Half-Gnomes

[Rorrik]

Running a campaign right now for a half-gnome (its not what you think, this time the gnomes were the promiscuous ones using humans as breeding stock in experiments) and in the last session he entered a dark area and we began to question what kind of bonuses a half gnome should get. Ideas or precedences for half-gnomes?

[erikun]

That is not at all what I was thinking, but thank you for putting that into my head.

Anyways, a casual glance at the elf/half-elf comparison indicated that they would likely keep their low-light vision and half their racial bonuses to skills, so +1 listen and +1 craft: alchemy. They'd probably remain small, but lose their racial stat bonuses. I'd be inclined to give them 30' movement speed, as a bit of a nod towards whisper gnomes.

They seem to keep their defenses, so the +2 vs illusions would stay. The bonus to illusion DCs and spell-like abilities would probably go, sadly. They'd likely keep the bonuses against kobolds and giants, along with gnome weaponry, as these are more social benefits than anything else.

You'd probably want to give them something in exchange, though. Perhaps some slightly different spell-like abilities, as a bonus to diplomancy tends to be underwhelming.

So:

Small-sized
30' movement
Low-Light Vision
+2 racial bonus on saving throws against illusions
+1 racial bonus on Listen and Craft (alchemy) checks
+1 racial bonus on attack rolls against kobolds and goblinoids.
+4 dodge bonus to Armor Class against monsters of the giant type. Any time a creature loses its Dexterity bonus (if any) to Armor Class, such as when it’s caught flat-footed, it loses its dodge bonus, too.
Weapon Familiarity: Gnomes may treat gnome hooked hammers as martial weapons rather than exotic weapons.
Gnomish Blood: For all effects related to race, a half-gnome is considered a gnome.
Spell-Like Abilities: Presdigitation and Mage Hand, perhaps at-will or 3/day.


Another option could be to just use whisper gnomes (Races of Stone) as your half-gnomes and call it done. They may fit thematically, as the less-cheery and more focused gnomish sub-race.

[tbok1992]

What about the idea of human/gnome hybridizing actually amplifying the gnomish insanity/inventiveness in the gene pool (If you happen to be using tinker gnomes there). That actually could be kind of terrifying.

[Rorrik]

Sounds about right, I busted him to 25' movement (equivalent, not a D&D campaign). As far as the hybridizing, he's got several bonuses and was viewed by the gnomes as a prodigy of sorts.

[Ravens_cry]

Given the medical problems little people (is that still the correct term?) can have when bearing children, breeding across size categories always squicked me out more than a little.

[GodGoblin]

Maybe make them medium but with slight build? Or Small with Powerful build? just to represtent that half small half medium size.

[Rainbownaga]

Given the medical problems little people (is that still the correct term?) can have when bearing children, breeding across size categories always squicked me out more than a little.

It really depends which one is the female. This is probably why real-world hybrids differ depending on which species is which sex.

It might actually be cool to make two versions of the half-gnome, a medium sized, tougher version from a human mother and a small, fragile, more magical version from a gnomish female.

[GodGoblin]

Or have them grown as magical test tube babies? using big incubation machines etc

[Aasimar]

Half-gnomes sound really small.

[nedz]

Half-gnomes sound really small.

Surely that would be Half Gnome/Halflings ?

[Morph Bark]

Well, Gnomes don't have Spot bonuses do they? And they only got low-light vision. And humans don't have either of those. Don't seem to me like he'd get bonuses in dark areas.

[Rorrik]

Hmm, our gnomes have dark vision, apparently at difference to D&D, we were thinking about giving gnomes sonar or echo location to make them more different from dwarves or elves. On that note, gnomes with echo-location?

[johnroth]

Uh, I mean, I guess with a gnome you'll never be thought of as "small" ever again, no matter what your "size" is... <_<