While dwarves were created to make weapons and mine for metals, Gnomes were the gem miners and technological mages of the godwars. They focused on magical and mental abilites, but in turn neglected their physical attributes. Short and stubby, their nimbleness is comparable to their cousins.

Three modern offshoots of gnomes are generally recognized. Tinker gnomes, Deep, and Dark. Each is closely related, and all speak common and gnomish. All fear water, but the Deep gnomes and Dark gnomes both fear light from their long underdark inhabitations. The Tinker gnomes, having long ago emigrated to the surface, are the most magically active of the three races, but all make strong mages or mentalists. All retain the ability to see in darkness, but their physical size and strength typically keeps them from being effective fighters. Dark gnomes were tainted more than their cousins by the forces of darkness, and are excellent necromancers.