Gnomish Clanwarden

**Gnomish Clanwarden**

Prime Requisite: CON

Requirements: INT 9, CON 9

Hit Die: d6

Maximum Level: 13

*excerpt from* The Forgotten Temple of Tharizdun, *by Gary Gygax:*

*"*This feast is in your honor, Humans, because such friends as you are rare hereabouts. Just as you have welcomed our fair valley as a haven, so too have you been greeted by the Uvalnoniz, our Gnomish clan as you would call it, for our own reasons. It is not meet to speak it, but as the Laird, I must so say. Despite our warlike clansgnomes, our valley is often troubled by attacks. While you have not experienced such a raid, we feel that one is imminent. We wish to forestall such an incursion, for each time the noblink horde strikes, we suffer many losses, though each time we slay these creatures by the score and they run howling back west..."

**Weapons and Armor:** As the front-line defenders of their vault-burrows, gnomish clanwardens are highly-skilled combatants. They are trained to use all one-handed melee weapons and all missile weapons (except the longbow, which is too large for them to operate effectively). Due to their small size and the restricted conditions of their vault-burrows, gnomish clanwardens eschew the use of large exclusively-two-handed melee weapons. They may fight with a weapon and shield or a (versatile) weapon in both hands (such as normal sword and spears), but don't bother with flashy things that take up too much frontage space in a narrow corridor (such as fighting with a weapon in each hand). They are trained in the use of all armor and shields.

**Racial Features:**

* **Nose for Potions**: Because of their familiarity with alchemy, gnomes may make a proficiency throw of 11+ to determine the magical properties of a potion or oil on taste. Starting at 5th level, all gnomes may **brew potions** as if mages of their class level.

* **Gnome Tongues**: All gnomes speak four bonus languages: Dwarf, Elf, Goblin, and Kobold.

* **Infravision**: The Gnomish tendency to underground life has granted them extended infravision to 90'.

* **Resistance to Illusions**: A lifetime spent in the company of illusionists leaves gnomes hard to fool. Gnomes receive a +4 bonus on saving throws to disbelieve magical illusions.

**Class Features:**

* **1st Level: Cleave:** 1 attempt per round, per experience level.
* **1st Level:** **Faerie Fire** and **Ventriloquism** once an hour.
* **1st Level:** **Speak With Animals** at will.

* **1st Level: Ambushing** - When attacking with surprise, the clanwarden gets a +4 bonus on attack throws and deals double damage on the attack.
* **1st Level: Small Fighter** - Gnomish clanwardens use their small frames and combat skill to take every advantage when defending the constricted tunnels of their vault-burrows. In lieu of moving during a round, the clanwarden may attempt a proficiency throw of 20+ to slip behind an opponent in melee. The proficiency throw required for this maneuver is reduced by 1 per level of experience the character possesses. If successful, the character is now behind his opponent. The opponent loses the benefit of his shield, if any, and the clanwarden may use his **ambushing** ability for the attack. When using this ability versus larger-than-man-sized opponents (e.g. ogres, trolls, and giants), the clanwarden proficiency throw target is reduced by two.
* **9th Level: Gnomish Vault** (stronghold) - A total of 3d6x10 1st level NPC gnomes will move in to help maintain and defend the vault at no cost to the character. A gnomish clanwarden is expected to employ only soldiers of gnomish descent, but may hire members of other races for other tasks.

**Gnomish Clanwarden Level Progression**

 2250
 4500
 9000
 18000
 36000
 70000
 140000
 275000
 410000
 545000
 670000
 805000

**Gnomish Clanwarden Attack and Saving Throws**

Paralysis
Death
Breath
Wands
 2-3
 4
 5-6
 7
 8-9
 10
 11-12
 13

**Class Proficiency List** (select one at 1st, 3rd, 6th, 9th, and 12th Levels)

Alchemy, Alertness, Arcane Dabbling, Bargaining, Beast Friendship, Caving, Combat Reflexes, Combat Trickery (Disarm, Incapacitate), Command, Contortionism, Dungeon Bashing, Eavesdropping, Fighting Style, Goblin-Slaying, Hedge Wizardry, Magical Engineering, Manual of Arms, Military Strategy, Passing Without Trace, Precise Shooting, Prestidigitation, Skirmishing, Sniping, Survival, Swashbuckling, Weapon Finesse, Weapon Focus, Vermin-Slaying.

**Gnomish Clanwarden Templates**

(*Equipment as matching 3d6 roll on Dwarven Vaultguard Templates table, ACKS Player's Companion, p. 63)*