Gnome

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. 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, known as the Bleaching, strikes gnomes who fail to dream, innovate, and take in 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.
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.

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 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 they 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. Exceptionally few gnome kingdoms or nations exist on the surface of Golarion, and most 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. Gnome names can get quite complex and polysyllabic. Gnomes rarely concern themselves with how easy their names are to pronounce, and they often go by shorter 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

Beliefs

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 are rarely shy about helping those they believe deserve it. Gnomes most commonly worship deities that value individuality and nature, such as Cayden Cailean, Desna, Gozreh, and Shelyn.

Popular Edicts seek new experiences, embrace your inspiration, move from obsession to obsession

Popular Anathema slow down to explain yourself, deprive someone of all stimulation

Hit Points

Size

Small

Speed

25 feet

Attribute Boosts

Constitution
Charisma
Free

Attribute Flaw

Strength

Languages

Common
Fey
Gnomish
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).

Traits

Gnome
Humanoid

Low-Light Vision

You can see in dim light as though it were bright light, and you ignore the concealed condition due to dim light.

Gnome Heritages

As a diverse collection of oddballs, gnome heritages aren’t often determined by geography, but usually by some peculiarity of magic. Choose one of the following gnome heritages at 1st level.

Ancestry Feats

At 1st level, you gain one ancestry feat, and you gain an additional ancestry feat every 4 levels thereafter (at 5th, 9th, 13th, and 17th level). As a gnome, you select from among the following ancestry feats.