Two sisters.

On the one hand, this would make the scenario less hardcore, but on the other hand, it would also make it less toxic and more predictable.

This is the main problem. Reducing the hardcore nature and predictability in this way is not the goal I had in mind. I understand that chasing gnomes all over the map can be quite inconvenient, but for me, the ability to overcome them is just as much a factor of difficulty as, for example, defeating opponents who vastly outnumber you through clever strategy.