Editing Gnome (section)

==PC Stats==
For stats for the [[Svirfneblin]] and [[Tinker Gnome]] variants, see their respective pages.

===1e===
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::Ability Score Minimum/Maximum: Strength 6/18, Dexterity 3/18, Constitution 8/18, Intelligence 7/18, Wisdom 3/18, Charisma 3/18
:::Female Gnomes reduce their Maximum Strength value to 15.
::Ability Score Adjustments: None
::Class & Level Limitations: [[Cleric]] 7, [[Fighter]] 5 (6 if they have Str 18), [[Illusionist]] 5 (6 if Int and Dex are 17, 7 if Int and Dex are 18), [[Thief]] Unlimited, [[Assassin]] 8
::+1 racial bonus to saving throws vs. wands/staves/rods/spells per 3.5 points of Constitution.
::Infravision 60 feet
::80% chance to detect grade/slope in a passage.
::70% chance to detect unsafe walls, ceilings or floors.
::60% chance to determine approximate depth underground.
::50% chance to determine direction of travel underground.
::+1 racial bonus to attack rolls against [[kobold]]s and [[goblin]]s.
::-4 to Armor Class against [[gnoll]]s, [[bugbear]]s, [[ogre]]s, [[troll]]s, [[oni]], [[giant]]s and [[titan]]s.
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===2e===
;Rock Gnome
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::Ability Score Minimum/Maximum: Strength 6/18, Dexterity 3/18, Constitution 8/18, Intelligence 7/19, Wisdom 3/17, Charisma 3/18
::Ability Score Adjustments: +1 Intelligence, -1 Wisdom
::Infravision 60 feet
::Speak to Burrowing Animals
::Detect Underground Features: Sloping Passages (1-5 on a d6), Flawed Stonework (1-7 on a d10), approximate depth underground (1-4 on a d6) and approximate direction underground (1-3 on a d6).
::Gain a +1 bonus to save vs. spell for every 3.5 points of Constitution.
::+1 to melee attack rolls against [[kobold]]s and [[goblin]]s.
::-4 bonus to Armor Class against all [[Giant]] class creatures.
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;Forest Gnome
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::Ability Score Minimum/Maximum:  Strength 3/17, Dexterity 8/19, Constitution 8/18, Intelligence 3/17, Wisdom 6/18, Charisma 3/18
::Ability Score Adjustments: +1 Dexterity, +1 Wisdom, -1 Strength, -1 Intelligence
::Speak to Forest Animals
::Pass Without Trace: Forest Gnomes leave no trace of their passage in any kind of wooded terrain.
::Gain a +1 bonus to save vs. spell for every 3.5 points of Constitution.
::Hide In Woods: A Forest Gnome inflicts a -4 penalty to its opponents' Surprise Rolls when in woodlands.
::-4 bonus to Armor CLass when fighting man-sized or larger creatures.
::+1 bonus to all attack & damage rolls when fighting [[orc]]s, [[lizardfolk]], [[troglodyte]]s or any creature they have directly observed damaging the woodlands.
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===3rd Edition===
;Common/Rock Gnome
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::+2 Constitution, -2 Strength
::Small
::Base Land Speed 20 feet
::Low-Light Vision
::Weapon Familiarity: Gnomish Hooked Hammer
::+2 racial bonus on saving throws vs. illusions.
::Illusion spells cast by a gnome increase their Saving DC by +1.
::+1 racial bonus on attack rolls against [[kobold]]s and [[goblinoid]]s.
::+4 dodge bonus to Armor Class against Giant type creatures.
::+2 racial bonus on Listen and Craft (Alchemy) checks.
::Spell-Like Abilities: Speak With Animals (Burrowing Animals only) 1/day. A gnome with Charisma 10+ can also cast Dancing Lights, Ghost Sound and Prestidigitation 1/day.
::[[Favored Class]]: [[Bard]]
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Like all the PHB races that weren't [[Human]] and [[Dwarf]], Gnome is incredibly underwhelming in core.

