Gnomes, Screaming (3.5e Race)

Screaming Gnomes

Personality

Screaming gnomes have a tendency to be finnicky and easily startled. Unlike other varieties of gnomes, they usually have little desire to adventure, or even travel. Most prefer to stay with their clan, where it's considered much safer. Those that do leave are considered foolish, and are oftentimes outcasts. They have far less joviality than rock gnomes. However, despite being less likely to pull dangerous pranks and stunts than their cousins, they retain a sense of humor (albeit much more benign).

Physical Description

Screaming gnomes are a bit shorter than rock gnomes, standing at a piddly 2 1/2 to 3 feet tall. However, they are much more durable, and are usually more stocky than their cousins and have a tendency towards being heavyset. Their hair, skin, and eyes resemble that of a human, with great variation. Their clothing tends towards deep, earthen colors, and is usually decorated with fine jewelry, intricate stitching, and/or fancy hats. The males oftentimes have short, well-trimmed beards, and both genders tend to keep their hair at a manageable length. Their lifespan is shorter than that of the average gnome, in part due to biological factors, but mostly because they're just not very bright, and particularly prone to fatal accidents. Their eldest live to be around 200 to 250 years, and are considered community leaders.

They have incredibly well developed lungs and vocal cords, and have a loud, mighty voice unexpected from one of their size. However, they lack the talent most gnomes have for illusion.

Relations

Due to their loud and, frankly, annoying nature, they don't get on well with most other races-- particularly those with good hearing. Although they maintain good relations with humans for trading purposes, most find them to be a bit trying to be around for extended periods of time. Elves and Half-Elves avoid them when possible to prevent any migraines, or perhaps hearing loss, that inevitably follows their presence. Orcs have made a sport of punting them long distances.

The only race they could be considered to have good relations with are halflings. Many live in their villages, if only because they seem so pleasant and skillful in comparison. They consider screaming gnomes friendly and hospitable, if not a bit loud and oblivious.

Screaming gnomes tend to be friendly towards races of their own size, but tend to be fearful of larger races.

Alignment

Screaming gnomes can be of any alignment. Many have a tendency towards good, and are lawful more often than not.

Lands

Screaming gnomes live primarily in small fishing villages on the outskirts of larger, usually human, settlements. Unlike many varieties of gnome, most screaming gnome settlements live above-ground, in clusters of wooden huts with thatched roofs, poorly built docks, and narrow dirt and cobblestone walkways. The occasional small stone building dots the cityscape. Although they generally lack refined decor like large-scale works of art and sculptures, many keep flowerboxes in their windows, and hang colorful fabrics where they can.

Due to most buildings having thin walls, their intense screaming, loud snoring, and off-key singing can be heard from miles away. They themselves have become accustomed to it, but wayward travelers may be taken aback by the distant cacophony.

Religion

Most screaming gnomes worship Gragnald Thunderlung, an obscure deity and the Gnomish patron god of storms and calamity. It is said he blessed them with vocal chords of adamantine, though in truth it was probably just an evolutionary tactic to annoy the hell out of potential predators.

Language

Screaming gnomes speak gnomish and common by default, though many have a love of language and make a point of learning as many as possible.

Names

Screaming gnomes gain their names in a manner similar to rock gnomes. However, most screaming gnome adventurers who leave their hometown retain their full name, and prefer to be referred to as such.

Racial Traits

• +4 Constitution, -2 Charisma, -2 Wisdom: Screaming gnomes are particularly hardy, and have a strong voice. However, they lack the awareness to know when to use it.
• Humanoid (Gnome): A type of Gnome, these creatures tend to empathize well with Halflings.
• Small: As a Small creature, a screaming 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.
• Screaming Gnome base land speed is 20 feet
• Low-Light Vision(Ex): A Screaming 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: Screaming Gnomes may treat gnome hooked hammers as martial weapons rather than exotic weapons.
• Once per day, a gnome can use Sonic Shock (as per the 3.5e homebrew spell). A screaming gnome may use this move as a standard action. As you scream at your enemy, a powerful sonic shockwave knocks them off their feet. The targets of this technique must succeed a Reflex save or fall prone. The shockwave deal 1d6 sonic damage per 2 levels (max 5d6). You are silenced for one round after.
• +2 racial bonus on Listen and Spot checks.
• +2 racial bonus on Search checks.
• Automatic Languages: Common, Gnome. Bonus Languages: Any (excluding secret languages such as Druidic).
• Favored Class: Fighter.

Vital Statistics

Table: Screaming Gnome Random Starting Ages

Adulthood	Simple	Moderate	Complex
35 years	+4d8	+6d8	+9d8

Table: Screaming Gnome Aging Effects

Middle Age1	Old2	Venerable3	Maximum Age
95 years	140 years	190 years	+3d% years
At middle age, −1 to Str, Dex, and Con; +1 to Int, Wis, and Cha. At old age, −2 to Str, Dex, and Con; +1 to Int, Wis, and Cha. At venerable age, −3 to Str, Dex, and Con; +1 to Int, Wis, and Cha.

Table: Screaming Gnome Random Height and Weight

Gender	Base Height	Height Modifier	Base Weight	Weight Modifier
Male	2' 10"	+3d4	35 lb.	× (1) lb.
Female	2' 6"	+3d4	30 lb.	× (1) lb.

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