Gnomes were created by Shylar, along with the elves, to tend her gardens in Henipur and their close ties to nature have remained intrinsic to them ever since. Their bond with the elves has also remained, and many gnomes still follow elven deities. Like the elves, the gnomes came to Arrasia to help defend it from the evil that had consumed it, but soon found themselves overwhelmed and caught in a fight for their own survival. Soon, they fled the War of Chaos and made homes for themselves away from the communities of men, dwarves and the evil humanoid races, preferring instead to dwell in the hills, woods and forests.

Gnomes stand 3 to 3-1/2 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, Gnome. Most gnomes who travel outside gnome lands (as traders, tinkers, or adventurers) know at least one human tongue, while warriors in gnome settlements usually learn Goblin.

Most gnomes encountered outside their home are warriors.

GNOMISH HOMELANDS

Although gnomes can be found throughout the kingdoms of men, where their skills are put to good use and where they are well regarded, the majority of gnomes dwell in communities amongst the hills of Arrasia. Gnomes have also found homes for themselves in the bowels underneath the surface of Arrasia, as well as in forests, jungles, deserts and even the frozen arctic climes. Durable and highly adaptable, gnomes will make homes for themselves wherever they must, though usually where they can sell their goods for a quick profit.

Rock gnomes are the most common species, preferring to live in cozy burrows built into the sides of valleys, though many are just as happy to live above ground, usually in complex barrow-like structures, lined with stone and with grass growing over them. Industrious and inventive, rock gnomes love to make new things and dabble with old items and are renown for their mechanical wonders. Naturally curious, they also make excellent alchemists, which they often use to augment their enjoyment of illusory magic - especially of the prankish variety.

Gnomes can be found all over (and under) Arrasia, living in tight knit and co-operative communities where the needs of the community always outweigh the needs of the individual. Although gnomish communities tend to be small - tucked away into small and well-hidden valleys amongst the hills - and isolated, they are always aware of the other communities around them, with whom they will trade their goods and services.

Most numerous in The Great Northern Hills, where gnomish communities can be found hid throughout the valleys, both Daccathan and Unsyr have emerged as large and well-defended gnomish towns, which play a full roll in the trade with the dwarves with whom they share the hills, the halflings of Ciradel and the people of Tharg. However, without doubt the largest and greatest of all the gnome communities is Rathanak, which has a population in the thousands and stands as the capital and spiritual homeland for rock gnomes throughout Arrasia.

Rock gnome communities can also be found in Ochlan Grampus, The Silver Hills and all across the hills of mid-Arrasia, but only in small numbers. Dendor, in The South Downs, and Siran and Harikir, located in the Gava Hills, are the only other significant gnomish communities, around which smaller communities are numerous.

Forest gnome communities are always small and, though rarely seen, can be found in most large woods and forests, though never in large numbers. The Endless Forest is home to the largest numbers of forest gnomes, where they are well hid from all except the elves, with whom they have good relations. They can also be found in Yander Hothinbelim, Ouicillith Yamuth, Fayn Eduth, and Caliph Wood, amongst others.

Jungle gnomes tend to build their communities on the rivers, with boats tied together to form a writhing bridge from one bank to the other, interspersed with intricate channels and canals. They rarely stay in the same place for too long, as they migrate up and down the rivers as it suits their needs and mood. They prefer to remain within the heart of the forest, well away from its edges, and are found throughout the hot, tropical forests of Femmen Thirl, Femmen Verraba and even The Dead Jungle.

Desert gnome communities are important members of the desert ecology. Although some desert gnome communities can be found around the lush and natural water springs that dot the baked desert lands, most are hot and dusty affairs built around deep gnome-made water holes. All desert gnome communities are small and well defended, though always open to those that would trade with them. This is especially true of the desert elves that traverse the baking sands, with whom they have forged good relations. The gnomes tend to live however they can - burrows in the hard valley sides or tents if there is nothing but sand.

