Dwarves live deep underground, but Gnomes live even deeper. Gnomes were made to shape mountains and riverways. Now, they have awoken to a new world ready to use their talents to help in any way they can.
From earth and stone, the genies fashioned the gnomes, infusing them with life to serve as builders and shapers, to become the makers of things. Gnomes raised the mountains and carved the paths the rivers would take. They planted the forests and pushed the earth to form hills and valleys. They took the raw, untamed world the genies spun out from chaos and gave it shape, purpose, and beauty.
Generations spent underground have transformed gnomes into their present state. No taller than 3 feet, they have short, compact bodies. They have overlarge eyes that help them see in the darkness of the deep places and large noses to help them sniff out trouble.
Gnomes find the light of the sun painful, so they wear thick goggles over their eyes. They cover their chalky skin in heavy clothing that includes tall, pointed caps, long coats that drag the ground, and heavy boots to anchor them to the earth—many gnomes believe that if they doff their clothing, they’ll float away into the endless blue.
Common Names: Amber, Basalt, Beryl, Chert, Coal, Flint, Lime, Onyx, Opal, Pog, Rose, Ruby, Shale, and Wackes.
Creating A Gnome
Strength 10, Agility 8, Intellect 9, Will 11
Perception equals your Intellect score + 1
Defense equals your Agility score
Health equals your Strength score
Healing Rate equals one-quarter your Health
Size 1/2, Speed 8, Power 0
0 Damage, 0 Insanity, 0 Corruption
Languages and Professions You speak Gnomish.
Immune damage from disease or poison; diseased, poisoned
Darksight You can see into areas obscured by shadows and darkness within medium range as if those areas were lit. Beyond this distance, you treat darkness as shadows and shadows as lit.
Impaired by Light You are impaired while in areas of sunlight and not wearing some kind of covering over your eyes.
Deep Sense You cannot become lost while traveling underground.
Harden You can use an action, or a triggered action on your turn, to harden your skin for as long as you concentrate, up to 1 minute. While your skin is hardened this way, you take half damage from all sources. You can use this talent three times. You regain expended uses when you complete a rest.
Dead and Gone When you die, you turn into a stone statue and then explode, throwing shards into a 1-yard radius, dealing damage equal to half your Health to everything in the area. A creature in the area that gets a success on an Agility challenge roll takes half the damage.
Level 4 Expert Gnome
Characteristics Health +5
You learn one spell or gain Stone Walk
Stone Walk You ignore the effects of moving across difficult terrain caused by materials made of earth, sand, or stone. In addition, you can pass through solid obstacles made from earth, sand, or stone that are no thicker than 1 yard.
Age
| 3d6 | Starting Age |
|---|---|
| 3-5 | You are an adolescent, from 10 to 15 years old. Reduce your starting height and weight by 25%. |
| 6-8 | You are a young adult, from 16 to 20 years old. |
| 9-12 | You are an adult, from 21 to 50 years old |
| 13-15 | You are a middle-aged adult, from 51 to 100 years old. |
| 16-17 | You are an older adult, from 101 to 200 years old. |
| 18 | You are a venerable adult, aged 201 years or older. |
Background
| d20 | Background |
|---|---|
| 1 | A run-in with a troll nearly killed you. Small flecks of stone mar your flesh. |
| 2 | You once visited the Great Cleft and heard the One Who Slumbers shift in his sleep. |
| 3 | A spell whisked you from your homeland, and you were forced to serve a cruel master for many years. |
| 4 | You were exiled from your homeland after committing a terrible crime. |
| 5 | You had a spouse and children, but they all died during the Great Collapse. |
| 6 | You fought the dwarfs who mined too close to your community. You killed many and do not trust them. |
| 7 | You made frequent trips to the surface. Your knowledge of the World Above helped you escort many of your kind to safety. |
| 8 | During the Great Collapse, you were buried alive. It took several days, but you managed to wriggle free. |
| 9 | Your family lived as slaves to the salamanders. You were the first to have escaped. |
| 10 | You earned a living working in your profession. |
| 11 | You left home when you were young to seek your fortune in the world above. |
| 12 | Your people shunned you for some reason, and you knew only loneliness. The Great Collapse gave you a new chance to find your place. |
| 13 | You lived among the priests of your people, learning their ways and rites. |
| 14 | Troglodytes captured you and made you their slave. You escaped after killing your owner. |
| 15 | You fought against troglodytes and other dwellers of the deeps to protect your people. |
| 16 | You discovered an incantation and managed to perform it. Unfortunately, someone close to you died as a result. You’ve kept this secret your whole life. |
| 17 | You were a leader in your community, and you helped many escape the ruins of your homeland. |
| 18 | You once crept into a dragon’s lair and made off with a single gold crown. |
| 19 | You ventured into the depths of the earth and stumbled into the Underworld. You were so appalled by what you saw, you fled for the surface and never returned. |
| 20 | You came into money. Start the game with 2d6 cp. |
Build
| 3d6 | Build |
|---|---|
| 3 | You are quite small. You stand about 12 inches tall and weigh about 10 pounds. Reduce your Size to 1/4. |
| 4-5 | You are 18 inches tall. Reduce your Size to 1/4. |
| 6-8 | You are skinny for a gnome, weighing no more than 25 pounds. |
| 9-12 | Your height and weight fall within the average ranges. You are between 2 and 3 feet tall and weigh from 20 to 40 pounds. |
| 13-15 | You are heavy, bulky, overweight, or muscled. You weigh between 40 and 60 pounds. |
| 16-17 | You are tall for a gnome, standing between 3 and 4 feet in height. |
| 18 | You are enormous for a gnome. You stand over 4 feet tall and weigh 80 pounds or more. |
Appearance
| 3d6 | Appearance |
|---|---|
| 3 | Your features appear melted, runny, as if you were made from mud. You are hideous. |
| 4-5 | You have thick, plain features, skin pebbled and rife with fissures. |
| 6-8 | Your eyes are a bit too large, your features a little too big, making you unappealing to other gnomes. |
| 9-12 | You are typical for a gnome with the usual exaggerated features and bulging eyes common to people of your kind. |
| 13-15 | You have just one exaggerated facial feature— eyes, nose, ears, or mouth. |
| 16-17 | You have fine features and a fit body. You stand out from other gnomes. |
| 18 | You are a great beauty among gnomes and attractive by other people’s standards. You have a well-formed body and appealing features. |