Gnomes

In the most arcane chronicles and whispered legends of scholars, tales speak of a race not born of gods nor nature, but of magic itself. These stories tell of a time of great need when a lone mage sought to unlock the mysteries of the pure energies of thought. In his ambition, he shaped the gnomes, small beings of sharp minds and sparkling souls.

The mage is said to have been a dreamer whose spirit once burned with an insatiable fire, a seeker who tread the edges of the possible, defying the boundaries others accepted. According to these myths, he created the gnomes as tools for exploration, tiny and brilliant as shooting stars, able to decipher what he himself could not reach.

The gnomes inherited this curiosity, an irrepressible drive that compels them to wander Shivath in search of answers. Their ingenuity and creativity are legendary, as is their ability to craft artifacts of unparalleled power and complexity. Yet, alongside their spark of genius, they carry a shadow—a lingering echo of their creator’s melancholy.

It is said that, over time, the mage ceased his searching. Some stories whisper that, after countless inventions and discoveries, he came to understand that no knowledge could ever fill the deepest voids of the soul. He abandoned his tools, his tower, and his creations, retreating to a place no one could find.

To travelers and scholars alike, gnomes are a paradox: heirs to an unrelenting drive toward the unknown, yet born of a creator who, it seems, wished for nothing more than a quiet corner to rest. Their inventions continue to reshape the world, while their true origins remain wrapped in a mystery as profound as the dreams that first inspired their creation.

Core Traits

• Creature Type: Humanoid
• Size: Small (about 3-4 feet tall)
• Speed: 30 feet

Darkvision

You have Darkvision with a range of 60 feet.

Gnomish Cunning

You have Advantage on Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma saving throws.

Gnomish Lineage

You are part of a lineage that grants you supernatural abilities. Choose one of the following options; whichever one you choose, Intelligence, Wisdom, or Charisma is your spellcasting ability for the spells you cast with this trait (choose the ability when you select the lineage):

Forest Gnome. You know the Minor Illusion cantrip. You also always have the Speak with Animals spell prepared. You can cast it without a spell slot a number of times equal to your Proficiency Bonus, and you regain all expended uses when you finish a Long Rest. You can also use any spell slots you have to cast the spell.

Rock Gnome. You know the Mending and Prestidigitation cantrips. In addition, you can spend 10 minutes casting Prestidigitation to create a Tiny clockwork device (AC 5, 1 HP), such as a toy, fire starter, or music box. When you create the device, you determine its function by choosing one effect from Prestidigitation; the device produces that effect whenever you or another creature takes a Bonus Action to activate it with a touch. If the chosen effect has options within it, you choose one of those options for the device when you create it. For example, if you choose the spell's ignite-extinguish effect, you determine whether the device ignites or extinguishes fire; the device doesn't do both. You can have three such devices in existence at a time, and each falls apart 8 hours after its creation or when you dismantle it with a touch as a Utilize action.