Deep gnomes - more commonly known as svirfneblin - are the rarest and least encountered of all the gnomes. Living deep in the belly of Arrasia, far underground, the svirfneblin are shy and wary, preferring to slink in the shadows and hide away from strangers. Their communities are generally small in size, rarely encountered and usually well defended, though rumors of large svirfneblin cities are common. They have little to do with the other races of the underworld, interacting with them only if they must, surviving through ingenuity, stealth and deception.

Arctic gnomes live in the frozen north, usually around the base of The White Mountains where they live amongst the rocky valleys and slopes, their communities hidden away and difficult to find. Arctic gnomes are extremely industrious and often wander far from home, in small bands, to hawk their goods or sell their skills or, more usually, both. They are welcome visitors amongst the settlements of The Savage Coast and The Badlands and they maintain good relations (and trade) with the arctic dwarves.

GNOMISH POLITICS AND SOCIETY

Gnome society is usually close knit, with generations of the same family often living and working together in a single burrow, where the fit and healthy look after the material needs of the household and the weak and frail the spiritual needs. The eldest members of the community are held with great respect and their knowledge and wisdom is always sought from the younger gnomes - both as a mark of respect and as a matter of practicality.

The head of any gnome community - called the Elder - is usually the wisest and most respected from amongst them. The Elder is chosen by the adults of the community and serves for a period of 25 years, before either being reelected or the community chooses a new Elder to govern them. The Elder is advised by the Wise Council, which is any number of gnomes chosen (and elected) by the community - nearly always the older, respected members of the community. They serve for a 10-year period, before being reelected, and their role is to help the Elder with his duties and advise him as they see fit.

All community-based decisions are made by the Wise Council, who represent the gnomes who have elected them. It is based on a majority decision, with each member of the council worth the value of one vote, except the Elder, who is worth a number of votes equal to one third the number of members in the Wise Council.

Gnomes are almost constantly busy designing and making things. Experts with intricate designs and excellent problem solvers and lateral thinkers, gnome communities are usually a hive of activity as they produce goods to trade and barter with. They also hire out their services for all manner of projects that involve complex design or mechanical solutions

Rock Gnomes

Rock gnomes are the most common variety and are found throughout the hills and valleys of Arrasia, though either amongst or on the edge of the civilized and populated parts of the world. They are hard working, with clever hands, but can also be frivolous and always enjoy a good practical joke at someone else's expense - especially when it is combined with an illusory trick or two.

Rock gnomes avoid outright confrontation, preferring misdirection and deception when combat is necessary. They would rather befuddle or embarrass foes (other than goblinoids or kobolds) than kill them. Gnomes make heavy use of illusion magic and carefully prepared ambushes and traps whenever they can, aware of their limitations as soldiers and always preferring to work to their strengths and their opponent's weaknesses.

Rock Gnome Traits (Ex): Rock gnomes possess the following racial traits.

• -2 Strength, +2 Constitution.
• Small size. +1 bonus to Armor Class, +1 bonus on attack rolls, +4 bonus on Hide checks, -4 penalty on grapple checks, lifting and carrying limits 3/4 those of Medium characters.
• A gnome's base land speed is 20 feet.
• Low-light vision.
• Weapon Familiarity: Gnomes may treat gnome hooked hammers as martial weapons rather than exotic weapons.
• +2 racial bonus on saving throws against illusions.
• Add +1 to the Difficulty Class for all saving throws against illusion spells cast by gnomes. This adjustment stacks with those from similar effects, such as the Spell Focus feat.
• +1 racial bonus on attack rolls against kobolds and goblinoids (including goblins, hobgoblins, and bugbears).
• +4 dodge bonus to Armor Class against creatures of the giant type (such as ogres, trolls, and hill giants).
• +2 racial bonus on Listen checks.
• +2 racial bonus on Craft (alchemy) checks.
• Automatic Languages: Gnome and one Human tongue. Bonus Languages: Draconic, Dwarven, Elven, Giant, Goblin, Orc.
• Spell-Like Abilities: 1/day - speak with animals (burrowing mammal only, duration 1 minute). A gnome with a Charisma score of at least 10 also has the following spell-like abilities: 1/day - dancing lights, ghost sound, prestidigitation. Caster level 1st; save DC 10 + gnome's Cha modifier + spell level.
• Favored Class: Bard.

