Gnome

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The fourth and final race created by the gods, gnomes are clever, inquisitive, and mischievous, concerned with defending their homes, investigating mysteries alchemical and magical, and revelry. They treasure knowledge above all things, and are known to some as the Secret Folk, for the many mysteries they hold the answer to. They are formidable warriors and foes of evil, and companies of gnomish pikemen are much valued by nobles and mercenary bands.

Relations: Gnomes get along well with dwarves, with whom they trade metals and gemstones, and elves, with whom they guard the woodlands. They are more cautious around humans, half-elves, and roane, and dislike half-orcs and bridge trolls. Bridge trolls and gnomes often feud, since both prefer to live underground in wooded areas; many bridge trolls like to drive gnomish families away and seize their warrens for themselves.

Alignment: Gnomes are usually neutral or lawful good, but many gnomes are overcome by their lust for secrets, and sink into darkness in their desperate quest for greater knowledge. Spriggans, a cousin to the gnomes, were seduced by this kind of dark lore, and now prowl the countryside as bandits and thugs able to assume the size of giants.

Gnome Lands: Gnomes hold small domains, most unknown to other races. Their warrens are always concealed in thick woodlands with few neighbors. They summer in small family warrens, retreating to winterhalls in the colder seasons. Each winterhall holds between twenty and a hundred gnomish families, depending on size and age, and is ruled by a gnomish cynnweard. Known locations of gnomish holdings include Winterdell in the Hundred Kingdoms, Driathorn Forest in Keldru, and the Eldewode within the Shadowend Forest.

Racial Abilities:

·+1 Constitution, –1 Wisdom. Gnomes are hardy, but often lack foresight.

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

·Gnome base land speed is 30 feet.

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

·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.

·+1 racial bonus on attack rolls against kobolds and goblinoids.

·+4 dodge bonus to Armor Class against monsters of the giant type. Any time a creature loses its Dexterity bonus (if any) to Armor Class, such as when it’s caught flat-footed, it loses its dodge bonus, too.

·+4 bonus to Hide checks, improving to +8 in wooded areas. This stacks with the +4 size bonus.

·Automatic Languages: Common, Gnome, Sylvan. Bonus Languages: Amerite, Goblin, Keldruith, Orc, Riven-tongue, Wiernaug.

·Spell-Like Abilities: Gnomes can use an innate version of speak with animals to speak with burrowing animals. This does not have a duration. 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 Cha modifier + spell level.

Gnome Feats

Song of Stream and Stone

(Gnome)

Given enough time, your voice can shape mountains.

Prerequisite: Gnome, bardic music or the ability to cast 1st ¬level spells.

Benefit: You have mastered the art of singing to earth and stone, shaping them to your will. This allows you to use the Craft skill to create objects through gem¬cutting, pottery, sculpture, and stonemasonry without tools or outside intervention. You must still make a Craft check as appropriate. Although items created with song take twice as long to make (double the effective gp value), they are always considered masterwork items. Such items have half again the normal hardness for items of their type.

Whisper to the Trees

(Gnome)

Given enough time, you can shape a forest into a city.

Prerequisites: Gnome, bardic music or the ability to cast 1st ¬level spells.

Benefit: You have mastered the art of singing living plants into useful objects. This allows you to use the Craft skill to create objects through basketweaving, bowmaking, carpentry, and weaving without tools or outside intervention. You must still make a Craft check as appropriate. Although items sung from living plants take twice as long to make (double the effective gp value), they are always considered masterwork items. Items that are still alive (those that remain rooted in soil or connected to other plants) may also heal themselves if damaged, regaining hit points at a rate of 1 per day.