mordenkainens tome of foes

rock gnome inventors jabbering at near unintelligible

speed about their latest ideas, and the hubbub is occa-

sionally punctuated by a big bang or the abrupt collapse

of some unstable contraption.

To rock gnomes, life is a combina

tion of scavenger

hunts and periods of bold
experimentation. First they

mine materials from within the earth, and then they

figure out what they can create or invent using those re-

sources. The discovery of a new vein of metal-whether

tin, copper,
silver, or gold-makes rock gnomes clap

their
hands with glee, but they are happiest of all when

they find a cache of gems, particularly diamonds.

Individual rock gnomes have different ideas about

what sorts of inventions are the most satisfying to cre-

ate, with some favoring practicality and others more

interested in artistic expression. In each group, there

are those who prefer to practice the alchemical arts and

those whose talents lean toward the creation of mechan-

ical devices. Every warren has members
of each persua-

sion, and they are all bound by mutual
respect for what

they do despite their different perspectives.

PRACTICAL MAKES PERFECT

Rock gnomes

who take a more scientific approach to

inventing are the ones responsible for creating techno-

logical

devices that make life easier. Even an invention

as

simple as a new kind of rake is celebrated, and that

advance might later be superseded by someone who

modifies it in a way that makes it more efficient or more

enjoyable to use.

These inventors are rarely reluctant to try making

devices of exceptional power, even if one might not work

at first the way it was intended to. The gnomes know

that it's always possible for someone else to learn from

an inventor's mistakes,

so even a failed experiment is

a success in some way.

Every minor explosion or other

incident of turmoil in a rock gnome burrow serves as a

clue about what not to do next time- unless, of course,

the goal was

to make something explode.

FOR BEAUTY'S SAKE

Imagination runs wild in the mind of a gnome. Any fresh

idea can be the starting point for a new journ

ey of ex-

CELESTIAL TOYMAKERS

A handful of master artificers exist among the rock

gnomes who take the magic of their craft to new heights.

These legendary gnomes usually reside in Bytopia and on

other planes far from the Material Plane, locales where

they can access and harness powerful energies. They have

unlocked secrets of the multiverse that enable them to

fashion mind-boggling creations-their so-called "celes·

tial toys."

These master artificers are friendly

to those who seek

them out. They enjoy

showing off their works and take

great glee in watching visitors interact with their toys,

while they scribble notes on how to refine their creations.

Celestial toys can do just about anything. Many of these

objects have properties not unlike those of wondrous

items, such as a toy that can increase

an ability score or

one that can show happenings on other planes.

CHAPTER 5 I HALFLJNGS AND CNOMP.S

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