SUBRACES

The information above is for rock gnomes, the most common variety.

There are five other major gnome subraces, which differ from rock gnomes as follows.

Svirfneblin

Also called deep gnomes, svirfneblin are shy creatures and generally avoid contact with others - even other svirfneblin communities, if they can - preferring stealth and lurking hidden in the darkness of their world. They are also experts in stonework and their homes are intricate and elaborate tunnels dug out over the period of many generations.

A svirfneblin has wiry, rock-colored skin usually medium brown to brownish gray. Only males are bald; females have stringy gray hair. The average svirfneblin lifespan is 250 years.

Svirfneblin speak Gnome, at least one human tongue, and Xamian.

Svirfneblin Traits (Ex): These traits are in addition to the rock gnome traits, except where noted.

• -2 Strength, +2 Dexterity, +2 Wisdom, -4 Charisma. These adjustments replace the rock gnome's ability score adjustments.
• Stonecunning: This ability grants deep gnomes a +2 racial bonus on Search checks to notice unusual stonework. A deep gnome who merely comes within 10 feet of unusual stonework can make a Search check as though actively searching, and can use the Search skill to find stonework traps as a rogue can. A svirfneblin can also intuit depth, sensing the approximate distance underground as naturally as a human can sense which way is up.
• Darkvision out to 120 feet and low-light vision.
• Spell resistance equal to 11 + class levels.
• +2 racial bonus on all saving throws. This trait replaces the rock gnome's racial bonus on saving throws against illusions.
• Add +1 to the Difficulty Class for all saving throws against illusion spells cast by svirfneblin. This adjustment stacks with those from similar effects, such as the Spell Focus feat.
• +1 racial bonus on attack rolls against kobolds and goblinoids.
• +4 dodge bonus to Armor Class against all creatures. This trait replaces the rock gnome's dodge bonus against giants.
• Automatic Languages: Xamian, Gnome, one Human tongue. Bonus Languages: Dwarven, Elven, Giant, Goblin, Orc, Terran. This trait replaces the rock gnome's automatic and bonus languages.
• Spell-Like Abilities: 1/day - blindness/deafness (typical save DC 13), blur, disguise self. Caster level equals the svirfneblin's class levels. The save DC is Charisma-based and include a +4 racial modifier. This trait replaces the rock gnome's spell-like abilities.
• Nondetection (Su): A svirfneblin has a continuous nondetection ability as the spell (caster level equal to class levels).
• +2 racial bonus on Craft (alchemy) and Listen checks.
• +2 racial bonus on Hide checks, which improves to +4 underground.
• Favored Class: Rogue.
• Level adjustment +3.
• Challenge Rating: Svirfneblin with levels in NPC classes have a CR equal to their character level. Svirfneblin with levels in PC classes have a CR equal to their character level +1.

Arctic Gnome

Arctic gnomes are tough and hardy, their communities located in the frozen north of Arrasia. They tend to wander in small bands, looking for trade and goods, and travel the ice and snow on sleds pulled by wolves or polar bears. The sleds are often enclosed, keeping the freezing temperatures at bay and supplying a ready-made tent.

Arctic goblins are a constant threat to the arctic gnomes' communities and when they are seen, a community will ready its defenses and prepare for the inevitable conflict. However, once made aware, the arctic goblins struggle against the gnomes, whose magic and trickery is often too much for them.

Arctic Gnome Traits (Ex): These traits are in addition to the rock gnome traits, except where noted.

