrontation.

They would rather befuddle or embarrass foes than kill them.

Gnomes make heavy use of illusion magic and carefully prepared ambushes and traps whenever they can.

Gnome Traits (Ex)

Gnomes possess the following racial traits.

+2 Constitution

-2 Strength.

Small size. +1 bonus to Armor Class, +1 bonus on attack rolls, +4 bonus on Hide checks, -4 penalty on grapple checks, lifting and carrying limits ¾ those of Medium
characters.

A gnome’s base land speed is 20 feet.

Low-Light Vision.

Weapon Familiarity Gnomes may treat gnome hooked hammers as martial weapons rather than exotic weapons.

+2 racial bonus on saving throws against illusions.

Add +1 to the Difficulty Class for all saving throws against illusion spells cast by gnomes. This adjustment stacks with those from similar effects, such as the Spell Focus feat.

+1 racial bonus on attack rolls against kobolds and goblinoids (including goblins, hobgoblins, and bugbears).

+4 Dodge bonus to Armor Class against creatures of the giant type (such as ogres, trolls, and hill giants).

+2 racial bonus on Listen checks.

+2 racial bonus on Craft (alchemy) checks.

Automatic Languages: Common, Gnome. Bonus Languages: Draconic, Dwarven, Elven, Giant, Goblin, Orc.

Spell-Like Abilities: 1/day- speak with animals (burrowing mammal only, duration 1 minute).

A gnome with a Charisma score of at least 10 also has the following spell-like abilities:

1/day—dancing lights, ghost sound, prestidigitation.

Caster level 1st; save DC 10 + gnome’s Charisma modifier + spell level.

Favored Class Bard

The gnome warrior presented here had the following ability scores before racial adjustments: Strength 13, Dexterity 11, Constitution 12, Intelligence 10, Wisdom 9, Charisma 8.

Subraces

The information above is for rock gnomes, the most common variety

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Hellanic Gnomes

Relics & Rituals: Olympus

© 2004 White Wolf Publishing, Inc. Distributed for Sword and Sorcery Studios by White Wolf Publishing, Inc.

By W. Jason Peck, Aaron Rosenberg, Christina Stiles and Relics & Rituals: Olympus team

In Hellenic, the word ‘gnome’ is related to the word for ‘knowledge.’ No anecdote more neatly sums up the gnomish desire for logic, knowledge and understanding. Hellenic gnomes are a philosophical people, much given to exploring the wonders of the world around them. Where dwarves craft physical works and elves indulge in literary and artistic pursuits, the gnomes find they are most inclined to better themselves and their communities by the pursuit of knowledge.

It is this desire for knowledge that has made gnomes one of the more cosmopolitan races. Many nobles are willing to pay handsome sums to have the finest tutors for their children, and gnomes fit the role of instructor perfectly. Thus, a small gnomish population is present in most civilized city-states, regardless of the controlling race.

Personality: Gnomes are inquisitive, book- ish, and thoughtful, with a special appreciation for philosophy, logic, puzzles, riddles and other intellectual pursuits. All the disciplines of learning, from poetry to horticulture and from alchemy to metaphysical theory, are their delight. Gnomes are quite open-minded, as cultures go, always more interested in understanding their neighbors than judging them.

Some races find them almost prudish, although the word is not entirely accurate. Gnomes indulge in the pleasures of the flesh less often than do other races not because of their moral leanings, but because they find such pleasures too fleeting when compared to the journey of intellectual discovery.

Physical Description: Gnomes stand about 3 to 3-1/2 feet tall and weigh from 40 to 50 pounds. Their skin is slightly darker than the olive tones usual to their human neighbors, and their eyes may be shades of brown, amber or blue. A gnome’s hair is dark at birth, but fades to white as the gnome reaches maturity, reinforcing the scholarly look of the race. Gnomes dress according to their station, preferring conservative dress with simple, tasteful decoration.

