Gnomes - 1d50 Gems & More

The Gnomes of Glitterdeep Hollow


Who are they, and what do they want?

The Gnomes of Glitterdeep Hollow: often referred to as Glitterdeeps. They are rarely found outside of the Osmium Pits where their city, the Hollow, can be found. What's more, few scholars boast a comprehensive knowledge of their culture. Still, rumors abound - the truth of it? They prey upon humans.


These creatures use innate magical abilities to subdue their victims - paralysis spells are their specialty. Once incapacitated in some manner, a hapless human is dragged down into one of the myriad tunnels that make up their lairs. Once sufficiently hidden from the surface, the human is flayed alive and a powder composed of crushed rock and exotic reagents is spread inside the wound. Gemstone crystals will form from the mingling of fresh blood, air, the powder, and the life-force of the human. These gemstones can be influenced while they are still growing, for spells and enchantments readily take to the glimmering rocks.

The process of growing Glitterdeep Gemstones is always fatal to the human catalyst.

How the Glitterdeeps accomplish this practice is almost as abhorrent as the method itself. They most often take advantage of desperate peasantry or bribe wealthy lordlings to look away as they practice their grotesque art.

In order to earn the trust of local peasants or buy the silence of lords, Glitterdeep Gnomes present lavish gifts and useful tools. Beautiful, costly objects made of gemstone are often enchanted with magic. There are three main categories of Glitterdeep gifts:

  1. Gemcoins
  2. Gemstone Amulets
  3. Gemweapons

Gemcoins

Enchanted coins made of gemstone are a Glitterdeep's most useful tool. The obverse bears a small sigil, typically representing the spell in the coin. The reverse bears a small phrase in a language of the craftsgnome's choice - often elvish.

A gemcoin is a tool. When crafted, it drains the gnome of magical power for a short time. It will only take on a single spell that it is exposed to - chosen from the crafter's repertoire. The process is dangerous and leaves the gnome vulnerable for a time. A few hours after the crafting is complete and the coin has absorbed enough magic, it will start to shimmer with an inner fire. Anyone who holds the coin and closes their eyes can see the spell swirling upon their eyelids, and will know what arcane force they hold between their fingers.

Upon breaking the coin, the magic is released and a spell is cast. Glitterdeep Gnomes like to stockpile these coins. They will jealously guard any gemcoins that contain powerful spells, and  barter those with lesser cantrips. These are especially useful for gaining the trust and loyalty of simple humans - a single gemcoin that can conjure food from thin air is exceedingly valuable to a farmer worried about the upcoming winter.

A broken gemcoin will turn into worthless dust over the course of an hour.

Gemstone Amulets

Twinkling gems cut into fashionable shapes. Some gnomes will go to the effort of crafting silver or gold settings but most are content to wrap the stones in cord and create rustic amulets with them.

Once fashioned into jewelry, a Glitterdeep gemstone is enchanted over the course of one lunar cycle. The larger the crystal, the more potent a spell the amulet may hold.

All amulets can be used once per day and they recharge at dawn.


1d50 Gem Enchantments

Use these for your Gemcoins or Gemstone Amulet enchantments. Make up the effects, or use something equivalent from your favorite system.
  1. Blinding Acid-Spray
  2. Bubble of minor Time Distortion
  3. Cause / Cure Hex
  4. Compel Truth
  5. Concentrated Sunlight
  6. Cone of Silence
  7. Conjure Armor
  8. Conjure Boots of Flaming Speed
  9. Conjure Enchanted Arrow
  10. Conjure Food and Water
  11. Conjure Glowing Sphere
  12. Conjure Mist
  13. Crystallize Weapon
  14. Detect Lies
  15. Encase in Gemstone
  16. Enhance / Reduce Size
  17. Enhance Virility / Fertility
  18. Flesh to Stone / Stone to Flesh
  19. Freeze Water
  20. Gaseous Fireball
  21. Greater Transmute to Glass
  22. Hasty Spellmirror
  23. Ignite Bonfire
  24. Inflict / Cure Disease
  25. Knit Wounds
  26. Lava Spigot
  27. Lesser Transmute to Gold
  28. Locate Object
  29. Locate Person
  30. Locust Beam
  31. Meld into Shadows
  32. Meld into Stone
  33. Open / Close Pocket Dimension
  34. Permanent Illusion
  35. Raise Zombie
  36. Read Thoughts
  37. Reduce / Multiply Wounds
  38. Refract Light
  39. Repair / Destroy Object
  40. Scramble Thoughts
  41. Shape Metal
  42. Shroud of Invisibility
  43. Spectral Lash
  44. Strobe Light
  45. Summon / Banish Ghosts
  46. Summon / Banish Imp
  47. Summon Rain
  48. Summon Thunderstorm
  49. Water from Stone
  50. Water to Dust / Dust to Water

