Gnome
Gnomes, or the Forgotten Folk as they were sometimes known, were small humanoids known for their eccentric sense of humor, inquisitiveness, and engineering prowess. Having had few overt influences on the world's history but many small and unseen ones, gnomes were often overlooked by the powers that be, despite their craftiness and affinity for illusion magic. Gnomes were present in nearly every human city and most caravan-stop villages where other cultures and non-human races were at least tolerated.
The earliest gnomes were seldom seen by other folk due to the gnomes’ secretive nature and their propensity for living in forests and burrows. What they lacked in size, they made up for in cleverness. They confounded predators with traps and labyrinthine tunnels. They also learned magic from gods like Garl Glittergold, Baervan Wildwanderer, and Baravar Cloakshadow, who visited them in disguise. That magic eventually created the lineages of forest gnomes and rock gnomes.
Gnomes are petite folk with big eyes and pointed ears, who live around 425 years. Many gnomes like the feeling of a roof over their head, even if that “roof” is nothing more than a hat.
Basic Information
Anatomy
Gnomes were very small compared to most other races, with an average height of 3 ft and a weight of 45 lbs. They were smaller than halflings.
While halflings were commonly said to resemble short humans, gnomes were more comparable with elves, with whom they shared pointed ears and high cheekbones, or even dwarves, due to their tendency to grow beards and live underground. Many gnomes had a more feral appearance than either, however, with hair that often sprouted from their heads in odd directions.
The skin of gnomes ran in hue from reddish tans to earthy browns or even shades of gray, with exact hue somewhat dependent upon the ethnic origin of a gnome. Similarly, gnomish hair varied wildly in color from blond and brown to more exotic colors like white, orange, or even green. Gnomish eyes were often—particularly in individuals who were native to the Feywild—glittering black or blue, although more natural eye colors were also known to the race.
Genetics and Reproduction
There were several subraces of gnomes, as listed below:
Forest gnomes
Smaller than other gnomes, these gnomes were a shy, secretive folk, living deep in wooded areas.
Rock gnomes
Rock gnomes primarily occupied burrows beneath rolling, wooded hills throughout Faerûn.
Deep gnomes
The deep gnomes, or svirfneblin, dwelt in cities deep underground in the Underdark. They were far stealthier, much more combative, and avaricious than surface-dwelling gnomes. The former two qualities being because they had to constantly defend themselves against drow and other deadly enemies. Surface-dwelling gnomes had great respect, even reverence, for their Underdark brethren.
Growth Rate & Stages
Gnomes were also very long-lived, often living as long as elves, which meant living over three centuries was not uncommonly rare and five centuries was not unheard of. Generally, gnomes were considered to reach maturity at forty years of age. However, unlike elves or eladrin, gnomes showed a greater degree of aging as they grew older and once a gnome had passed his or her first century, their hair began to gray, if it was not already white, and their skin began to wrinkle as in humans or dwarves. However, even the oldest gnome retained a vitality that would be extraordinarily unusual among many of the younger races.
Ecology and Habitats
In the Feywild, as well as some places on Toril, gnomes typically lived in earthen burrows and dug-out homes akin to those used by badgers, foxes, or rabbits. As such they were fond of these small animals, feeling a sense of natural kinship with them. And much like these animals, gnomes had an aversion to danger that made them naturally inclined to hide away if able. Thus many gnomish homes were carefully hidden by magic or other methods.
Gnomes most often liked to keep badgers, giant badgers, and wolverines as guard animals in their lairs.
Additional Information
Social Structure
Like other races, gnomish culture varied based on region and ethnicity, but a few characteristics were common to most gnomes. Among virtually all gnomes, great value was placed on one's ability to avoid trouble and stay out of the way of others. Children's games often involved elements of stealth and, among adults, drawing attention to one's self was considered a breach of etiquette. Most gnomes tried to remain inconspicuous and quietly left the scene of a fight. The few legends of gnomish heroes were not of powerful warriors but of subtle tricksters, who sneaked past or tricked their opponents rather than vanquishing them in combat. This in part came from the long-standing issue gnomes had faced, namely their miniscule size compared to larger predators or enemies such as the fomorians of the Feywild, whom few gnomes could hope to stand toe to toe with in a fair fight.
Gnomes had an intricate society based on their love of all kinds of arts, pranks, and their long lives. Gnomes loved indulgence, and they made most celebrations on a grand scale.
Gnome weddings lasted for a week, even though gnomes didn't view love the same way humans did. If love began to go wrong between a couple they might break up, believing it was simply a prank by Garl Glittergold.
Their society was based on art; almost all gnomes took up some form of art, whether music, painting, cooking, building, or any other form that was considered creative by the time they came of age, or else they sponsored others.
When living among other races, particularly humans, in an urban environment, gnomes were often shopkeepers or worked as everyday blacksmiths (leaving the fancy armor and weaponsmithing to the dwarves). They also worked with brass, bronze, tin, and pewter, casting and etching practical household items. Other occupations included gemcutters, mechanics, sages, or teachers, the last in particular being a highly valued profession by human employers, who knew that a single gnome could tutor multiple generations.
Civilization and Culture
Beauty Ideals
In terms of clothing, gnomes often preferred those with earthen tones or made of leather. They similarly preferred jewelry with earthen tones.
3 ft
45 lbs
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