Relations: Gnomes get along best with dwarves, sea elves, most half-elves and most humans, all of whom tend to pursue similar ideals and sciences. They have moderate relations with Halflings, spartes and fauns, races who are civilized but slightly ‘irrational’ in their own ways. To the gnomish mindset, Therian elves only barely qualify as civilized, and are more a scientific curiosity than fellow kindred. They tend to treat half-orcs with great care, being somewhat uncomfortable around a race that is significantly less learned and physically far superior.

Alignment: Gnomes are both meticulous and cautious, giving them a strong leaning toward lawful alignments. They also tend to be good more often than not, although their concept of the ‘greater good’ may be slightly unusual. A gnomish adviser may encourage his king’s desire for a war of conquest simply to advance his own knowledge of geography.

Gnome Lands: The gnomes hold relatively few lands of their own; they are quite content to be a minority in another race’s holdings, if it means they don’t have to spend much time bothering with government.

Gnomish city-states are centers of learning, usually boasting several schools (which are frequently rivals) and large, open squares where scholars debate their latest theories or findings at all hours of the day and night. Their architecture is clean and well-framed, and often designed to reflect the particular pursuit of the owner many gnomish houses have small hatchways to the roof to allow proper stargazing, or an extra room set aside for the family’s collection of scrolls, records and maps. Apart from these often irregular designs, a gnomish settlement boasts less art and decoration than its neighbors might; gnomes are rarely patrons of the arts apart from poetry and literature.

Religion: Gnomes are perhaps the least religious of the civilized races. Though they, like any rational beings, clearly admit to the existence of the gods and the importance of proper worship, they rarely call on the gods for guidance, preferring to solve problems through their own wits. Gnomes are particularly given to the worship of Athena in her aspect as goddess of wisdom, and Apollo also finds greater favor among them in his role as god of healing and prophecy. It’s a rare gnome who pays more than token service to gods who represent aspects of the irrational mind, such as Aphrodite, Ares and Dionysus.

Language: Gnomish is in form quite similar to Dwarven and Hellenic; the gnomes claim it has influenced the development of both its sister languages. It is a complicated language with an inordinate number of syllables, yet it is said to be the ideal language for technical jargon due to its precise attention to detail. It can be difficult for non-gnomes to keep up with the speed at which a gnome may express herself in this elaborate tongue. Some poets compare gnomish wine shops to beehives, with the buzzing of bees replaced by the swift, rolling syllables of a dozen gnomes all pontificating and discoursing at once. Gnomish uses the Dwarven script.

Names: Gnomish names tend to be slightly longer and more polysyllabic than the names of other races; a gnomish name tends to be a mixture of multiple root syllables strung together in what the parents hope is both euphonic and singular. The first two syllables of a gnome’s name are taken from the parents; the other two or three or four are meant to provide distinction. No gnome likes the thought of another gnome bearing the same name as her own; they have a distinct reluctance to be known as ‘of’ their home region, as ‘the carpenter’ or ‘the tutor,’ or (Zeus forbid!) as ‘the Younger’ or ‘the Lesser.’

Male Names: Archisastrus, Beramedes, Crastenateos, Dariocamarus, Hagiosynatres, Memnosolothes, Phorebarratus, Phygiontelos, Polybarathion, Xanathopatres

Female Names: Aliosanadra, Berephoelia, Callimareda, Damaphadria, Euliathoressa, Leanopheris, Matramelea, Phrysiacatha, Taniperetha, Xelliomarix

Adventurers: When gnomes take to adventure, it’s most frequently to see the world around them, and also because it provides them with ready access to the wealth they need to pursue their studies unmolested. Gnome adventurers are sometimes viewed as children in their home communities; their adventure-prone mindsets are just a phase they have yet to outgrow. However, the adventurous gnome who brings home new lore about far lands and the flora, fauna or cultures that live there can easily overcome this prejudice.

GNOME RACIAL TRAITS

+2 Intelligence, -2 Strength. Gnomes are highly intelligent, but their size limits their physical strength.

