Gnomes

Gnomes are cousins to the dwarves, usually friendly they help out other races, but are rarely seen unless they want to be. Slightly smaller in stature to their Dwarf cousins, the average Gnome stands between 2 ˝ feet to 3 ˝ feet tall. They are not as bulky as their cousins, rather having proportionate limbs, like a human, only smaller. Gnome males prefer to keep their beards short and stylishly-trimmed, the females wearing their hair in braids or high ponytails. Skin, hair, and eye color vary somewhat by sub-race. The average gnome lives to be about 450 years old. They have infravision up to 60', and the ability to detect sloping passages, unsafe stonework, and know what direction they are going underground. They are very immune to magic, but this also makes it hard for them to use magic items, for they almost always malfunction (Swords and armor are exempt).

Gnomes prefer to use smarts in battle rather then brute force, using imaginative ways to even the odds. They have great hatred for kobolds and goblins, for the destruction they wreak on and below the surface. They are adept at dodging the attacks of large opponents, giving all creatures over 6 ˝ feet tall or taller a great disadvantage.

Rock Gnome

The most common type of gnome, the rock gnomes tend to live in hilly locations, with burrows in a rocky out cropping. They have skin ranging from a dark tan to a woody brown (sometimes with a hint of gray), light colored hair, and eyes any shade of blue. They are able to communicate with burrowing mammals via a basic language of grunts, snorts, and signs. They spend their lives mining, crafting fine jewelry, and enjoying the fruits of their labors. Gnomes work hard, and play hard. The rock gnomes sometimes live with halflings, for they enjoy many of the same things.

Forest Gnome

Shy and elusive, the forest gnome lives deep in forests and shun contact with other races except in times of true dilemma. The smallest of the gnomes, they have bark-colored, gray-green skin, or a nice light brown, dark hair, and blue, brown, or green eyes. They are guardians of the forests and befriend the animals that live there. They will often help lost travelers but will strive to remain unseen while doing so.

Tinker Gnomes (Minoi)

Cheerful, industrious, and inept, tinker gnomes are graceful and quick in their movements, their hands deft and sure. Tinkers have rich brown or deep tan skin, with pale hair, and china-blue or violet eyes. Males favor oddly-styled beards and moustaches, and both sexes have rounded ears. They tend to speak rather rapidly, and are capable of talking and listening at the same time. Despite their friendliness, they are not well-liked by other races, their technological bent makes them quite alien to those accustom to magic.

Deep Gnomes(Svirfneblin)

Deep gnomes usually live far in the under dark, mining for gemstones. They are said to dwell in great cities under the earth. The location of these cities are hidden to protect them from their enemies, the drow and deugar. Their skin is rock colored, usually a medium brown to a brownish gray, and their eyes are gray. Males are completely bald, and the females have stringy gray hair. These small folk can also speak with any creature from the elemental plane of Earth via a curious language consisting of vibrations.

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