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GNOME

ANCESTRY

SMALL

GNOME

HUMANOID

Hit Points 8

Size Small; Speed 25 feet

Ability Boosts Constitution, Charisma, Free; Ability Flaw Strength

Languages Common, Gnomish, Sylvan

Additional languages equal to your Intelligence modifier (if it’s positive). Choose from Draconic, Dwarven, Elven, Goblin, Jotun, Orcish, and any other languages to which you have access (such as the languages prevalent in your region).

Senses Low-Light Vision

Long ago, early gnome ancestors emigrated from the First World, realm of the fey. While it’s unclear why the first gnomes wandered to Golarion, this lineage manifests in modern gnomes as bizarre reasoning, eccentricity, obsessive tendencies, and what some see as naivete. These qualities are further reflected in their physical characteristics, such as spindly limbs, brightly colored hair, and childlike and extremely expressive facial features that further reflect their otherworldly origins.

Always hungry for new experiences, gnomes constantly wander both mentally and physically, attempting to stave off a terrible ailment that threatens all of their people. This affliction—the Bleaching—strikes gnomes who fail to dream, innovate, and take in new experiences, in the gnomes’ absence of crucial magical essence from the First World. Gnomes latch onto a source of localized magic where they live, typically primal magic, as befits their fey lineage, but this isn’t enough to avoid the Bleaching unless they supplement this magic with new experiences. The Bleaching slowly drains the color—literally—from gnomes, and it plunges those affected into states of deep depression that eventually claim their lives. Very few gnomes survive this scourge, becoming deeply morose and wise survivors known as bleachlings.

If you want a character with boundless enthusiasm and an alien, fey outlook on morality and life, you should play a gnome.

You Might...

  • Embrace learning and hop from one area of study to another without warning.
  • Rush into action before fully taking stock of the entire situation.
  • Speak, think, and move quickly, and lose patience with those who can’t keep up.

Others Probably...

  • Appreciate your enthusiasm and the energy with which you approach new situations.
  • Struggle to understand your motivations or adapt to your rapid changes of direction.
  • See you as unpredictable, flighty, unreliable, or even reckless.

Physical Description

Most gnomes stand just over 3 feet in height and weigh little more than a human child. They exhibit a wide range of natural skin, hair, and eye colors. For gnomes that haven’t begun the Bleaching, nearly any hair and eye color other than white is possible, with vibrant colors most frequent, while skin tones span a slightly narrower spectrum and tend toward earthy tones and pinkish hues, though occasionally green, black, or pale blue. Gnomes’ large eyes and dense facial muscles allow them to be particularly expressive in their emotions.

Gnomes typically reach physical maturity at the age of 18, though many gnomes maintain a childlike curiosity about the world even into adulthood. A gnome can theoretically live to any age if she can stave off the Bleaching indefinitely, but in practice gnomes rarely live longer than around 400 years.

Society

While most gnomes adopt some of the cultural practices of the region in which they live, they tend to pick and choose, adjusting their communities to fit their own fey logic. This often leads to majority gnome communities eventually consisting almost entirely of gnomes, as other people, bewildered by gnomish political decisions, choose to move elsewhere. Gnomes have little culture that they would consider entirely their own. No gnome kingdoms or nations exist on the surface of Golarion, and gnomes wouldn’t know what to do with such a state if they had one.

By necessity, few gnomes marry for life, instead allowing relationships to run their course before amicably moving on, the better to stave off the Bleaching with new experiences. Though gnome families tend to be small, many gnome communities raise children communally, with fluid family boundaries. As adults depart the settlement, unrelated adolescents sometimes tag along, creating adopted families to journey together.

Alignment and Religion

Though gnomes are impulsive tricksters with inscrutable motives and confusing methods, many at least attempt to make the world a better place. They are prone to fits of powerful emotion, and they are often good but rarely lawful. Gnomes most commonly worship deities that value individuality and nature, such as Cayden Cailean, Desna, Gozreh, and Shelyn.

