Gnome

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Gnome

Say, do you really need all these gears in this Astrolabe?

Origins

Gnomes are distant relatives of the fey, and their history tells of a time when they lived in the fey's mysterious realm, a place where colors are brighter, the wildlands wilder, and emotions more primal. Unknown forces drove the ancient gnomes from that realm long ago, forcing them to seek refuge in this world; despite this, the gnomes have never completely abandoned their fey roots or adapted to mortal culture. Though gnomes are no longer truly fey, their fey heritage can be seen in their innate magic powers, their oft-capricious natures, and their outlooks on life and the world.

Gnomes can have the same concerns and motivations as members of other races, but just as often they are driven by passions and desires that non-gnomes see as eccentric at best, and nonsensical at worst. A gnome may risk his life to taste the food at a giant's table, to reach the bottom of a pit just because it would be the lowest place he's ever been, or to tell jokes to a dragon—and to the gnome those goals are as worthy as researching a new spell, gaining vast wealth, or putting down a powerful evil force. While such apparently fickle and impulsive acts are not universal among gnomes, they are common enough for the race as a whole to have earned a reputation for being impetuous and at least a little mad.

Combined with their diminutive sizes, vibrant coloration, and lack of concern for the opinions of others, these attitudes have caused gnomes to be widely regarded by the other races as alien and strange. Gnomes, in turn, are often amazed how alike other common, civilized races are. It seems stranger to a gnome that humans and elves share so many similarities than that the gnomes do not. Indeed, gnomes often confound their allies by treating everyone who is not a gnome as part of a single, vast non-gnome collective race.

Culture

Although gnomes are impulsive tricksters, with sometimes inscrutable motives and equally confusing methods, their hearts are generally in the right place. What may seem a malicious act to a non-gnome is more likely an effort to introduce new acquaintances to new experiences, however unpleasant the experiences may be. Gnomes are prone to powerful fits of emotion, and find themselves most at peace within the natural world.

Growing Up Gnome

Gnomes are one of the smallest of the common races, generally standing just over 3 feet in height. Despite their small frames, however, gnomes are extremely resilient, and not as weak as many of their foes assume. Though their diminutive stature reduces their ability to move quickly, gnomes often train to take advantage of their size, especially when fighting foes much larger than themselves.

The coloration of gnomes varies so wildly that many outsiders assume gnomes commonly use dyes and illusions to change their skin and hair tones. While gnomes are certainly not above cosmetic enhancement (and may wish to change their appearance just to see how outlandish they can look), their natural hues truly range over a rainbow of coloration. Their hair tends toward vibrant colors such as the fiery orange of autumn leaves, the verdant green of forests at springtime, or the deep reds and purples of wildflowers in bloom. Similarly, their flesh tones range from earthy browns to floral pinks, and gnomes with black, pastel blue, or even green skin are not unknown. Gnomes' coloration has little regard for heredity, with the color of a gnome's parents and other kin having no apparent bearing on the gnome's appearance. Gnomes possess highly mutable facial characteristics, and their proportions often don't match the norm of other humanoid races. Many have overly large mouths and eyes, an effect which can be both disturbing and stunning, depending on the individual. Others may have extremely small features spread over an otherwise blank expanse of face, or may mix shockingly large eyes with a tiny, pursed mouth and a pert button of a nose. Gnomes rarely take pride in or show embarrassment about their features, but members of other races often fixate on a gnome's most prominent feature and attempt to use it as the focus of insults or endearments.

Gnomes' propensity for wanderlust, deep curiosity, and desire to master odd or esoteric skills and languages make them natural adventurers. They often become wanderers to experience new aspects of life, for nothing is as novel as the uncounted dangers facing adventurers. Many gnomes see adventuring as the only worthwhile purpose in life, and seek out adventures for no other motive than to experience them. Other gnomes desire to find some lost lore or material that has ties to their chosen vocation and believe only dragon hoards and ancient ruins can contain the lore they need, which can result in gnomes who think of themselves as bakers or weavers being just as accomplished adventurers as those who declare themselves to be mages or scouts.

Economy

Gnomes have a tendency to pick up baubles and doodads over the course of their lives, largely on the basis of the object appealing to them, rather than for its potential sale value. As a result, a gnome's individual wealth is almost completely random -- that doodad they picked up from that swamp hag might be priceless, or they may go through life with only a vast collection of worthless baubles. Gnomes rarely care about their wealth as measured by its trade value. To them, materialism is centered on framing their experiences and inspiring memories of times past.

