Gnome

Gnomes are in wide demand as alchemists, inventors, and technicians, though most prefer to remain among their own kind in simple comfort. Gnomes adore animals, gems, and jokes, especially pranks. They love to learn by personal experience, and are always trying new ways to build things. Gnomes stand 3 to 3 1/2 feet tall, with skin that ranges from dark tan to woody brown. Their hair is fair, and their eyes are often some shade of blue. Gnomes generally wear earth tones, but decorate their clothes intricately. Males favor carefully-trimmed beards. Gnomes live 350 to 500 years.

Gnomish Ability Adjustments: +2 Con, -2 Str.

Favored Class (Wizard): A multiclass gnome's wizard class does not count when determining whether he suffers an XP penalty for multiclassing.

Special Abilities

• Small Stature
  • +1 size bonus to attack rolls.
  • +1 size bonus to AC.
  • +4 size bonus to Stealth checks.
• Hardiness vs. Illusions: +2 racial bonus on saving throws against mind-affecting spells.
• Offensive Training vs. Reptilians: +1 racial bonus on attack rolls against reptilian humanoids.
• Offensive Training vs. Goblinoids: +1 racial bonus on attack rolls against goblinoids (goblins, hobgoblins, and bugbears).
• Defensive Training vs. Giants: +4 dodge bonus to AC against giants.
• Skill Affinity (Concentration): +2 racial bonus to Concentration checks.
• Skill Affinity (Perception): +2 racial bonus to Pereption checks.
• Spell Focus (Illusion): Gnomes add +2 DC to any Illusion spells they cast. This is identical to the feat.
• Low-Light Vision: Allows them to see better than normal in the dark.

Special: Halflings and gnomes are small creatures and as such they can never use the following large weapons: dire mace, two-bladed sword, double axe, greataxe, greatsword, halberd, heavy flail, maul, longbow, quarterstaff, scythe, spear, and trident. Nor can they ever make use of a tower shield.

Packages: Gnome characters should only choose the default package for their class, as the other packages may give the gnome weapons they cannot use.

Description

Gnomes have been uncommon in Impiltur, as they are not native to the area and tend to remain with their clan. That has not stopped some adventurers, merchants and bloodstone experts from crossing the border to ply their trade but they are a clear minority. Beyond the major cities, settled gnomes are few and far between. Yet for clans forced out of their own land, Impiltur is rich in quiet corners where one could live undisturbed.