Gnomes (Fleshforge Legacy Supplement)

Gnomes

Gnomes are a race of healers, alchemists, and engineers. They are known to be compassionate, thoughtful, and curious. Almost all shaper settlements had a handful of gnomes on hand, with the majority of the populations dwelling in the central nation. They served as healers and surgeons, their small hands and sharp senses granting them a greater talent with details. With the shapers gone, the gnomes generally do their part to treat all living things.

Personality:

Gnomes are curious by nature. They always want to know how things work, and are always looking forward to new experiments. The more intricate and complicated the task before them, the more interested a gnome will be. Gnomes are also quite fond of animals, enjoying a deeper connection than most races. They also enjoy finely-cut gemstones and minute metalwork, and can spend hours staring into the glittering depths of multifaceted gems. Gnomes strongly dislike combat, and are often dedicated pacifists.

Physical Description:

Gnomes stand about 3 to 3-1/2 feet tall and weigh 40 to 45 pounds. Their skin ranges from lightly tan to a woody brown, their hair is fair, and their eyes can be any shade of blue or green. Gnome males prefer short, carefully trimmed beards. Gnomes generally wear leather or earth tones, and they decorate their clothes with intricate stitching or fine jewelry, though the design is almost always practical. Gnomish healers when away from gnomish communities will often wear bright sashes bearing the dwarven rune for healer. These sashes are recognized by most sentient races and are quickly becoming the universal sign for healing. Gnomes reach adulthood at about age 40, and they live about 350 years, though some can live almost 500 years.

Relations:

Gnomes are generally on friendly terms with all the races except the elves. Their reputation as healers and pacifists allows them access to most settlements relatively unchallenged. Even elves will allow gnomes into their camps on rare occasions, should they be desperate enough. Gnomes are allowed into the dwarven mountains as well, thought they usually are required to have an escort.

Alignment:

Gnomes are most often good, and they show a slight tendency for law, but their curiosity often gets the better of them, meaning there are plenty of neutral and chaotic gnomes around.

Lands:

Gnomes end to live in mid-sized communities near the shaper settlements of old, many of which they have converted into hospitals or schools. They are spread relatively evenly across the map, but the largest gnome populations lived in the central nation, where their healing abilities kept the biotech nation running. However, most of the central nation gnomes died or fled either durin gthe initial illithid takeover, or in the ensuing battle and unleashing of the monsters.

Language:

Gnomes speak gnomish, a language that uses the dwarven alphabet for written works. They also have the ability to speak with birds and beasts, which greatly helps them in treating and befriending animals of all sorts.

Names:

Gnomes usually have a family name when born, and accumulate nicknames and titles throughout their lives. Most gnomes will respond to anyone of these nicknames, which may get confusing when somebody shouts ‘pipsqueak‘. Most gnomes will introduce themselves with their family name and their favorite nickname.

Adventurers:

Gnomish adventurers are usually clerics or healers of some sort. Surprisingly often, the gnome’s attachment to animals manifests as a druidic talent, which is surprising a race as civilized as the gnomes. Most gnomes prefer to let the larger races to the combat, hanging back to cast spells and support their allies. Many gnome adventurers prefer to bring an animal guardian or mount with them when traveling.

Racial Traits

• +2 Wisdom, -2 Strength. Gnomes have sharp senses and are exceptionally perceptive, but they lack physical strength due to their small size.
• 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 Medium characters, and his lifting and carrying limits are three-quarters of those of a Medium character
• Gnome base land speed is 20 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.
• +2 racial bonus on heal checks. Gnomes are renowned for their skill in the arts of healing.
• Whenever a gnome casts a spell or uses a spell-like ability that heals hit point damage, the target gains fast healing equal to the gnome's wisdom modifier (minimum one) for a number of rounds equal to the level of the spell or spell-like ability (minimum one round). This fast healing does not stack with itself in case of multiple healing spells.
• +2 racial bonus to handle animal and ride checks: A gnome’s ability to speak with animals gives them a deeper understanding of animals and allows them to handle them with great skill.
• Spell-Like Abilities: Gnomes gain Speak with Animals as a spell-like ability. The gnome can use this ability 1/day, plus a number of times each day equal to his wisdom modifier. If the gnome has a wisdom score of at least 12 may use the following spell like abilities a number of times per day equal to their wisdom modifier: Cure Minor Wounds, Purify food and Drink, and Virtue
• Automatic Languages: Common and Gnome. Bonus Languages: Dwarven, Elven, Giant, Goblin, Gol-kaa, Halfling, and Orc. Gnomes deal with many races, and as such benefit from knowing multiple languages.
• Favored Class: Druid. A multiclass gnome’s Druid class does not count when determining whether he takes an experience point penalty.

Vital Statistics

Table: Aasimar Random Starting Ages

Adulthood	Simple	Moderate	Complex
20 years	+1d6	+2d6	+3d6

Table: Aasimar Aging Effects

Middle Age1	Old2	Venerable3	Maximum Age
62 years	93 years	125 years	+3d20 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.

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