Homebrew Half-Gnome Species Details

Fiddle Baumgardner squinted as she tightened the last spring in her newest contraption.  "Not too loose, and not too tight.  Juuuuuuust right!"  She squeaked with unabashed joy as the clockwork rabbit sprang to "life," another new pet for her nieces and nephews to play with when they visited.  Her flyaway hair was frazzled and frenetic, a physical manifestation of her inquisitive stream of consciousness.

 

The Best of Both Worlds

Half-gnomes embody both the frenetic energy and enthusiasm common to gnomes and the adventurous, pioneering human spirit.  Half-gnomes inherit varying traits from their ancestors, leading many of them to look quite distinct from one another.  Most half-gnomes stand slightly taller than their gnomish cousins, around 4 feet tall, and are considerably stockier thanks to their human parentage, weighing in at a healthy 75-90 pounds.  Their skin can range from the tans and browns of gnomes to the well-varied skin tones of humans.

Combining the inquisitive gnomish intellect with the wander-prone heart of a human leads many half-gnomes to seek their fame and fortune in quite creative ways.  Whether it be through adventuring, inventing, or discovery, half-gnomes apply their full selves to whatever pursuit strikes their fancy... and that fancy may change frequently!

Frequently exhibiting the wild hair gnomes are known for, and subtle hints of their facial features, many half-gnomes can pass for short, slightly unkempt humans, though they often have a harder time blending into a crowd in gnomish towns.  Their sense of style is often a blend of the human culture of their ancestors and the deep love of gems and baubles of gnomes, often leading to some truly extravagant takes on traditional human styles.

Free Spirits

Half-gnomes often adapt to whatever culture they've been brought up in.  If they came of age in a human city, they will tend to favor human housing, culture, and interests.  Conversely, if they grew up in a gnomish area, they may prefer a nice quiet burrow to an above-ground home.  Regardless of their choice of living conditions, Half-gnomes have a love for life, often expressed in a great appreciation for art, food, and invention.

Half-gnomes adopt the names, lifestyles, and habits of either or both parents, and frequently pick and choose what they like while leaving the rest behind.

Half-Gnome Traits

Your half-gnome character has certain characteristics in common with both of their ancestor races.

Ability Score Increase

Your Intelligence score increases by 2.  Two abilities of your choice increase by 1.

Age

Half-gnomes mature at the same rate their full-blooded relatives do, and most are expected to settle down into an adult life by around age 30. They can live 250 to 400 years.

Alignment

Given their overwhelming curiosity and learning ability, half-gnomes tend to be prone to the more chaotic alignments, though they are very often good-natured.  However, like their human ancestors, they come in every stripe.

Size

Half gnomes stand around 4' to 4'9" tall, and can frequently pass for small humans, but are tall in comparison to gnomes.  Stockier and stronger than gnomes thanks to their human blood, they weigh in at 60-80 pounds.  Your size is Small.

Speed

Your base walking speed is 25 feet.

Darkvision

Thanks to your gnomish blood, you have superior vision in dark and dim conditions. You can see in dim light within 60 feet of you as if it were bright light, and in darkness as if it were dim light. You can’t discern color in darkness, only shades of gray.

Half-Gnome Cunning

You have advantage on all Intelligence and Charisma saving throws against magic.

Languages

You can speak, read, and write Common, Gnomish and one additional language of your choice. The Gnomish language, which uses the Dwarvish script, is renowned for its technical treatises and its catalogs of knowledge about the natural world.