Gnomes in TFT

(c) 2016 by Richard W. Smith - - - - Version 1.1.0


A friend of mine is running a TFT campaign which is placed in the Dragon Lance universe. In it, gnomes are small, tinkerer type characters.


Gnomes are a 0.5 hex creature who stand about 110 cm high. They have high pitched, rough voices and are clannish. Few gnomes like people of other races.
They start with 30 attributes divided up this way: ST 4, DX 9, IQ 8, +9 pt to spread around. Gnomes have an MA 7.

Gnomes may not start with a ST greater than 9, tho they may increase it above 9 after the campaign begins. Their maximum ST is 27 – 2d6, (so it ranges from 15 to 25). Their max DX is 45, and their max IQ is 40.

Gnomes have a natural armor of –1 hits per attack.

Fist: ... Normal fist damage for their ST + 1 damage. They do a bonus +1 damage in HTH.

Gnomes may raise their IQ by spending x 0.75 the normal experience cost. DX cost normal. ST costs normal up to ST 12. If a gnome wishes to raise its ST further, the attribute costs 1.5 times normal cost.


Min
Weapon: Damage: ST: Cost: Mass: Notes:
--------------------------------------- ----------------- ---------- -------------- ------------ -------------------------------------------------------------------------
Gnomish Xbow (Cq) † 1d–1 4 $100 2 kg 1 shot per 6 turns.
Gnomish Xbow (Gf) † 1d–1 6 $100 2 kg 1 shot per 2 turns if speed >= 10, else 1 per 4 turns .
Gnomish Xbow (Hd) † 1d–1 8 $100 2 kg 1 shot per turn if speed >= 12, else 1 per 2 turns .

(Cq = Loaded with Cranquin, Gf = Loaded with Goat's Foot, Hd = Loaded by hand. † All crossbows are 2 handed weapons.)


A cranquin cost $35 and masses 2 kg. A goat's foot costs $20, and masses 1 kg. These two devices allow a crossbow to be loaded by someone not strong enough to load it by hand.

Gnomes have perfected crossbows with 5 bolts mounted one above the other. A single trigger will fire the 5 shots successively, each at –1 DX. The mass of such weapons triple, and the cost is x10 for the crossbow of that size. These weapons are very slow to load: they must be loaded 5 times, and each MUST use a cranquin. Then an extra two turns must be spent to reset the clockwork that controls which bolt is shot.



Gnomes celebrate intelligence: clever tricksters, great inventors & wise greybeards are revered. Tho gnomes can have an 8 IQ, most gnomes strive to educate themselves and train to be mentally flexible. The average IQ of the gnome population is 12.

All gnomes get Mechanicer for free. If their IQ is less than 11, the devices built will be very simple. Gnomes tend to like Rube Goldberg contraptions. Any time a gnome PC who builds a overly complicated device (which will have significant breakdown chances), should be rewarded by the GM with a bonus die, plot point, or some other such significant bonus.


PC Gnomes can sacrifice attributes (or attributes worth of experience) to gain magical powers:

(If GM's want to make these abilities a bit tougher to get, PC's should be required to save that many attributes of experience points and buy the ability with out getting the use of the attribute first.)

Religious Note:

Gnomes tend to worship Reorx a God of Balance who was the maker, created the first things, who tamed chaos, who is the leader of the gods. Gnomes believe that the world is a clockwork of incredible complexity and Reorx is the god who created and maintains it. (Note that while other races admit the divinity of Reorx, few others think he is the leader of the gods.)



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