Names

Gnome names can get quite complex and polysyllabic. They have little interest in familial names, and most children receive their names purely on a parent’s whim. Gnomes rarely concern themselves with how easy their names are to pronounce, and they often go by shorter nicknames. Some even collect and chronicle these nicknames. Among gnomes, the shorter the name, the more feminine it’s considered to be.

Sample Names Abroshtor, Bastargre, Besh, Fijit, Halungalom, Krolmnite, Neji, Majet, Pai, Poshment, Queck, Trig, Zarzuket, Zatqualmie

TABLE 1: GNOME HERITAGES
Exclusive Heritages Description
chameleon gnome The color of your hair and skin is mutable, possibly due to latent magic.
fey-touched gnome The blood of the fey is so strong within you that you’re truly one of them.
sensate gnome You see all colors as brighter, hear all sounds as richer, and especially smell all scents with incredible detail.
umbral gnome Whether from a connection to dark or shadowy fey, from the underground deep gnomes also known as svirfneblin, or another source, you can see in complete darkness.
vivacious gnomeLOCG You have an incredibly strong connection to the positive energy that flows through the First World, making it harder to attack your life force with negative energy.
wellspring gnome Some other source of magic has a greater hold on you than the primal magic of your fey lineage does.
Versatile Heritages Description
AasimarAPG You descend from celestials or were touched by the celestial realms, gaining an air of awe and grace, as well as features distinctive to your celestial forebears.
AphoriteLOAG You were born with a connection to Axis, the Plane of Law.
ArdandeRE Your elemental heritage is reflected in the oils and fragrances of plants, in tree resin that fossilizes into amber, or in the gentle smell of a flower.
BeastkinLOAG The blood of a beast flows through your veins, granting you the ferocity and might of animals.
ChangelingAPG Your mother was a hag.
DhampirAPG You are the scion of a vampire, half living and half undead, gifted with uncanny charm and grace, a bloodless pallor, and elongated incisors.
DuskwalkerAPG Thanks to an ancient bargain, your soul has been reborn as a duskwalker, a planar scion with a connection to psychopomps and the Boneyard.
GanziLOAG Your blood is touched by primal chaos.
IfritLOAG You descend from fire elementals or bear the mark of the Inner Spheres, and your features illustrate the influence that elemental fire has over you.
OreadLOAG An earth elemental ancestor has influenced your bloodline, and your features highlight this elemental planar connection.
ReflectionDA You were created as a duplicate of another creature, intentionally or accidentally, though you might not know of your origins.
SuliLOAG You are descended from a janni or otherwise embody a dichotomy of opposing elemental planar forces.
SylphLOAG You are descended from air elementals or were born under the element’s influence.
TalosRE Your physical features reflect the influence a zuhra or other metal elemental has had over your bloodline.
TieflingAPG You descend from fiends or bear the mark of the fiendish realms, manifesting as some unusual feature that belies your heritage, such as horns or a tail.
UndineLOAG A water elemental ancestor influences your bloodline.
draconic scionBAD You possess the power of dragons, whether you descended from dragons, learned from dragons, were transformed by exposure to draconic energy, or reincarnated from a past life as a dragon.
TABLE 2: GNOME ANCESTRY FEATS
Level 1 Gnome Feats Prerequisites Benefits
Animal Accomplice — You build a rapport with an animal, which becomes magically bonded to you.
Burrow Elocutionist — You recognize the chittering of ground creatures as its own peculiar language.
Empathetic PleaAPG trained in Diplomacy The way you cringe or use those puppydog eyes you’ve been practicing elicits an empathetic response in the attacker.
Fey Fellowship — Your enhanced fey connection affords you a warmer reception from creatures of the First World as well as tools to foil their tricks.
First World Magic — Your connection to the First World grants you a primal innate spell, much like those of the fey.
Gnome Obsession — You might have a flighty nature, but when a topic captures your attention, you dive into it headfirst.
