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. Males usually wear 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. They have Darkvision with a 30' range. When attacked in melee by creatures larger than man-sized, gnomes gain a +1 bonus to their Armor Class. Outdoors in their preferred forest terrain, they are able to hide very effectively; so long as they remain still there is only a 20% chance they will be detected. If one or more gnomes who are successfully hiding attack from ambush, they surprise their foes on 1-4 on 1d6.

Gnomes speak their own language, Gnomish, and many know the language of the dwarves. Most gnomes who travel outside gnome lands (as traders or tinkers) know Common, while warriors in gnome settlements usually learn Goblin. Gnomes encountered in the wilderness are likely to be unfriendly, but not hostile. They tolerate dwarves but dislike most other humanoid races. When forced to interact with other races, a gnome will generally be recalcitrant, unless offered a significant amount of treasure.

Most gnomes encountered outside their home are warriors; the statistics above are for such. In the lair, for every warrior there will be an average of three civilians having 1-1 Hit Dice and Armor Class 11; such gnomes have Morale of 7. One out of every eight gnome warriors will be a sergeant having 3 Hit Dice (145 XP). Gnomes gain a +1 bonus to their morale if they are led by a sergeant. Both warriors and sergeants commonly wear chainmail. In gnomish communities, one out of every sixteen warriors will be a captain of 5 Hit Dice (360 XP) with an Armor Class of 16 (11), adding a shield. In addition, in communities of 35 or greater, there will be a king of 7 Hit Dice (670 XP), with an Armor Class of 18 (11), in plate mail and carrying a shield, having a +1 bonus damage due to strength. In their community, gnomes never fail a morale check as long as the king is alive. There is a chance equal to 1-4 on 1d6 that a community will have a Cleric of level 1d6+1, and 1-2 on 1d6 of a Magic-User of level 1d6. Gnomish Clerics and Magic-Users are equivalent to regular gnomish warriors statistically.

Special Abilities

Darkvision — 30' range.

Defensive Bonus — When attacked in melee by creatures larger than man-sized, gnomes gain a +1 bonus to their Armor Class.

Forest Hiding — Outdoors in their preferred forest terrain, they are able to hide very effectively; so long as they remain still there is only a 20% chance they will be detected.

Ambush — If one or more gnomes who are successfully hiding attack from ambush, they surprise their foes on 1-4 on 1d6.

Gnomes live underground in hills that they have burrowed into, seeking gems and precious metals. They are divided into clans which are rather competitive with each other, but are never outright hostile. They are a distant relative to dwarfs.

Typically when gnomes are encountered they will be wearing studded leather armour or ring armour and a shield. Gnomes are usually armed with a club and spear, sometimes with a short sword and spear.

Gnomes have wood-brown skin, white hair, and light to deep blue eyes. They like to dress in leather and earthy colours, and wear lots of jewellery.

Gnomes live typically about 600 years.

Special Abilities

Combat bonuses — When gnomes fight kobolds and goblins they fly into an intense rage and gain an additional +1 to hit. When gnomes battle gnolls, bugbears, ogres, trolls, or giants these creatures receive a -4 to their attack rolls due to the gnomes smaller size and nimbleness.

Enhanced saves — Due to their natural resilience to both magic and poison, gnomes save against these effects at four levels higher then they actually are.

Infravision — Gnomes have infravision that enables them to see 60-ft in the dark.

Mining abilities — Gnomes are excellent miners, possessing the abilities to detect whether a passage slopes upward or downward or if a corridor, walls, floors or ceiling is safe or not. They can even estimate depth and direction underground.

Languages — Besides their own language, gnomes can also speak kobold, goblin, halfling, dwarfish, and can also speak a language commonly known to all burrowing animals.

Animal sentries — Most of the time the gnomes will have badgers, or other burrowing animals, that they have trained to act as sentries.