1d50 Gemstones
  1. Alexandrite
  2. Amethyst
  3. Aventurine
  4. Aquamarine
  5. Black Opal
  6. Black Zircon
  7. Bloodstone
  8. Blue Jade
  9. Carnelian
  10. Cat's Eye
  11. Chambersite
  12. Cherry Opal
  13. Chrysoberyl
  14. Chrysoprase
  15. Citrine
  16. Fire Agate
  17. Fire Opal
  18. Golden Opal
  19. Heliodor
  20. Hibonite
  21. Iolite
  22. Kyanite
  23. Lace Agate
  24. Lapis Lazuli
  25. Moonstone
  26. Moss Agate
  27. Musgravite
  28. Neptunite
  29. Onyx Opal
  30. Onyx
  31. Painite
  32. Peridot
  33. Pink Jade
  34. Pink Tourmaline
  35. Prase Opal
  36. Purpurite
  37. Red Beryl
  38. Red Spine
  39. Red Zircon
  40. Rose Quartz
  41. Ruby
  42. Sapphire
  43. Sardonyx
  44. Taaffeite
  45. Tiger Iron
  46. Tigerseye
  47. Topaz
  48. Turquoise
  49. Yellow Jasper
  50. Zektzerite
1d20 Cuts
  1. Barion
  2. Brilliant
  3. Cushion
  4. Emerald
  5. Heart Brilliant
  6. King Brilliant
  7. Kite Brilliant
  8. Lozenge
  9. Marquise
  10. Obus
  11. Drop
  12. Princess
  13. Radiant
  14. Rose
  15. Single
  16. Star Brilliant
  17. Square Emerald
  18. Step
  19. Trapezoid
  20. Triangle
Gemweapons
A prized tool created by the gnomes of Glitterdeep Hollow. Given as presents to nobles and dock-masters willing to import Glitterdeep gemstones, Gemweapons are an oddity.

Created to mimic the shape of other instruments of battle, a gemsweapon is often considered valuable due to both its lethal design and graceful symmetry. These weapons are either carved from a single piece of gem or cobbled together from multiple. Each is unique. What's more, gemweapons all possess three innate abilities.
  1. They will never grow dull
  2. They give off 10 feet of colorful light when unsheathed
  3. If broken, they will regrow over a period of 1d4 days
The exact shape of the gemweapon is entirely variable - most often a Glitterdeep will specialize in one particular type of armament, though it is traditional to craft gnomish long-blades out of gems; these serve as shortswords to human-sized creatures.

Example Gem-Gifts

Gemcoin (Summon Rain)
A fire opal carved into a small coin. The obverse sigil is a picture of rainfall. The reverse is an elven phrase that translates to 'Let us take what nature will not provide.' When broken, clouds will appear within a 25-mile radius and a steady, gentle rain will fall for four hours.

Gemcoin (Gaseous Fireball)
An onyx carved into a small coin. The obverse sigil is a simple flat line denoting the void. The reverse a phrase in common that reads 'No barrier will hold back my anger.' When broken, a small bolt of fire will leap out to a point the caster can see. A 40 foot radius cloud of gas will spread, choking any living creatures caught inside. After ten seconds, the cloud will ignite and create an explosion with a 60 foot radius.

Gemstone Amulet (Lesser Transmute to Gold)
A rose-cut golden opal wrapped carefully in twine. Once per day, the wearer may turn one object that can fit inside of their mouth into pure gold.

Gemstone Amulet (Cone of Silence)
A step-cut ruby in a silver setting, suspended on a fine cord. Once per day, the wearer may create a 60 foot long, 30 foot wide cone in front of them. Anything inside of this cone will make no noise whatsoever.

Gemsword
A single shard of emerald carved into a two-foot shortsword. The guard is simple, and the handle is delicately carved for grip. It glows with a faint, blue-ish tinge.

Gemspear
A long shaft of wood with a massive, jagged ruby set in the end. It looks more practical than beautiful, but the deadly tip is bathed in a ferocious and elegant crimson light.

What makes Glitterdeep Gnomes interesting?

Their modus operandi:

First, find a vulnerable human settlement. Gnomes from the Glitterdeep Hollow prefer land where there is bountiful rock. Next, set up shop; provide services to humans in exchange for loyalty. After gaining the local's trust, work to collect humans for gem catalysts. This can be done by collecting transients with the assistance of locals or demanding tribute from the locals in exchange for gemcoins or magical assistance.

Their Endgame:
  1. Make enough gems to buy their way into the Glitterdeep political world
  2. Make a gem flawless enough to serve as a soul crucible and become a lich
  3. Send gems back home to pay off a terrible debt
  4. Create enough magical weaponry to arm a clandestine mercenary company
  5. Delve into terrible secrets
Playing a Glitterdeep:
  1. Be courteous
  2. Offer aid, with only a few strings attached
  3. Deflect suspicion whenever possible
  4. Acquire gems, consolidate power
  5. Embrace the body-horror of it all

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