[d20r, Race] Gnome

[Fax Celestis]

Gnomes stand 3 to 3½ feet tall and weigh 40 to 45 pounds. Their skin color ranges from dark tan to woody brown, their hair is fair, and their eyes can be any shade of blue. Gnome males prefer short, carefully trimmed beards. Gnomes generally wear leather or earth tones, though they decorate their clothes with intricate stitching or fine jewelry. Gnomes reach adulthood at about age 40, and they live about 350 years, though some can live almost 500 years.

Gnomes speak their own language, Gnomish. Most gnomes who travel outside gnome lands (as traders, tinkers, or adventurers) know Common, while warriors in gnome settlements usually learn Goblin.

• -2 Strength, +2 Intelligence
• Small size: As Small creatures, gnomes gain a +1 size bonus to Armor Class, a +1 size bonus on attack rolls, and a +4 size bonus on Hide checks, but they must use smaller weapons than humans use, and their lifting and carrying limits are three-quarters of those of Medium-size characters.
• Gnomish: Gnomes are humanoids with the (Gnome) subtype.
• Speed: A gnome's base land speed is 20 feet.
• Low-Light Vision
• Weapon Familiarity: Gnomes treat any weapon that has the word 'gnome' in its name as a martial weapon rather than an exotic one.
• Masters of Illusion: Gnomes have a natural predilection towards illusion magic. Gnomes therefore increase the DC of spells they cast from the Figment, Glamer, and Phantasm subschools by 1. They also receive a +2 racial bonus on saves versus spells from the same subschools.
• Perceptive: Gnomes receive a +2 racial bonus on Awareness checks due to their keen senses.
• Tinker: Gnomes enjoy tinkering, whether with magic or with machines. As such, they receive a +2 racial bonus on any two Craft skills chosen at character creation.
• Natural Magic: A gnome has a small pool of reserve energy they may tap into daily. A gnome has one charge per three class levels, minimum one. A charge may be spent to activate one of the following spell-like abilities or to power a feat with the [Gnome] descriptor: dancing lights, ghost sound, prestidigitation, speak with animals. Caster level equals the gnome's class levels.
• Automatic Languages: Common, Gnomish. Bonus Languages: Draconic, Dwarven, Elven, Giant, Goblin, Orc.
• Favored Class: Wizard.

[Lappy9000]

All that needs to be said, my friend. Anything else I could say would be redundant, "This is awesome!"'s.

[MammonAzrael]

• Stats and size look good. I'm very happy you brought back the Int bonus from 2nd edition.
• Why is gnomish a subtype? Will there be non-gnomes with the gnomish subtype? Unless there is a solid purpose or mechanical difference for it, I think having the subtype gnomish is just extra, needless work. And why not a fey subtype, since gnomes are generally accepted as fey creatures (but not 4e "rar I'm a monster" style fey )
• Everything else looks great, with one question. Why did you decide to go with a DC boost to illusions? Any reason it beat out an increased CL?

Overall, I love it. A gnome was my first ever character, and I loved him (a 2nd edition gnome fighter with a insane desire to create a steampunk mech out of a toilet). God I miss him.

[Fax Celestis]

[*]Why is gnomish a subtype? Will there be non-gnomes with the gnomish subtype? Unless there is a solid purpose or mechanical difference for it, I think having the subtype gnomish is just extra, needless work. And why not a fey subtype, since gnomes are generally accepted as fey creatures (but not 4e "rar I'm a monster" style fey )

Actually, on that point, yes. There may be other gnome "subraces", if you will, that will still be "gnomes", but not this gnome. Further, the 3.5 game already subtypes gnomes.

Gnome, 1st-Level Warrior
Size/Type: Small Humanoid (Gnome)

[*]Everything else looks great, with one question. Why did you decide to go with a DC boost to illusions? Any reason it beat out an increased CL?

Increased CL is more powerful than DC boost, as it increases durations, ranges, and other various effects. A DC boost just makes them harder to resist, which I thought fit better with a race who had a natural inclination towards illusion.

[Tingel]

I like it, but I think the listed range of skin and hair colors is unnecessarily restrictive.

gnomes are generally accepted as fey creatures

They are?

[Fax Celestis]

I like it, but I think the listed range of skin and hair colors is unnecessarily restrictive.

Funny you should say that: that's straight from the MM.

[Vic_Sage]

Not really a fan of Gnomes *Plan on just making these guys a type of Fairy* but nice work on the mechanics.

[Tingel]

Funny you should say that: that's straight from the MM.

I know. But that doesn't make it any less unnecessarily restrictive.

[MammonAzrael]

They are?

Yup. Gnomes in 4e are now fey. I'm AWB right now, so I can't give you more concrete examples, but gnomes have always been at least marginally tied to fey. It's where their ability to talk with animals came from, for one.

[Zeta Kai]

They are?

Yes, they often are.

[ericgrau]

Very solid. The only thing I'd change would be to narrow down the craft options to a few specific choices so they don't take things like fletcher, weaponsmithing, etc. You could still allow additional options with DM approval, but as it stands players could easily use them for some odd crafts just b/c they feel like it.

[Daracaex]

Very solid. The only thing I'd change would be to narrow down the craft options to a few specific choices so they don't take things like fletcher, weaponsmithing, etc. You could still allow additional options with DM approval, but as it stands players could easily use them for some odd crafts just b/c they feel like it.

"And what would the problem with that be?" -Vaarsuvius

[Magnor Criol]

I dunno, ericgrau, I think that's fairly appropriate, really. "Tinker" works with anything.

Eh, I could see it both ways.

I like Natural Magic. One thing, though: for clarity's sake, I think I'd leave off the mention of the [Gnome] feats, and leave that explanation for when you describe feats. As it is, inserted between the mention of "these spells" and the list of spells themselves, it feels clunky. Or perhaps say "...activate these SLAs: X, Y, and Z. They can also power feats..." But that's purely an editing / organizational thing...

I love the changes. Great stuff, Fax, as usual.