Killer Gnomes (3.5 Race, PEACH)

[NeoSeraphi]

"I'm a barbarian! Rawr!"

Some gnomes are powerful illusionists, while others are proud bards and a few are inventive alchemists.

These are not those gnomes.

The killer gnomes are a deadly race that shake the world with unspeakable fear. They come down from the mountains in rag-tag bands of axe-wielding, awe-inspiring force.

Alignment: Killer gnomes tend to be Chaotic Neutral. They are equally good and evil after that. Killer gnomes who are neutral on the LNC axis make up the majority of the race's clerics, often worshipping Kord. Lawful killer gnomes do exist, but are rarely vocal about their commitment to the law around their kin, as they tend to get beaten up about that.

Racial Traits:

+2 Str, +2 Con, -2 Int, -2 Cha: Killer gnomes are far stronger than their rock gnome brethren, but lack the musical talent and intellect that their kin pride themselves in.

Small Size: As a small creature, the killer gnome receives a +1 Size bonus to attack rolls and AC, as well as a +4 size modifier to Hide checks, but takes a penalty to combat maneuvers, and can carry less weight and must use smaller weapons than a Medium creature.

Speed: A killer gnome has a base movement speed of 30'.

Low-Light Vision: A killer gnome can see twice as far as a human in low-lit areas.

Racial Proficiencies: A killer gnome is automatically proficient with the battle axe. (His mom made it for him)

Fire in the Blood (Ex): A killer gnome is able to tap into the inner fury of his blood and drive away his enemies with a swing of his blade. This ability functions like the rage ability of a 1st-level barbarian, except the killer gnome only receives +2 Strength, +2 Constitution. His AC penalty remains at -2. Otherwise, the normal bonuses and penalties for a standard rage apply. The rage lasts for 3 + the gnome's newly modified Constitution modifier rounds. A killer gnome may only use this ability once per day, and may not use it while he is fatigued or exhausted. A killer gnome with a lawful alignment may not use Fire in the Blood. Fire in the Blood stacks with rage.

Racial Skill Bonuses (Ex): Killer gnomes receive a +2 racial bonus on Intimidate and Handle Animal checks. Killer gnomes are very frightening creatures, but they still bond well with earth mammals.

Racial Enmity (Ex): A killer gnome receives a +4 dodge bonus to AC against creatures of the giant type.

Favored Class: Barbarian

Automatic Languages: Common and Gnome

Bonus Languages: Giant, Orc, Goblin, Elven, Dwarven





Racial Substitution Levels:

A killer gnome barbarian has the following optional racial substitution levels:

Level 1: Mountain Rage (Ex):

A killer gnome barbarian may choose to get mountain rage instead of rage. Mountain Rage functions in all ways like a normal rage, but when the killer gnome rages, he also increases a Size category (to a maximum of Colossal). In addition to the benefits of a normal rage, the killer gnome receives a +2 size bonus to Strength, and adjusts his Size penalties to all checks accordingly to his new size. The killer gnome's equipment grows with him.

This ability replaces rage. A killer gnome barbarian who would later receive greater rage, tireless rage, and mighty rage instead gets Greater Mountain Rage, Tireless Mountain Rage, and Mighty Mountain Rage (self-explanatory). A killer gnome barbarian who would receive additional daily uses of rage instead gains additional daily uses of Mountain Rage.

Level 3: Axe Focus (Ex):

A killer gnome barbarian can much more easily support the weight of a larger weapon. A killer gnome barbarian with Axe Focus may wield a battle axe or a greataxe one Size category larger than himself with no penalty. Additionally, the killer gnome barbarian may take fighter-only feats with Weapon Focus listed as a prerequisite as if he were a fighter equal to his barbarian level, but only if those feats apply to a single weapon, and that weapon must be an axe. (Such as Weapon Specialization (Greataxe) or Greater Weapon Focus (Battle axe) )

A killer gnome barbarian who takes this class feature does not gain the trap sense feature. A killer gnome barbarian with Axe Focus never gains trap sense.

Level 7: Life in the Wild

A killer gnome barbarian who takes the Life in the Wild class feature gains Track as a bonus feat, and also a +2 untyped bonus to Survival checks.

A killer gnome barbarian who take the Life in the Wild racial substitution level gives up the Damage Reduction class feature. Whenever the killer gnome barbarian would gain an additional point of Damage Reduction, he instead increases his bonus to Survival checks by +2.

[NeoSeraphi]

Reserved for Feats

[NeoSeraphi]

Reserved for the Killer Gnome Paragon class

[Morph Bark]

Rage as a 1st-level Barbarian is too strong. I'd make it like the rage some animals have, with +2/+2 instead of +4/+4. In turn though, you could have their base land speed be 30 ft. They deserve it.

Also, yay, other people making Small races with Strength bonuses!

[NeoSeraphi]

Rage as a 1st-level Barbarian is too strong. I'd make it like the rage some animals have, with +2/+2 instead of +4/+4. In turn though, you could have their base land speed be 30 ft. They deserve it.

Also, yay, other people making Small races with Strength bonuses!

Sounds reasonable. Done!

[Domriso]

I'll probably sic these on my players at some point, just to watch them squirm.

[Tanuki Tales]

Aw, no minion animal companion named Francis?

[SamBurke]

Awesome. Murderous shorties. I like... the Min-Maxer in me is wanting to use this soooooo bad, too.

[NeoSeraphi]

Aw, no minion animal companion named Francis?

See, I was gonna, but the minion thing is 4E. XD And granting an animal companion as a racial ability seemed a bit much. But there's no rule saying you can't dip druid while you're a barbarian!

