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Johnathan_Vagabond 01-07-08, 01:38 PM

I've been putting together a campaign setting, in which I'll be having mostly new races (Org, Elden, Vagra) but I'm saving humans, gnomes, and dwarves. My gnomes are largely community, city, and merchant based. They are wise crackers with poor crafting skills that are compensated for by magic. All gnomes know a few petty spells (as per the racial ability) because those are used to teach the little gnomes (they play, and don't even know they're learning! Brilliant!). Outside of that they're mighty barterers, diplomats, merchants, and mages. I had an idea though, about a divergent gnome culture that is relatively young enough to be physically and culturally similar to the gnomes that are widely distributed in cities, but still very different. These wild gnomes live in a large expanse of forest on the south of one continent. These gnomes diverged from gnomish progress and adopted nature magic instead of the arcane. They are still magically inclined, and use magic to make up for their physical short comings. They're skilled diplomats too, but they make deals with the animals in the forest, resulting in treaty-like agreements with large predators. (These gnomes learn to Speak with Animals 1/day for 10 minutes). I want to draw similarities between these Wild Gnomes and the regular Gnomes. Regular Gnomes Small Humanoid Move Speed: 20 +2 Int, -2 Wis, +2 Cha, -2 Str: While gnomish are smart and personable, they are impatient and small. Gnomes with an Int or Cha of 11+ can cast Dancing Lights, Ghost Sounds, and Silent Image* 1/day +1 per 3 character levels. Gnomish Aptitude: 3/day a gnome can cast an arcane spell at +1 caster level +2 Diplomacy, Bluff, and Sense Motive: Gnomish are masterful speakers -2 Concentration: Gnomish are impatient and are easily distracted +2 to saves against Mind Influence Effects: It is difficult to affect a gnome's mind. +1 to attemts to detect magic effects (magical traps, creatures with invisibility, illusions, etc). *While learning to cast spells, young gnomes learn to create a single silent image. This racial version of the spell creates the same image, each time its used. Now, the Wild Gnomes +2 Dex, -2 Str, +2 Wis, -2 Cha: Wild gnomish are less civilized than their counterparts and more patient. Though small, they are nimble and sure-footed. Wild gnomes with a Wis of 11+ can cast Mend, Detect Plants or Animals*, and Calm Animals** 1/day. Forest Tongue: a Wild Gnome can Speak with Animals 1/day for 10 minutes/level. +2 to Handle Animal, Survival, and (Ride or Hide)*** +2 to save against nature and fey spells and effects Wild gnomes are proficient with short spears and blowguns Wild gnomes gain a +2 to disguise themselves as part of another object (such as an animal or a tree, but this skill can be applied to other objects as well). *A gnome can learn either detect plants or detect animals, not both. **A young gnome learns only to calm a specfic type of animal, this spell functions on both the normal and dire version of the animal. ***Gnomes that learn detect plants gain a +2 to hide. Gnomes that learn detect animals gain a +2 to ride.