That is not to say that there are no wealthy gnomes. Some gnomes decide to excel at business and trade, and often become astonishingly wealthy as a result. However, it is only the rarest of gnome who would begin such an endeavor with the desire to be rich. Wealth is just a side effect of their mastery of their trade.

Customs

Unlike most races, gnomes do not generally organize themselves within classic societal structures. Gnome cities are unusual and gnome kingdoms almost unknown. Further, gnomes have no particular tendency to gather in specific neighborhoods even when a large number of them live among other races. While specific laws meant to contain the potential impact of gnomes on a society may require a “gnome quarter,” and societal pressure sometimes causes all non-gnomes to move away from areas with high gnome populations, left to their own devices, gnomes tend to spread evenly throughout communities that allow them.

However, even when gnomes are common within a community as a group, individual gnomes tend to be always on the move. Whimsical creatures at heart, they typically travel alone or with temporary companions, ever seeking new and more exciting experiences. They rarely form enduring relationships among themselves or with members of other races, instead pursuing crafts, professions, or collections with a passion that borders on zealotry. If a gnome does settle in an area or stay with a group for a longer period, it is almost always the result of some benefit that area gives to a vocation or obsession to which the gnome had dedicated himself.

Despite their extremely varied backgrounds and lack of a unifying homeland, gnomes do possess some common cultural traits. Male gnomes have a strange fondness for unusual hats and headgear, often wearing the most expensive and ostentatious head-covering they can afford (and that their chosen careers will allow them to wear without causing problems). Females rarely cover their heads, but proudly wear elaborate and eccentric hairstyles that often include intricate jeweled combs and headpieces.

Lifespan and Burial

Gnomes live somewhere between 150 and 200 years, though a Gnome's lifespan is directly connected to how interested in life he is at any given moment. A life that the gnome finds fulfilling or engaging will probably be a long life indeed, while a Gnome who achieves his goals too easily, or fails to set his life on an endeavor that will drive him will probably die before he reaches middle age.

Gnomish burial is highly individualized, as often the gnome will choose his preferred method of interment prior to death. Many Gnomes make outrageous requests for the treatment of their remains, hoping to squeeze out one last grand experience. However, few people are so loyal to their dead comrade as to feed his corpse to a dragon, or encase him in molten gold.

Relations with Others

Gnomes have difficulty interacting with the other races, on both emotional and physical levels. In many ways the very fact other races see gnomes as odd is itself the thing gnomes find most odd about other races, and this leads to a strong lack of common ground upon which understanding and relationships can be built. When two gnomes encounter one another, they generally assume some mutually beneficial arrangement can be reached, no matter how different their beliefs and traditions may be. Even if this turns out not to be the case, the gnomes continue to look for commonalities in their dealings with each other. The inability or unwillingness of members of other races to make the same effort when dealing with gnomes is both frustrating and confusing to most gnomes.

In many ways, it is gnomes' strong connection to a wide range of apparently unconnected ideas that makes it difficult for other races to build relationships with them. Gnome humor, for example, is often focused on physical pranks, nonsensical rhyming nicknames, and efforts to convince others of outrageous lies that strain all credibility. Gnomes find such efforts hysterically funny, but their pranks often come across as malicious or senseless to other races, while gnomes in turn tend to think of the taller races as dull and lumbering giants. Gnomes get along reasonably well with halflings and humans, who at least have some traditions of bizarre, gnome-like humor. Gnomes generally feel dwarves and half-orcs need to lighten up, and attempt to bring levity into their lives with tricks, jokes, and outrageous tales the more dour races simply cannot see the sense of. Gnomes respect elves, but often grow frustrated with the slow pace at which members of the long-lived race make decisions. To gnomes, action is always better than inaction, and many gnomes carry several highly involved projects with them at all times to keep themselves entertained during rest periods.

Starting Height and Weight

Gender	Base Height	Height Modifier	Weight	Weight Modifier
Male	3 ft. 0 in.	+2d4 in. (3 ft. 2 in. - 3 ft. 8 in.)	35 lbs.	+(2d4 lbs.) (37 - 43 lbs.)
Female	2 ft. 10 in.	+2d4 in. (3 ft. 0 in. - 3 ft. 6 in.)	30 lbs.	+(2d4 lbs.) (32 - 38 lbs.)