Small: As a Small creature, a gnome gains a +1 size bonus to Armor Class and attack rolls, and a +4 size bonus on Hide checks, but must use smaller weapons than Medium creatures use, and his lifting and carrying limits are only three-quarters of those of a Medium character.

Gnome base land speed is 20 feet.

Low-Light Vision: A gnome can see twice as far as a human in conditions of poor illumination such as starlight, moonlight and torchlight. He retains
the ability to distinguish color and detail under these conditions.

+2 racial bonus on saving throws against illusions and mind-affecting spells and effects: A gnome’s keen mind and clear rationality make him notoriously difficult to sway or deceive by magical means.

A gnome may make the equivalent of a bardic knowledge check to see whether he knows relevant information about a place, person, item or legend. This check is treated exactly as the bardic knowledge ability, save that the gnome adds his Intelligence modifier to the die roll and nothing else; he does not add his level in any class. If the gnome has five or more ranks in Knowledge (history), he gains a +2 on this roll.

A gnome who takes levels in the bard class may make bardic knowledge checks as usual for the class (adding his Intelligence modifier and bard level to the check. The bardic knowledge ability gained from the bard class replaces the racial ability, although a gnome bard does receive a +2 racial bonus on bardic knowledge checks.

Class Skills: Gnomes treat all Knowledge skills as class skills, regardless of profession. Gnomes pursue the virtue of polymath fervently, and study the lore of many disciplines even as they follow a career.

+2 racial bonus on Spot and Listen checks: Gnomes have keen senses and potent observation skills.

+2 racial bonus on Craft (alchemy) checks: A gnome’s keen nose allows him to detect minute chemical processes and characteristics by smell.

Automatic Languages: Common (Hellenic) and Gnomish. Bonus Languages: Aquan, Auran, Celestial, Draconic, Dwarven, Echidnan, Elven, Giant, Goblin, Halfling, Ignan, Infernal, Orcish, Terran, Sylvan. Many gnomes are polyglots, and a young gnome can frequently find a tutor in almost any civilized tongue he could desire.

Favored Class: Wizard. A multiclass gnome’s wizard class does not count when determining whether she takes an experience point penalty for multiclassing. Gnomes have a certain talent for wizardry, which neatly blends their lightly magical nature with their formulaic, logical approach to knowledge.

Gnome Forest

Shy and elusive, they shun contact with other races except when dire emergencies threaten their beloved forest.They are the smallest of all the gnomes, averaging 2 to 2½ feet in height, but look just like regular gnomes except with bark-colored or gray-green skin, and eyes that can be brown or green as well as blue. A very long-lived people, forest gnomes have an average life expectancy of 500 years

Small Humanoid (Gnome)

Source(s) 3.5E Monster Manual I, 3E Monster Manual I, Monstrous Manual, Races of Faerun

Alignment Usually Neutral Good

Climate/Terrain Temperate Forest

Challenge Rating 1/2

Gnome Svirfneblin

Also called deep gnomes, svirfneblin are said to dwell in great cities deep underground.A svirfneblin has wiry, rock-colored skin usually medium brown to brownish gray. Only males are bald; females have stringy gray hair. The average svirfneblin lifespan is 250 years.Said to dwell in great cities deep underground. They keep the location of these places secret to protect them from their foes.

Source(s) 3.5E Monster Manual I, 3E Monster Manual I, Forgotten Realms (MC3), 1E Fiend Folio, Dragon#125 (Ecology of…), Monstrous Manual, Races of Faerun

• Also Known As Deep Gnomes
• Alignment Usually True Neutral
• Climate/Terrain Any Underground
• Organization Company (2-4), squad (11-20 plus 1 leader of 3rd-6th level and 2 3rd level lieutenants), or band (30-50 plus 1 3rd level sergeant per 20 adults, 5 5th level lieutenants, 3 7th level captains, and 2-5 Medium earth elementals)