Copyright 2008 Wizards of the Coast

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Gnomes were introduced as a playable race in the days of AD&D, where they had a niche as the nonhuman illusionists and were otherwise slightly smaller dwarves. The removal of class and level restrictions in 3.x turned them into one of the least popular race choices in the game in my experience. If you wanted to play a short angry person you played a dwarf; if you wanted a short cute person you played a halfling; and if you wanted a non-human wizard you played an elf.

This might have been one of the factors that kept them out of the PHB when 4e was released, replaced by tieflings. They would eventually appear on the PHB 2, but until then the only gnome stats we got were in the first Monster Manual.

This switch was announced in one of the funniest pieces of D&D marketing ever before the PHB had been even published, which had the unfortunate side effect of turning every edition warrior into a campaigner for gnome rights until the publication of the PHB 2.

Gnomes appear both in the MM and in the MV. Interestingly, if you’re going Essentials-only gnomes once again drop from the list of playable races and appear only in the monster book.

The Lore

Gnomes don’t exist, or so they would have you believe. This diminutive fey people endured a long period of slavery at the hands of the fomorians, but were able to escape with the (unwitting, according to some legends) help of the eladrin. They kinda compete with eladrin for the title of “most fey playable race”, as a matter of fact.

Since that remote past, they’ve spread all over the Feywild and the world, though few know it. Gnome culture values cunning and discretion, since it developed in a hostile environment full of much larger creatures bent on hunting them. Gnome communities are extremely well-hidden, even when they’re located within large human cities. In that case, gnomes might build their homes between the walls of neighboring buildings or under their floors, wainscot-fantasy style.

Their interpersonal relations are similarly camouflaged. The typical gnome is suspicious of strangers and very slow to trust, but hides that behind a mask of pleasantness and even frivolity. In the worst case, this suspicion can sour into paranoia and lead a gnome down the path of evil. Some of them even work as spies and assassins for the fomorians.

A large percentage of gnomes train in magic, becoming wizards or warlocks and focusing on illusions. Even a gnome untrained in magic can turn invisible.

The Numbers

Gnomes are Small Fey Humanoids with a typical speed of 5 and low-light vision. They have two signature traits: Fade Away is an encounter power that allows them to turn invisible for a turn or until they attack, and Reactive Stealth allows them to make a Stealth check to become hidden when they roll initiative, if they have any degree of cover or concealment at that point. The MV gnomes frequently trade those for improved powers along the same line.

All the gnomes we see in these books are Unaligned, as is traditional for PC or PC-adjacent peoples. They could be used as enemies or allies depending on the story. Let’s look at them in order of level.

Gnome Skulk (MM)

This Level 2 Lurker has 34 HP and all common traits, including both powers. It wields a war pick and a hand crossbow, and wears leather.

The basic pick attack has the High Crit property, and the skulk deals an extra 1d6 damage on any attack where it has combat advantage. If it attacks from hiding and misses, the gnome skulk remains hidden.

Your basic rogue-type, with a few additional tricks that give it the ability to keep hidden for longer.

Gnome Arcanist (MM)

One of those magically-trained gnomes. This is a Level 3 Controller with 46 HP and all common traits including the two powers. It projects a 5-square Aura of Illusion that grants concealment to itself and all allies within. The arcanist wields a pitifully weak dagger as a basic attack and relies on ranged spells for actual fighting.

Its main ranged attack is a Scintillating Bolt (Ranged 10 vs. Fortitude) which does radiant damage and dazes (save ends). As a minor action it can also fire off a Startling Glamor (Ranged 10 vs. Will) that does no damage and slides the target 1 square. It can also cast Illusory Terrain (Close Burst 5 vs. Will), which does no damage and slows all enemies in the area.

In addition to the already-mentioned gnome racial powers, the arcanist also borrows the Eladrin’s Fey Step.

Despite its low damage potential, the arcanist is still quite dangerous when paired with other monsters that can fill that function. It has an at-will daze!