Various other gnomish subraces popped up in other sources.

Gnomes in the [[Ravenloft]] 3e setting are unchanged, bar the fact they have an [[Outsider Rating]] of 2.

Races of Faerun reintroduced that old gnomish subrace, the '''Forest Gnome''', which makes the following tweaks to the standard gnome PC profile:

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::+4 racial bonus on Hide checks, increasing to +8 in forest settings.
::+1 racial bonus on attack rolls against [[kobold]]s, [[orc]]s, [[goblinoid]]s and [[scalykind|reptilian humanoids]].
::Bonus Spell-Like Abilities: Pass Without Trace and Speak With Animals, both At-Will, both Self Only, with caster level equaling a [[Druid]]] of the forest gnome's character level.
::[[Level Adjustment]]: +1
::[[Favored Class]]: [[Illusionist]]
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[[Dragon Magazine]] #291 introduced two new subraces; the '''Arcane Gnome''' and the '''River Gnome'''.

''Arcane Gnomes'' are a subspecies of gnome that has begun developing from gnomish [[wizard]] families dwelling in suburbanized areas, resulting in lessened aptitude for their traditional nature-based powers and increased aptitude for arcane magic. An Arcane Gnome PC makes the following tweaks to the gnome racial writeup:

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::Ability Score Modifiers become +2 Consitution, +2 Intelligence, -2 Strength, -2 Wisdom.
::Use Magical Device is always a class skill.
::Lose the Speak With Animals spell-like ability.
::Changes [[Favored Class]] from [[Bard]] to [[Wizard]].
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''River Gnomes'' are akin to Forest Gnomes, but settling along the banks of rivers or in caves concealed behind waterfalls. They are share a similar reclusive attitude to forest gnomes, and are known for their swimming abilities and agility. River Gnomes tweak the gnome PC stats like so:

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::Speak With Animals works on river animals, not burrowing animals.
::Swim speed 20 feet, +8 racial bonus to Swim checks, can always Take 10 on a Swim check, can Run whilst swimming if they move in a straight line.
::Can hold breath for rounds equal to 4 times their Constitution score.
::+1 racial bonus to Initiative checks.
::Lose the Dancing Lights, Ghost Sound and Prestidigitation spell-like abilities.
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When it came to environmental variants, the gnomes got the short stick. Only Frostburn and Stormwrack introduced new subspecies, and the Frostburn subspecies was particularly lackluster - perhaps becase of the overlap with the [[Uldra]].

'''Ice Gnomes''' are frostfell gnomes who really don't differ much from their common rock gnome kindred outside those necessary cultural tweaks required to survive where they do. Ice Gnome PCs simply need to tweak their spell-like abilities; their Speak With Animals functions on arctic mammals only, whilst their bonus SLAs for high [[Charisma]] are Dancing Lights, Prestidigitation and Ray of Frost.

'''Wavecrest Gnomes''', in comparison, are coastal gnomes, who settle small islands and hidden lagoons, where they build villages of half-buried, round-topped  buildings along the coasts and shorelines. Wavecrest gnomes make the following PC tweaks:
::Racial bonus to attack rolls against [[kobold]]s and [[goblinoid]]s is replaced with a +1 racial bonus to attack rolls against [[locathah]] and [[sahuagin]].
::Spell-like Abilities are changed: Speak With Animals only functions on sea birds, bonus SLAs for high [[Charisma]] are Dancing Lights, Know Direction and Prestigiditation.

Races of Stone finished the family tree with two new divergent races...

'''Chaos Gnomes''', also called '''Imago''' (plural and singular), are a gnomish subbreed infused with the raw essence of chaos, especially in the form of arcane magic and luck. They can perhaps be seen as a further mutation of the Arcane Gnome subrace, where generations of wizardly study have mutated them and resulted in a more potent and direct connection to the raw energies of magic. Whilst usually seen as slightly mad, they also possess their own intuitive form of brilliance. They are fascinated by probability, chance and randomness, love arcane magic, and have a great sense of humor, though rarely become tricksters or pranksters. They look much like most gnomes, but their eyes are brightly colored, changing between red, blue, green and violet depending on their mood. Their hair is similarly bright, ranging from vivid red to blond.