• +2 racial bonus on Sense Motive checks: arctic gnomes always seem to know instinctively when their welcome is wearing out.
• No racial bonus on Craft (alchemy) checks.
• Cold Endurance: +4 racial bonus on Fortitude saves made to resist the effects of cold weather or exposure.

Desert Gnome

Desert gnomes establish and operate fortified trading posts around water holes and oases, cultivating crops wherever possible and scouring the surrounding desert for the wealth of ancient buried civilizations. Desert gnome outposts are rarely quiet, doing business both day and night. They are on especially good terms with the desert elves. Desert gnomes are the most aggressive of all the gnomes, quick to defend themselves from the many threats posed by the desert. Like their rock gnome counterparts, however, they prefer to avoid direct confrontation.

A desert gnomes' skin color tends to be tan to golden and dark brown, with usually short, dark hair. Despite the heat, gnome males still sport trimmed beards. They tend to wear loose clothes which protect them from the baking sun and heat of the desert.

Desert Gnome Traits (Ex): These traits are in addition to the rock gnome traits, except where noted.
• +2 racial bonus on Bluff, Diplomacy and Sense Motive checks: Desert gnomes are skilled at haggling and negotiating.
• No racial bonus on Listen checks or Craft (alchemy) checks.
• Heat Endurance: Desert gnomes gain a +4 racial bonus on Fortitude saves made to resist the effects of hot weather.
• Favored Class: Specialist Wizard (Illusionist). This trait replaces the rock gnome's favored class.

Forest Gnome

Forest gnomes generally prefer their own company and, occasionally, the company of elves, and are rarely encountered or seen by those that they wish to avoid. Living under the canopies of the forests of Arrasia, where their burrows and communities are well hidden, they have very little to do with the outside world.

They are the smallest of all the gnomes, averaging 2 to 2-1/2 feet in height, but look just like regular gnomes except with bark-colored or gray-green skin, and eyes that can be brown or green as well as blue. A very long-lived people, forest gnomes have an average life expectancy of 500 years.

Forest Gnome Traits (Ex): These traits are in addition to the rock gnome traits, except where noted.

• Pass without Trace (Su): A forest gnome has the innate ability to use pass without trace (self only, as a free action) as the spell cast by a druid of the forest gnome's class levels.
• +1 racial bonus on attack rolls against kobolds, goblinoids, orcs, and reptilian humanoids.
• Automatic Languages: Gnome, Elven, Sylvan, and a simple language that enables them to communicate on a very basic level with forest animals (this replaces the rock gnome's speak with animals ability). Bonus Languages: Draconic, Dwarven, Giant, Goblin, Orc and any Human. This trait replaces the rock gnome's automatic and bonus languages.
• +4 racial bonus on Hide checks, which improves to +8 in a wooded area.

Jungle Gnome

Jungle Gnomes live in and along the mighty rivers that wind through the jungles. A gnome jungle town is often a collection of boats tied together across a river, with channels to allow passing vessels through (after they pay a toll, of course). Jungle gnomes are also seen traveling the rivers, trading what they can find to those that they meet along the way.

The skin of jungle gnomes tends to be tough and heavily wrinkled and, unlike almost all other varieties of gnomes, the males generally avoid beards - being an excellent place for the numerous bugs of the jungle to live and breed. They are essentially nomadic in nature, with their river communities moving up and down the river at their pleasure. Some consider them scavengers of the jungle, while others regard them as essential to the jungle ecology.

Jungle Gnome Traits (Ex): These traits are in addition to the rock gnome traits, except where noted.

• No racial bonus on attack rolls against kobolds.
• No dodge bonus to Armor Class against giants.
• +2 racial bonus on Climb and Swim checks: jungle gnomes live their long lives clambering in and out of boats, and in and out of water.
• +2 racial bonus on Craft (shipbuilding) checks. A little lumber and a few simple tools make for a happy and industrious jungle gnome.
• +2 racial bonus on Use Rope checks: jungle gnomes consider rope the most useful tool on their boats.
• No racial bonus on Listen or Craft (alchemy) checks.