Gnome Spy (MV)

Basically a more powerful version of the MM Skulk, this gnome is a Level 5 Lurker with 51 HP, trained Perception, and all common gnome traits including the two powers. It is, in fact the last gnome in this post to have those powers at all.

The spy fights with a short sword in melee, and throws daggers out to Range 10. Both do extra damage if the gnome is invisible to the target when it attacks.

Aside from the reactive Fade Away power, the gnome spy can also turn invisible for a turn or until it attacks as a standard action.

Gnome Illusionist (MV)

A more powerful gnome wizard, this one is Level 6 Artillery with 57 HP and all common traits except for the powers. It’s also trained in Bluff and Stealth.

The illusionist’s weapon is a Gnarled Staff that’s nothing special in melee, but likely acts as an implement for its spells. Bedazzle (Area Burst 1 within 10 vs. Will) is an at-will attack that does radiant damage and makes targets grant combat advantage (save ends); See Me Not (Close Blast 3 vs. Will; recharge 5-6) does psychic damage and makes the gnome invisible to the targets (save ends).

As a move-action encounter power the illusionist can use There, Not There, a spell that teleports it 5 squares and creates two illusory doubles within 5 squares of the destination. These last until the original attacks or until they are destroyed - they have 1 HP and the same defenses as the original. The illusionist can use its actions to have them do anything it could, except use powers.

As an at-will minor action the illusionist can disguise itself and 2 allies within 5 squares as any Small or Medium creature. Seeing through the illusion requires an opposed Insight check against the gnome’s Bluff.

Gnome Assassin (MV)

This is a Level 7 Skirmisher with 78 HP and all common traits except for the powers. It wears leather and wields paired katars.

The katars are its basic attack, and do extra damage if the assassin attacks out of Shade Form. Shade Form, in turn, is an encounter power that recharges when the assassin is bloodied. It lasts for a turn or until it attacks. While this power is active, the assassin is insubstantial, has Vulnerable 5 Radiant, and can make Stealth checks to become hidden if it has any cover or concealment.

In addition to all this, the assassin can use Shadow Step as an at-will move action, using its enemies’ shadows as portals. It teleports 3 squares to another shadow and sheds any mark applied to it. It must start and end the teleport adjacent to another creature, since it’s using their shadows for this.

You better keep your squishies far away from your defenders when fighting gnome assassins (and hope they don’t appear near your squishies).

Gnome Entropist (MV)

Our final gnome is another spellcaster, Level 8 Artillery with 71 HP and all common traits except the powers.

Despite being a blasty mage, the Entropist is still skilled at illusion. Its Illusory Defenses give it a +2 bonus against ranged attacks, and it upgrades the standard Fade Away power to Disappearing Act, which lasts for a turn and doesn’t end when the gnome attacks.

The entropist fights in melee with a Touch of Chaos that does acid damage, and at range with an Entropic Arc (Ranged 10 vs. Reflex) that does physical damage and prevents the target from taking immediate and opportunity actions for a turn. Perfect to let a fellow skirmisher pop free from the PC fighter.

Its “special” attack is Chaos Flare (Area Burst 1 within 15 vs. Will) which affects only enemies and recharges if it misses all targets. A hit does physical damage and blinds (save ends).

Sample Encounter and Final Impressions

The sample encounter in the MM is level 3: 2 arcanists, 2 iron defenders (low-level constructs) and a pseudodragon. They’re likely a guard patrol for one of those hidden settlements, which is likely to be quite awkward for the humans whose basement houses the main gate.

I like 4e’s take on gnomes as secretive fey tricksters, as it gives them a distinctive flavor. It borrows a bit from Eberron, whose gnome nation of Zilargo is the best at the great game of spying and intrigue in a setting already rife with it. Pathfinder apparently went in a similar direction with its gnomes as well, though theirs are less sneaky and more whimsical. This version of gnomes survives in 5e as the “Forest Gnome” subrace.