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::+2 Dexterity, +2 Constitution, +2 Charisma, -2 Strength
::Small
::Base Speed 20 feet
::Low-light Vision
::Weapon Familiarity: Gnome Hooked Hammers are Martial  Weapons for a chaos gnome.
::Spell Power: A chaos gnome's effective caster level is increased by +1 when casting a spell with the Chaos descriptor. This stacks with other spell power abilities.
::+4 dodge bonus to Armor Class against [[Giant]]-type monsters.
::+2 racial bonus to Listen checks.
::Luck of Chaos (Ex): Once per day, a chaos gnome can immediately declare a reroll of a roll they have made. This is done before the results are declared by the DM, and the second result must be taken, even if it changes success into failure.
::Immune to Confusion effects.
::Spell-like Abilities: Entropic Shield 1/day. A chaos gnome with Charisma 10+ can also cast Daze, Flare and Prestidigitation, 1/day each. For all SLAs, caster level is 1st, with save DC 10 + chaos gnome's Cha modifier + Spell level.
::[[Level Adjustment]]: +1
::[[Favored Class]]: [[Sorcerer (Dungeons & Dragons)|Sorcerer]].
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'''Whisper Gnomes''' are a secretive, suspicious, and reclusive branch of the gnome family tree. Experts in stealth even by gnomish standards, these paranoid gnomes distrust all other races, including their rock gnome kindred, and are greeted with equal suspiciousness in turn. They stand slightly taller than most gnomes, and have drab colorations, with light gray to light green skin and pale blue or gray eyes.

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::+2 Dexterity, +2 Constitution, -2 Strength, -2 Charisma
::Small
::Base speed 30 feet
::Low-light Vision
::Darkvision 60 feet
::Weapon Familiarity: Gnome Hooked Hammers are Martial  Weapons for a whisper gnome.
::+1 racial bonus on attack rolls against [[kobold]]s and [[goblinoid]]s.
::+4 dodge bonus to Armor Class against [[Giant]]-type creatures.
::+4 racial bonus on Hide and Move Silently checks.
::+2 racial bonus on Listen and Spot checks.
::Spell Like Abilities: Silence 1/day (centered on whisper gnome). Whisper Gnomes with Charisma 10+ can also cast Ghost Sound, Mage Hand and Message 1/day each. All have a caster level of 1st and a Save DC of 10 + whisper gnome's Cha modifier + spell level.
::[[Favored Class]]: [[Rogue]]
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It also introduced the one reasons to play a Gnome in 3E: The Gnome Illusionist substitution levels and Shadowcraft Mage. The Gnome Illusionist variant trades penalties with various schools of magic for earlier access to illusion spells (most importantly Silent Image as a cantrip). Shadowcraft Mage is a Gnome-only [[Prestige Class]] lets the user make ''all'' illusions they cast function as the Shadow X (Shadow Conjuration, Shadow Evocation ect.) line of spells, allowing them to cast any Sorcerer/Wizard spell from the Conjuration (creation), Conjuration (summoning) or Evocation school of lower level at the cost people may not believe it and be partially effected. The class also gets the ability to make Shadow X spells more real on a failed save. On its own this is merely a good class, but there's two (not necessarily mutually exclusive) ways to break it in two.

The first is to raise the spell level of an illusion spell without raising the spell slot it requires. Just combining any metamagic reducers with Heighten Spell is enough to break this to absurd levels. Arcane Discipline can make Miracle a Sorcerer/Wizard evocation spell. This means you can preform acts of god with a cantrip.

The second method is to combine various ways to increase the partial reality of shadow bases spells. If you combine enough of these you can reach in excess of 100% realness, with 140% being the record. This means you can do things like create 70 proof alcohol.

