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I remember playing as Inga, and as you said, defense and magic grow normally, but I had a case with others where the stats were approximately like this (this is at some early levels): attack 4, defense 6, spell power 4, knowledge 2, and there was an artifact that gave +2 to knowledge... honestly, the stats of Gnomes are not very specific, unlike Orcs... I think Gnomes need to get an education in many cases if we want them to become full-fledged mages:D ;) ...the hero at the start had attack (Ibba), maybe that's why attack accumulated?!
I agree, it often doesn't go in a specific way, but rather in a mixed manner! You can only get an education if you develop at least up to level 20, and if you rush, then definitely not, there are level-ups that are more necessary!
In my opinion, a Gnome is a versatile character and can therefore be both a full-fledged mage and a tough melee fighter!