Starting Ages

Adulthood	Intuitive	Self-Taught	Trained
40 years	+4d6 years (44 - 64 years)	+6d6 years (46 - 76 years)	+9d6 years (49 - 94 years)

PC's

Gnomes have no class or alignment restrictions.

Standard Racial Traits

All Gnomes have the following Standard Racial Advantages:

• Attributes: Gnomes choose from one of the following ability score bonus sets when creating their character. No ability score may ever be modified above a 20 or below a 7.
  • +2 to two different stats, -2 to one stat
  • +2 to one stat, +1 to three different stats, -2 to one stat
  • +4 to one stat, -2 to two different stats

• Size: Gnomes are Small creatures and thus gain a +1 size bonus to their AC, a +1 size bonus on attack rolls, a –1 penalty to their Combat Maneuver Bonus and Combat Maneuver Defense, and a +4 size bonus on Stealth checks.

• Type: Gnomes have the Humanoid type, with the Gnome subtype.

• Base Speed: Gnomes have a base speed of 20 feet.

• Languages: Gnomes begin play speaking Common, Gnome, and Sylvan. Gnomes with high Intelligence scores can choose from the following: Draconic, Dwarven, Elven, Giant, Goblin, and Orc. See the Linguistics skill page for more information about these languages.

• Low-Light Vision: Gnomes can see twice as far as humans in conditions of dim light.

• Illusion Resistance: Gnomes gain a +2 racial saving throw bonus against illusion spells and effects.

Major Racial Traits

Choose one of the following Major Racial Traits:

• Darkvision: Gnomes with this racial trait gain Darkvision with a range of 60 feet. This is in addition to the Low-Light Vision that all Gnomes get.

• Pyromaniac: Gnomes with this racial trait are treated as one level higher when casting spells with the fire descriptor, using granted powers of the Fire domain, using the bloodline powers of the fire elemental bloodline, and determining the damage of alchemist bombs that deal fire damage (this ability does not give gnomes early access to level-based powers; it only affects the powers they could use without this ability). Gnomes with Charisma scores of 11 or higher also gain the following spell-like abilities: 1/day—dancing lights, flare, prestidigitation, produce flame. The caster level for these effects is equal to the gnome's level; the DCs are based on the gnome's highest mental ability score (Intelligence, Wisdom or Charisma).

• Gift of Tongues: Gnomes love languages and learning about those they meet. Gnomes with this racial trait gain a +1 bonus on Bluff and Diplomacy checks, and they learn one additional language every time they put a rank in the Linguistics skill.

• Eternal Hope: Gnomes rarely lose hope and are always confident that even hopeless situations will work out. Gnomes with this racial trait receive a +2 racial bonus on saving throws against fear and despair effects. In addition, once per day, after rolling a 1 on a d20, the gnome may reroll and use the second result.

• Hyperactive: Gnomes with this racial trait have a base land speed of 30 feet, instead of only 20 feet.

Minor Racial Traits

Choose one of the following Minor Racial Traits:

• Pursuit of Knowledge: A Gnome with this racial trait can choose a Knowledge skill. This skill becomes a class skill for her. and she receives a +2 racial bonus to the skill. This bonus increases to +4 if she has 10 or more ranks in the skill, +6 if she has 20 or more ranks in the skill, and +8 if she has 30 or more ranks in the skill.

• Keen Senses: Gnomes receive a +2 racial bonus on Perception checks. This bonus increases to +4 if she has 10 or more ranks in the skill, +6 if she has 20 or more ranks in the skill, and +8 if she has 30 or more ranks in the skill.

• Defensive Training: Gnomes gain a +2 dodge bonus to AC against monsters of the giant subtype.

• Explorer: Many gnomes are obsessed with seeing as many unknown corners of the world as possible, rather than perfecting some specific talent or vocation. These gnomes may put ranks into the Naturalism skill even if it is not normally available to their class, and add a +2 racial bonus to their checks. This bonus increases to +4 if they have 10 or more ranks in the skill, +6 if they have 20 or more ranks in the skill, and +8 if they have 30 or more ranks in the skill. This racial trait does not make Naturalism a class skill, however.

• Not Compensating: Gnomes with this racial trait can use sized-medium weapons without a size or handiness penalty.