===4th Edition===
There are three distinct gnome races in 4th edition. This page covers the Feywild/Common Gnome (PHB2) - for the [[Tinker Gnome]] ([[Dragon Magazine]] #420) and the [[Svirfneblin]] (Dungeon Survival Handbook), see their own pages.

;Feywild Gnome
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::Ability Score Modifiers: +2 Intelligence, +2 Charisma OR +2 Dexterity
::Size: Small
::Speed: 5 squares
::Vision: Low-Light
::Skill Bonuses: +2 Arcana, +2 Stealth
::Fey Origin: You are a Fey creature for effects that key off of origin.
::Master Trickster: You can cast the Ghost Sound cantrip 1/encounter as a minor action.
::Reactive Stealth: If you have any cover or concealment wen making an Initiative check, you can also make a Stealth check.
::Trickster's Cunning: +5 racial bonus to all saving throws against illusions.
::Racial Power - Fade Away: You can become Invisible until the end of your next turn or until you attack as an Immediate Reaction to taking damage.
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===5th Edition===
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::Ability Score: +2 Intelligence.
::Typical Alignment: Any Good Alignment
::Size: Small. Between 3 and 4 feet tall, and clocking in at an average of 40 pounds.
::Speed: Base walking speed of 25 feet.
::Darkvision
::Gnome Cunning: Advantage on all mental (Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma) saving throws against magic.
::Languages: Common, Gnomish

;Forest Gnome
::Ability Score: +1 Dexterity
::Natural Illusionist: Free Minor Illusion Cantrip, with Intelligence as the modifier.
::Speak with Small Beasts: You can communicate simple ideas with Small or smaller beasts through sounds and gestures. Be prepared for your party to ask if you're having a stroke if you use this.

;Rock Gnome
::Ability Score: +1 Constitution
::Artificer's Lore: Double Proficiency bonus when making History checks related to magic items, alchemical objects, or technological devices.
::Tinker: Proficiency with Tinker's Tools. Using the tools, you can spend an hour and 10 gp worth of materials to construct a Tiny clockwork device. It ceases to function after 24 hours unless you spend 1 hour repairing it, or you use an action to dismantle it. At that time, you can reclaim the materials used to create it. You can only have three active at one time.
* Clockwork Toy: The toy is a clockwork animal, monster, or person. When activated and placed on the ground, they toy moves five feet in a random direction. It makes noises appropriate to the creature it represents.
* Fire Starter: It's a lighter. Use requires an action.
* Music Box: When opened, the box plays a single song at a moderate volume. The box stops playing upon reaching the songs end or when it's closed.
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===3rd Party Settings===
;[[World of Farland]]
In addition to the standard Rock and Forest Gnome subraces, which here are called ''Tunnel Gnomes'' and ''Sun Gnomes'', the gnomes of the [[World of Farland]] have three unique subraces.

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'''Crown Gnomes''' are the traditional leadership cast of the gnomish race, and reputed to have [[dwarf]] blood. They appear in both the Player's Guide and the historical "War of the Immortals" subsetting, with the following stats:
::Ability Score Increase: +1 Wisdom
::Born Leader: You are Proficient in Persuasion and can cast the Friends cantrip using Wisdom as your spellcasting ability score.

'''Fairy Gnomes''' are the distant ancestors of the Sun Gnomes, and have presumably gone extinct in the modern era. They were noted for sometimes having minor animal features, such as tails or ears.
::Ability Score Increase: +1 Charisma
::Fairy Magic: After completing a long rest, select one Cantrip from the [[Bard]] spell list. You can use that Cantrip until you next complete a long rest, using Charisma as your spellcasting ability score.
::Forest Camouflage: You have Advantage on Stealth checks in forested terrain.

