Gnomes
Gnomes are distant relatives of the fey, and their history tells of a time when they lived in the fey's mysterious realm, a place where colors are brighter, the wildlands wilder, and emotions more primal. Unknown forces drove the ancient gnomes from that realm long ago, forcing them to seek refuge in this world; despite this, the gnomes have never completely abandoned their fey roots or adapted to mortal culture. Though gnomes are no longer truly fey, their fey heritage can be seen in their innate magic powers, their oft-capricious natures, and their outlooks on life and the world.
Gnomes can have the same concerns and motivations as members of other races, but just as often they are driven by passions and desires that non-gnomes see as eccentric at best, and nonsensical at worst. A gnome may risk his life to taste the food at a giant's table, to reach the bottom of a pit just because it would be the lowest place he's ever been, or to tell jokes to a dragon—and to the gnome those goals are as worthy as researching a new spell, gaining vast wealth, or putting down a powerful evil force. While such apparently fickle and impulsive acts are not universal among gnomes, they are common enough for the race as a whole to have earned a reputation for being impetuous and at least a little mad.
Combined with their diminutive sizes, vibrant coloration, and lack of concern for the opinions of others, these attitudes have caused gnomes to be widely regarded by the other races as alien and strange. Gnomes, in turn, are often amazed how alike other common, civilized races are. It seems stranger to a gnome that humans and elves share so many similarities than that the gnomes do not. Indeed, gnomes often confound their allies by treating everyone who is not a gnome as part of a single, vast non-gnome collective race.
Low-Light Vision
Prerequisites: None; Benefit: Members of this race can see twice as far as a race with normal vision in conditions of dim light.
Defensive Training
Gnome Magic
Prerequisite: Gnome subtype; Benefit: Members of this race gain a +1 bonus to the DC of any saving throws against illusion spells that they cast. Members of this race with a Charisma score of 11 or higher also gain the following spell-like abilities: 1/day—dancing lights, ghost sounds, prestidigitation, speak with animals. The caster level for these effects is equal to the user's level. The DC for the spell-like abilities is equal to 10 + the spell's level + the user's Charisma modifier.
Hatred
Prerequisites: None; Benefit: Choose two subtypes of humanoids or outsiders or one creature type other than humanoid or outsider. Members of this race gain a +1 racial bonus on attack rolls against creatures of these subtypes or this type.
Illusion Resistance
Prerequisites: None; Benefit: Members of this race gain a +2 racial bonus on saving throws against illusion spells or effects.
Keen Senses
Obsessive
Weapon Familiarity
Prerequisites: None; Benefit: Choose up to two weapons, or one weapon and a racial weapon group. When choosing a racial weapon group, you must choose a group that includes the same name as one of your subtypes. Members of this race are proficient with those weapons. For the purposes of weapon familiarity, all bows are considered one weapon. Special: This trait can be taken up to two times. The second time it is taken, the race becomes proficient with another two weapons or one weapon and a racial weapon group.
Academician
Bond to the Land
Prerequisites: None; Benefit: Members of this race gain a +2 dodge bonus to AC when in a specific terrain type selected from the ranger's list of favored terrains. This choice is made at character creation, and cannot be changed.
Darkvision
Eternal Hope
Prerequisites: None; Benefit: Members of this race gain a +2 racial bonus on saving throws against fear and despair effects. Also, once per day, after a natural roll of 1 on a d20 roll, members of this race may reroll and use the second result.
Explorer
Fell Magic
Prerequisites: None; Benefit: Members of this race gain +1 to the DC of any saving throws against necromancy spells that they cast. Members of this race with a Wisdom score of 11 or higher also gain the following spell-like abilities: 1/day—bleed, chill touch, detect poison, touch of fatigue. The caster level for these effects is equal to the user's character level. The DC for these spell-like abilities is equal to 10 + the spell's level + the user's Wisdom modifier.
Gift of Tongues
Prerequisite: Standard or linguist language quality; Benefit: Members of this race gain a +1 racial bonus on Bluff and Diplomacy checks, and they learn one additional language every time they put a rank in the Linguistics skill.
Knack with Poison
Magical Linguist
Prerequisites: None; Benefit: Members of this race gain a +1 bonus to the DC of spells they cast that have the language-dependent descriptor or that create glyphs, symbols, or other magical writings. They also gain a +2 racial bonus on saving throws against such spells. Members of this race with a Charisma score of 11 or higher also gain the following spell-like abilities: 1/day—arcane mark, comprehend languages, message, read magic. The caster level for these spell-like abilities is equal to the user's character level.
Master Tinker
Prerequisites: None; Benefit: Members of this race gain a +1 bonus on Disable Device and Knowledge (engineering) checks. Members of this race are also treated as proficient with any weapon they have personally crafted.
Pyromaniac
Prerequisites: None; Benefit: Members of this race are treated as +1 level higher when casting spells with the fire descriptor, using granted powers of the Fire domain, using bloodline powers of the fire elemental bloodline, using the revelations of the oracle's flame mystery, and determining the damage of alchemist bombs that deal fire damage. This trait does not give members of this race early access to level-based powers; it only affects powers that they could already use without this trait. If a member of this race has a Charisma score of 11 or higher, it also gains the following spell-like abilities: 1/day—dancing lights, flare, prestidigitation, produce flame. The caster level for these spell-like abilities is equal to the user's character level.
Warden of Nature
- Size
- Small
- Speed
- 20 ft.
- Languages
- Common, Gnome, Sylvan, Draconic, Dwarven, Elven, Giant, Goblin, Orc
- Universe
- core
- Source
- Advanced Race Guide
Loading references...