[gkathellar]

Mountain Rage doesn't really do much for you. You trade +1 AC for +1-2.5 damage and a better grapple modifier. Which I guess is reasonable, but it feels like there should be more to it.

[Morph Bark]

Plus there is always the Wild Cohort feat.

[NeoSeraphi]

Mountain Rage doesn't really do much for you. You trade +1 AC for +1-2.5 damage and a better grapple modifier. Which I guess is reasonable, but it feels like there should be more to it.

Mountain Rage lets you use larger weapons. So from a small-sized greataxe to a Medium (or Large if you take Axe Focus)

From Medium to Large is 1d12 to 3d6, or an average of 6.5 damage to an average of 11 damage. And this is of course compared to a non-mountain barbarian gnome, who if using a small-sized greataxe, deals an average of 5.5 damage.

Additionally, because it is an Extraordinary size increase, it stacks with magical and psionic size increases, granting the possibility of increased reach and more damage (though of course the Strength bonuses won't stack) And Extraordinary size increases aren't suppressed in anti-magic fields.

Finally, Mountain Rage is ripped right from the goliath ACF of the same name in Races of Stone.

[gkathellar]

Mountain Rage lets you use larger weapons. So from a small-sized greataxe to a Medium (or Large if you take Axe Focus)

From Medium to Large is 1d12 to 3d6, or an average of 6.5 damage to an average of 11 damage. And this is of course compared to a non-mountain barbarian gnome, who if using a small-sized greataxe, deals an average of 5.5 damage.

Additionally, because it is an Extraordinary size increase, it stacks with magical and psionic size increases, granting the possibility of increased reach and more damage (though of course the Strength bonuses won't stack) And Extraordinary size increases aren't suppressed in anti-magic fields.

Finally, Mountain Rage is ripped right from the goliath ACF of the same name in Races of Stone.

Geh, my math is bad. Never mind.

[NeoSeraphi]

Geh, my math is bad. Never mind.

Don't feel bad, I post stuff that people immediately shoot down all the time. I'm just glad that you were basing your claim on incorrect math rather than the flavor or the function of the ability. (Suddenly the gnome grows two feet taller and then he's not so cute and funny-looking to a human any more)

[Morph Bark]

You know, rather than Mountain Rage, you could otherwise give them a unique ability. I mean, giving Mountain Rage to a race with Powerful Build is logical, but these don't have that.

Perhaps this?

Level 1: Master Rage (Su): A killer gnome barbarian may choose to get master rage instead of rage. Master Rage functions in all ways like a normal rage, but when the killer gnome rages, he also summons a badger minion (as an animal companion for a druid of a level equal to half his barbarian level). He loses the normal +4 bonus to Constitution, but his minion gains a +4 bonus to Strength as well. The two work incredibly well together, granting each other a +3 bonus on Aid Another checks and on attack rolls while flanking, rather than the normal +2. The minion remains until his rage ends.

This ability replaces rage. A killer gnome barbarian who would later receive greater rage, tireless rage, and mighty rage instead gets Greater Master Rage, Tireless Master Rage, and Mighty Master Rage (self-explanatory). A killer gnome barbarian who would receive additional daily uses of rage instead gains additional daily uses of Master Rage.

Could probably be better-worded, but eh.

Also, I'm wondering if the -2 Cha couldn't be turned into -2 Wis, but perhaps that is a bad idea. Alternatively, perhaps a +2 bonus to Diplomacy or Handle Animal.

[NeoSeraphi]

You know, rather than Mountain Rage, you could otherwise give them a unique ability. I mean, giving Mountain Rage to a race with Powerful Build is logical, but these don't have that.

Perhaps this?

Level 1: Master Rage (Su): A killer gnome barbarian may choose to get master rage instead of rage. Master Rage functions in all ways like a normal rage, but when the killer gnome rages, he also summons a badger minion (as an animal companion for a druid of a level equal to half his barbarian level). He loses the normal +4 bonus to Constitution, but his minion gains a +4 bonus to Strength as well. The two work incredibly well together, granting each other a +3 bonus on Aid Another checks and on attack rolls while flanking, rather than the normal +2. The minion remains until his rage ends.

This ability replaces rage. A killer gnome barbarian who would later receive greater rage, tireless rage, and mighty rage instead gets Greater Master Rage, Tireless Master Rage, and Mighty Master Rage (self-explanatory). A killer gnome barbarian who would receive additional daily uses of rage instead gains additional daily uses of Master Rage.

Could probably be better-worded, but eh.

See...that's funny, and it fits the "4E gnome" picture and somewhat theme, but I was going for a more "actual killer" gnome feel. You know, something violent, deadly and barbaric (not cute and naive like the video)

Edit: I guess I should explain this a bit better. See, at my tables, gnomes are never taken very seriously. Even on the forums, while occasionally gnomes are brought up for casters and other situations where small size and a Con bonus is nice, they always take a backseat to humans and dwarves (who get both the Con bonus and a host of other cool abilities)

The exception is Whisper Gnomes. Whisper gnomes are great. So I wanted to make a race that did for the gnome warrior what whisper gnome did for the gnome rogue. And here we are.

Also, I'm wondering if the -2 Cha couldn't be turned into -2 Wis, but perhaps that is a bad idea. Alternatively, perhaps a +2 bonus to Diplomacy or Handle Animal.

I could see the Handle Animal, but not Diplomacy. In my mind these guys are face-smashing, pillaging, nomadic savages. Still, I guess I could give them +2 Intimidate and Handle Animal instead of Listen. Separates them more from rock gnomes.