'''Snow Gnomes''' descend from gnomes driven from their homeland who fled to the arctic wasteland of Cadocia, where they have concealed themselves behind layers of protective illusions and basically adopted a "the whole world is out to get us!" mentality that has kept them in isolation for centuries.
::Ability Score Increase: +1 Charisma
::Inured to Cold: You have Resistance to Cold damage.
::Smooth Talker: You have Proficiency in the Bluff skill.
::Illusion-wise: You have Advantage on saving throws and checks relating to illusions.
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;[[Midgard]]
The Gnomes of Midgard are essentially the [[Nentir Vale]] gnomes, but turned up a couple of notches. The bulk of gnomekind lives in the Shadow World and serves the [[Shadow Fey]] - one of the minor power blocs of that plane is even a cabal of blue-haired gnome courtier-assassins... who are also cannibals, for some reason. In the material world, the bulk of gnomekind dwell in the Wormwood, divided between nine towns called the Niemheims, trying desperately to pretend that everything is okay. But it's not. Y'see, these gnomes used to serve a particularly powerful [[Archfey]]; the [[Hag|Ur-Hag]], [[Baba Yaga]]. But then they broke their covenant with her and so, desperate to avoid being skinned alive, they sold their collective souls to a powerful [[Archdevil]]. Now, to maintain this ''new'' contract that keeps them safe from Baba Yaga's wrath, the Niemheimer gnomes offer all manner of unholy sacrifices, including travelers and their own "surplus" kindred, to the Eleven Hells, whilst doing their best to both keep these blood-rites hidden from their neighbors and pretend that nothing wrong is going on here, no siree. Those who wish to leave the Wormwood must craft enchanted chapeaus called "Redcaps" that bear living vestiges of the Wormwood; so long as these miniature forest-hats remain alive, the gnome can safely wander where they please, but if it dies... well, they got a week to get back to the Wormwood before Baba Yaga pinpoints '''exactly''' where they are right now...

'''Niemheimer Gnomes''' are found in the Midgard Heroes Handbook and have these racial traits:
::Ability Score Increase: +1 Charisma
::Bewildering Bargainers: You have Advantage on Persuasion checks.
::Known in Hell: You have Proficiency in the Arcana skill and gain Infernal as a bonus language.

The Tome of Heroes added two more gnomish subraces. '''Shoal Gnomes''' are basically an adaptation of the Wavecrest Gnomes of 3e; green or brown haired and eyed gnomes with long, webbed fingers and toes and mottled patches or spots on their arms, legs, necks, foreheads and cheeks, shoal gnomes are naturally amphibious and can be found living in temperate to warm coastal waters, where they form close bonds with the local dolphins and sea turtles.
::Ability Score Increase: +1 Charisma
::Amphibious: You cans breathe air and water.
::Swimmer: You have a Swim speed of 25 feet.
::Aquatic Beast Affinity: You can communicate simple ideas to dolphins, sea turtles, and any animals that breathe water.

In contrast, '''Wyrd Gnomes''' are a rare mutant strain of gnome that arises spontaneously from the other gnomish races. Marked by always having a blue right eye and a green left eye, wyrd gnomes are natural precogs, with enhanced sensory perception abilities that can see them regarded as either blessed or freaks by their fellows. Whilst they often gather in small communities, especially because proximity to their own kind strengthens their collective powers, the ability doesn't always breed true, so pure wyrd-gnome communes tend to be extremely small and young.
::Ability Score Increase: +1 Wisdom
::Natural Diviners: You have Guidance as a racial cantrip. From 3rd level, you can cast Identify as a racial spell 1/day, and from 5th level you can cast Augury as a racial spell 1/day. All of these spells use Wisdom as their spellcasting ability score.
::Prescience: When you finish a long rest, roll a d20 and note the result down. Before you take your next long rest, you can swap the result of any attack roll, saving throw or ability check you dislike of yourself or a creature within your line of sight with this result. If there are sufficient wyrd gnomes within a half-mile of you when you invoke Prescience, you can add +1 to the stored number, to a maximum of +5. This powerup triggers at 20 wyrd gnomes, and the result must be doubled for each subsequent point - 40 gnomes for +2, 80 gnomes for +3, 160 gnomes for +4 and 320 gnomes for +5.