Gnome Warriors and Tricksters

 Gnomes are small demihumans, reminiscent of dwarves but slimmer and about the size of halflings. In the Basic rules gnomes are treated as monsters rather than a character race. I offer two classes to change this - the gnome warrior and the gnome trickster. Although I have included XP per level, I would still suggest they be kept as NPCs as they have not been properly play-tested. 

The Gnome Warrior

The gnome warrior is similar to the dwarf class given in the B/X rules and I suggest using that as the template (including to hit rolls, saving throws and experience required per level up to 12th level, and infravision). They can detect sloping passages, stonework traps and shifting walls just as well as their dwarven cousins. They can also use infravision out to 60' range. They have the following exceptions:

• They are slighter in build so only have d6 hit points per level, not the dwarves' d8 hp per level.
• Their prime requisites are strength and dexterity. If a gnome warrior has both strength and dexterity above 13 they get +10% to earned experience.
• They cannot use two-handed axes or polearms (and like dwarves they cannot use longbows or two-handed swords). They can use bastard swords (from the Companion rules) but only with two hands. 
• Like halflings, gnome warriors get -2 bonus to AC when against large creatures due to their small size and nimbleness. 
• Gnomes can talk with small burrowing mammals, such as rabbits, badgers, gophers, weasels and the like.

The Gnome Trickster

Gnome Tricksters are a combination of thief and magic user and, as their name suggests, they are adept at illusion and trickery. They are their gnome clans' scouts, spies and occasional criminals, always looking to outwit and befuddle larger opponents. 

Gnome Tricksters are able to use all thief abilities as if a thief  of the same level except for backstabbing. They can also cast spells in a way similar to a magic user, though they use a different spell list from magic users and elves. 

Gnome tricksters use the same saving throws and to hit tables as thieves, and can wear leather armour and cast their spells at the same time. However, they are small and are restricted in their weapons - they can only use daggers, shortswords and slings (if the Companion rules are also used then blowpipes are also suitable). Their prime requisites are Intelligence and Dexterity, and a gnome trickster with 13 or more in both abilities gets a +10% bonus to earned XP. 

As gnomes, tricksters can both use infravision as dwarves and also talk with small burrowing mammals. They also get -2 bonus to AC if fighting large opponents. They do not have the same sense of stone and masonry as their warrior kindred. 

art by Thomas van der Heiden, (source)

Gnome Trickster spell list

Those spell names that match spells from the magic-user/elf and cleric lists are the same spells (ones without asterisks). The description of new spells with unfamiliar names (single asterisks *) will be presented here on this blog soon (now on this page https://kaelaross.blogspot.com/2021/12/gnome-trickster-spells.html). Spells with 2 asterisks ** are borrowed from 1st Edition AD&D Player's Handbook (usually the Illusionist spell list). For those who do not have this resource I suggest downloading a copy of the OSRIC rules.