Countless ages of toil in the deep mines of Dothion, where the walls between the Twin Paradises of Bytopia and the Elemental Plane of Fire are very thin indeed, has created a hybrid race that shares some qualities of gnome and some of fire elemental. Fire gnomes are exceptionally resistant to heat and especially vulnerable to cold, and though they share some of the same interests as their cousins the svirfneblin, fire gnomes are nowhere near as insular and paranoid.
Fire gnomes do not have the innate illusion powers of their cousins, but they are capable of impressive effects with fire. They frequently give ground, only to devise elaborate schemes and return later. And also unlike rock gnomes, fire gnomes have no compunctions about killing — especially in defence of their mines and tunnels. Adept at spotting incendiaries and explosives carried by opponents, fire gnomes are all too happy to start fires (which have no effect on them, of course) in hopes of setting off an opponent’s own supply of explosives — and thus letting the fire gnomes defeat their foes with only minimal effort.
Source: Planar Handbook (Page 125)
Your character can be either male or female.
Every player character starts as an adult. You can choose or randomly generate your character’s age. If you choose it, it must be at least the minimum age for the character’s race and class (see Table: Starting Ages). Your character’s minimum starting age is the adulthood age of his or her race plus the number of dice indicated in the entry corresponding to the character’s race and class on Table: Starting Ages.
Alternatively, refer to Table: Starting Ages and roll dice to determine how old your character is.
| Adulthood | Intuitive1 | Self-Taught2 | Trained3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 40 years | +4d6 (44—64) years | +6d6 (46—76) years | +9d6 (49—94) years |
1 This category includes barbarians, rogues and sorcerers.
2 This category includes bards, fighters, paladins and rangers.
3 This category includes clerics, druids, monks and wizards.
With age, a character’s physical ability scores decrease and his or her mental ability scores increase (see Table: Aging Effects). The effects of each aging step are cumulative. However, none of a character’s ability scores can be reduced below 1 in this way.
| Middle Age1 | Old Age2 | Venerable3 | Maximum Age |
|---|---|---|---|
| 100 years | 150 years | 200 years | +3d% years |
1 -1 to Strength, Dexterity and Constitution; +1 to Intelligence, Wisdom and Charisma.
2 -2 to Strength, Dexterity and Constitution; +1 to Intelligence, Wisdom and Charisma.
3 -3 to Strength, Dexterity and Constitution; +1 to Intelligence, Wisdom and Charisma.
When a character reaches venerable age, the DM secretly rolls his or her maximum age, which is the number from the Venerable column on Table: Aging Effects plus the result of the dice roll indicated on the Maximum Age column on that table, and records the result, which the player does not know. A character who reaches his or her maximum age dies of old age at some time during the following year, as determined by the DM.
The maximum ages are for player characters. Most people in the world at large die from pestilence, accidents, infections or violence before getting to venerable age.
Choose your character’s height and weight from the ranges mentioned in the appropriate race description or from the ranges found on Table: Height and Weight. Think about what your character’s abilities might say about his or her height and weight. A weak but agile character may be thin. A strong and tough character may be tall or just heavy.
Alternatively, roll randomly for your character’s height and weight on Table: Height and Weight. The dice roll given in the Height Modifier column determines the character’s extra height beyond the base height. That same number multiplied by the dice roll or quantity given in the Weight Modifier column determines the character’s extra weight beyond the base weight.
| Gender | Base Height | Height Modifier | Base Weight | Weight Modifier |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Male | 3’ 0" | +2d4 (3’ 2"—3’ 8") | 40 lbs. | ×1 (42—48 lbs.) |
| Female | 2’ 10" | +2d4 (3’ 0"—3’ 6") | 35 lbs. | ×1 (37—43 lbs.) |
Source: Player’s Handbook (Page 109)