Gnomes
The gnome girl sighed, nodding solemnly. “That’s about the long and short of it.”
“But you like tinkering with things that probably shouldn’t be tinkered with and you’re about, what, three feet tall?” The dwarf smirked as the gnome looked to her with an expression of confusion that shifted slowly into hope as Foselain continued, “Honey, damn but I’ve got a place for you.”
Dropping a few marks onto the counter and hefting her hammers up off the floor, she gestured for the gnome to follow. “Come on, kid. I’ve got some people for you to meet.”
Gnomes are a rarity in general, but especially on the streets of Paradise. There simply aren’t enough of them to form racial enclaves and while a few manage to make some semblance of a home out of the ruins of Old Tyris beneath the city, it can be a lonely existence - especially when compared to the bustling communities and cheerful burrows in which they grew up.
There is however, a remarkably close approximation to just such a community in Paradise, so long as the gnome in question is willing to keep an open mind.
Bustling Burrows
Among the goblins of the Bent Tree Clan, a gnome can find all the comforts of home - the constant hum of activity punctuated with the occasional explosion and frequent bursts of laughter. Add in the fact that many gnomes have skills and talents that the average goblin simply does not, it requires very little work for a gnome to prove herself valuable and be adopted into the clan or even given a goblin name.It’s not the same as a close knit community of their own kind, but few groups are as close as a goblin clan and a gnome makes for an excellent goblin in her own right.
Making it on Your Own
For those gnomes determined to live their own life, independent of expectations and responsibilities there are a number of establishments around Paradise Square that would welcome a gnome’s talents on staff - such as Black Cat Tattoo, where tiny, dextrous hands would make for an excellent piercer, or the Black Sheep Pub where a forest gnome with the ability to shoo away rats would be worth her weight in gold. Association with such establishments can earn a person a measure of immunity from the gang politics and general street violence as not only are these operations some of the few neutral locations in all of Paradise, they are also almost exclusively owned by former adventurers who don’t take kindly to the mistreatment of their staff.
Gnome Traits
Your gnome character has certain traits in common with all other gnomes.Ability Score Increase. Your Intelligence score increases by 2.
Age. Gnomes mature at the same rate as humans and most are expected to settle down into an adult life by age 40. They can live 350 to nearly 500 years.
Alignment. Gnomes, even in Paradise, are more often than not good. They do tend towards neutrality over law or chaos as a simple matter of practicality in surviving such a generally lawless place.
Size. Gnomes are between 3 and 4 feet tall and average about 40 pounds. Your size is small.
Darkvision. Accustomed to life underground, you have superior vision in dark and dim conditions. You can see in dim light within 60 feet as though it were bright light and in darkness as though it were dim light. You can’t discern color in darkness, only shades of gray.
Gnome Cunning. You have advantage on all Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma saving throws against magic.
Gnomish Ingenuity. You gain a feat.
Languages. You can speak gnomish. The gnomish language, which uses the Dwarvish script, is renowned for its technical treatises and catalogs of knowledge about the natural world.
Subraces. Two subraces of gnomes survived the destruction of Stoneholme and the immigration to Emeriss: forest gnomes and rock gnomes. Choose one of these sub races.
Forest Gnomes
If gnomes in general are rare in Paradise, then forest gnomes in particular are like finding a wallet with cash still inside. Most forest gnomes have absolutely no reason to enter a human city, let alone find themselves stranded in a place like Paradise Square. That said, there are one or two tucked about here and there.Ability Score Increase. Your Dexterity score increases by 1.
Natural Illusionist. You know the minor illusion cantrip. Intelligence is your spellcasting ability for it.
Speak with Small Beasts. Through sounds and gestures, you can communicate with Small or smaller beasts. Forest gnomes love animals and even in the South Side they can find mice, rats, pigeons, and other tiny beasts to keep as beloved pets.
Rock Gnome
Naturally inventive and mechanically curious, there still aren’t many rock gnomes in Paradise, but decidedly more than their forest loving cousins. Most have taken up with the goblins of the Bent Tree Clan, but a few still maintain their independence.Ability Score Increase. Your Constitution score increases by 1.
Artificer’s Lore. Whenever you make an Intelligence (history) or Intelligence (arcana) check related to magic items, alchemical objects, or technological devices, you add twice your proficiency bonus.
Tinker. You have proficiency with artisan’s tools (tinker’s tools). Using those tools, you can spend 1 hour and 100 marks worth of materials to construct a tiny clockwork device (AC 5, 1hp). The device ceases to function after 24 hours (unless you spend 1 hour repairing it to keep it functioning), or when you use your action to dismantle it; at that time you can reuse the materials used to create it. You can have up to three such devices at active at a time. When you create a device, choose one of the following options:
Clockwork Toy: This toy is a clockwork animal, monster, or person such as a frog, mouse, bird, dragon, or soldier. When placed on the ground the toy move 5 feet across the ground on each of your turns in a random direction. It makes noises appropriate to the creature it represents.
Firework: This device can be set with a timer to create a small explosion. Setting the timer requires an action but any creature in the same 5 foot square as the device when it goes off takes must pass a dexterity save or take 1d4 fire damage. The DC for this save is equal to 8 + your Intelligence modifier + your proficiency bonus.
Music Box: When opened, this music box plays a single song at a moderate volume. The box stops playing when it reaches the song’s end or when it is closed.
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