Gnome PolyglotLOCG — Your extensive travels, curiosity, and love of learning help you to learn languages quickly.
Gnome Weapon Familiarity — You favor unusual weapons tied to your people, such as blades with curved and peculiar shapes.
Grim InsightLOCG umbral gnome heritage Others’ attempts to scare you often grant you insights about your would-be bullies that you can then exploit.
Illusion Sense — Your ancestors spent their days cloaked and cradled in illusions, and as a result, sensing illusion magic is second nature to you.
Inventive OffensiveLOCG trained in Crafting You can jury-rig your weapons to perform in unexpected ways.
rLet’s Try That AgainSG-04 — You feel a sense of deja vu when you’ve made a mistake, almost as if you weren’t so careless in a past life and could certainly do better if given another chance.
Life-Giving MagicLOCG — The upwelling of innate magic refreshes your body.
rLike a RoachSG-04 — Living with the bare necessities isn’t terribly hard for someone who has defied death, and like a cockroach, you always know how to survive.
Natural PerformerLOCG — Entertainment comes naturally to you.
Razzle-DazzleAPG — You’ve spent considerable time practicing the manipulation of light, weaponizing your blade’s reflection or bolstering the luminosity of magical displays to unconventional heights.
Theoretical AcumenLOCG — You study a creature’s form and behavior to hypothesize likely means of overcoming its strengths.
Unexpected ShiftLOCG — Your supernatural connection sometimes causes you to phase from reality when under threat, disappearing for split seconds before reappearing—often surprising you as much as your enemies.
Vibrant DisplayLOCG chameleon gnome heritage Whereas most gnomes’ coloration is static or changes slowly, you can cause your hair, eye, and skin color to scintillate in brief and disorienting bursts.
rWeight of ExperienceSG-04 — The experience you’ve accumulated over multiple lifetimes envelops you like a weighted blanket, providing comfort and bestowing confidence under pressure.
rWisdom From Another LifeSG-04 — You absorbed a wide variety of facts before you died, and your soul still remembers slivers of this precious knowledge.
Level 5 Gnome Feats Prerequisites Benefits
Animal Elocutionist Burrow Elocutionist You hear animal sounds as conversations instead of unintelligent noise, and can respond in turn.
rAnimal Soul SiblingsSG-04 — Your eyes have been opened to the spiritual essence suffusing the world.
Eclectic ObsessionLOCG Gnome Obsession Your desire for stimulation has led you from one pursuit to another and granted you a smattering of expertise with myriad crafts and professions.
rEmpathy IncarnateSG-04 — Reincarnation has given you a compassionate perspective and enabled you to relate to almost everyone you speak with, putting them at ease and quickly generating trust.
Energized Font focus pool, at least one innate spell from a gnome heritage or ancestry feat that shares a tradition with at least one of your focus spells The magic within you provides increased energy you can use to focus.
rFey InfluenceLOIL — You have been exposed to powerful fey magic.
Gnome Weapon Innovator Gnome Weapon Familiarity You produce outstanding results when wielding unusual weapons.
Intuitive IllusionsLOCG Illusion Sense Illusion magic comes to you so naturally that you can effortlessly sustain your magical ruses.
rI’Ve Had Many JobsSG-04 — Finding and excelling at odd jobs is child’s play to one who has worked many occupations during many lives.
Natural IllusionistLOCG Illusion Sense By drawing upon the First World’s magic, you can siphon a portion of that malleable world to create a convincing illusion.
Project PersonaAPG — Where others etch their armor to serve as a conduit for their imaginations, your vivid mind and bold personality allow you to project a more fitting persona over your lackluster armor.
rReincarnated RidiculerSG-04 — You’ve practiced the art of taunting an enemy, ensuring they know death will only make you stronger.
rSleep of the RebornSG-04 — Philosophers compare the cycle of life, death, and rebirth to sleeping, dreaming, and waking.
Level 9 Gnome Feats Prerequisites Benefits
Cautious CuriosityAPG at least one arcane or occult innate spell gained from a gnome heritage or gnome ancestry feat You’ve learned a few magical techniques for getting yourself both into and out of trouble unnoticed.
