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.
- Gnomes are light on their feet, they may take Silent Movement for half memory cost.
- They are extremely tough for their size: They get +8 ST when resisting poisons and disease.
- They, like dwarves, have their movement less affected by armor. Use the dwarf rules.
- Gnomes die relatively young, they start aging 5 years earlier than humans (at 45 years old).
- Gnomes are often fond of Ravens, and find their rough, croaking soothing.
- Gnomes get +1 DX with all crossbows. In addition, they have their own crossbow:
| | 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.)
- Tinkerer: Gnome may sacrifice 5 attributes to gain the ability to make magical improvements in devices. (These attributes may be re-earned with experience.)
These improvements, might be things such as self lubrication, self winding, self heating, no wear on bearings, uncannily accurate, etc. Note, that the magical ability is not clean and simple. If a device was self lubricating, it would have little robot arms pulling tubes to take lubricant to where it is needed, places where the excess lubricant can be collected, little filters to clean & reuse the lubricant, little squeegees to clean the filters, etc. If a Gnome does not tinker their device for a while each week, it will lose its magical powers and break down in 3 to 8 months (1d+2 months). This tinkering, will take about an hour per week (for any number of devices).
A gnome tinkerer can have up to its IQ of magical devices. So a gnome with IQ 15 can have 15 magical devices at once. They may be working on an additional one in addition to the ones they have finished but the new one can not be magic, unless an old one is retired or sold.
Multiple gnomes can make grand contraptions with dozen of magical devices all contributing to the whole. Often a community will have one grand device that provides an impossible to make trade good, which has a score of tinkerer's working on it constantly.
- Ravens of Omen: Gnome may sacrifice 3 attributes and lose 2 off of maximum ST to gain the ability to talk to Ravens (not rooks). (These attributes may be re-earned with experience. A maximum attribute can only be raised with the use of a wish. If below 16, an attribute and max attribute can be raised one point with a wish OR a maximum attribute can be raised 3 levels. From 16 to 19 the max attribute can be raised two levels by a wish. From 20 to 29, a max attribute can be raised one level by a wish. For example, your max IQ is 19, then you can spend a wish to raise your maximum IQ to 21.)
Ravens will magically be comfortable around you and one or a few may start to live near you. By listening to their croaking, you will occasionally be 'reminded' of things happening elsewhere, or, more rarely, of things that will likely come to pass.
- Whispers to Raven: Gnome may sacrifice 4 attributes to gain the ability to receive omens from Ravens. (These attributes may be re-earned with experience.) They need not take Ravens of Omens first, these two abilities are independent from each other.
A Raven (not a Rook) will magically be comfortable around you will come to live in your home. Ravens are very intelligent birds, (some can reach IQ 6). The one which joins you will be that smart, and will gradually gain sentience style intelligence. Further you will gradually learn to understand the Raven's speech so you can communicate with them. You can use the Raven to scout for him or her, pass messages, or do tasks that an intelligent bird could be expected to manage.
- teach Raven: Gnome may sacrifice 3 attributes to gain the ability to receive teach the Raven. (These attributes may be re-earned with experience.) The gnome must already have Whispers to Raven.
When the gnome spends the 3 attributes, he or she may increase the IQ of his or her raven by one to a max of 11.
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.)
Back to Characters Page
This link takes you back to Rick's top level.