rDrain EmotionLOIL Fey Influence You touch an adjacent creature and attempt to draw out its excess emotion.
rFey AscensionLOIL Fey Influence The fey influence on your form and features grows even more powerful and notable.
First World Adept at least one primal innate spell Over time your fey magic has grown stronger.
Fortuitous ShiftLOCG Unexpected Shift (page 32) You have grown more comfortable with your penchant for supernatural disappearance.
Life LeapAPG — You phase through a space that a living creature occupies in a flash, spontaneously appearing on the opposite side of it in a vibrant display of colorful light.
rLingering EchoesSG-04 — Not everyone is reincarnated, and you feel a strong connection with the spiritual echoes of those who didn’t receive the same opportunity as you.
rPlant Soul SiblingsSG-04 Animal Soul Siblings You’re now able to connect with the spirits present in the greenery of the natural world.
rRapid RetrainingSG-04 — Some feel trapped by their choices and have a tough time reinventing themselves.
Vivacious Conduit — Your connection to the First World has grown, and its positive energy flows into you rapidly.
rYou Seem Somewhat FamiliarSG-04 — You fought hundreds of foes in your various past lives, and now and then, something about a new opponent tugs at your memory, almost as if you defeated their grandparent long ago.
Level 13 Gnome Feats Prerequisites Benefits
rCannibalize MagicLOIL Fey Influence The fey magic inside of you is a vital part of your body, and you can steal other sources of magic to replenish yours.
rClinging to LifeSG-04 — This life still holds much for you, and you aren’t ready to fall back into the River of Souls just yet.
rEldritch CalmLOIL Fey Influence Your fey heritage has altered your mindset to more resemble the uncanny perspective of the fey.
rGlamourLOIL Fey Influence You unlock a new level of fey power and can manipulate the perceptions of others using a font of First World magic.
Gnome Weapon Expertise Gnome Weapon Familiarity Your gnome affinity blends with your class training, granting you great skill with gnome weapons.
rI Sense MalevolenceSG-04 — Your time in theRiver of Souls has given you deep insight into the machinations of those who refuse to move on.
Instinctive ObfuscationAPG at least one arcane or occult innate spell gained from a gnome heritage or gnome ancestry feat The magic within you manifests as a natural reaction to threats.
rLinguistic RevivalSG-04 — You achieved fluency in different languages with each reincarnation, and your brain remembers much of the grammar, idioms, and obscenities that you spouted in old lives.
rPain Is TemporarySG-04 — Sangpotshi practitioners know that suffering is a fleeting sensation that ultimately strengthens the soul and prepares it for a new reincarnation.
rStone Soul SiblingsSG-04 Plant Soul Siblings Your connection with nature’s spirits has progressed to the point where you can even have casual conversation with pebbles and boulders.
rUnbreakable ResolveSG-04 — The experience of coming back after death has granted you a strong sense of resolve; devilish words, slick spells, and conniving trickery can’t easily catch you off guard.
Level 17 Gnome Feats Prerequisites Benefits
rBoneyard AcquaintanceSG-04 — Before your soul returned to the Material Plane, you interacted with a host of other souls on their way to the Boneyard.
rFey TranscendenceLOIL Fey Influence You become a powerful fey creature, gaining strengths tied to the First World but also some of the weakness against which all fey must contend.
uHomeward BoundAPG — The connection between you and the First World resonates within your body stronger than it does for most gnomes, allowing you to cross the threshold between the Material Plane and the First World.
rIndomitable SpiritSG-04 — Your soul has accumulated countless particles of quintessence over myriad deaths and rebirths, and for one moment, this raw material from the Great Beyond envelops you and your comrades.
rRelease the LightSG-04 — Many people report seeing a bright light before their death.
rSee You in HellSG-04 — You aren’t sure if you’ll be reincarnated again, so you might as well take this foe with you.
rThis Time, Bring the BodySG-04 — Death sends a soul into the River of Souls.