Svirfneblin are a popular choice for players who like playing gnomes with a more serious outlook. This racial class offers a set of base racial abilities plus three racial levels.

Svirfneblin Base Racial Features

All of the following are base racial abilities for the svirfneblin.

Ability Score Adjustments: -2 Strength, +2 Dexterity, +2 Constitution,+2 Wisdom,  -2 Charisma.

Size: Svirfneblin are Small size. As a Small creature, a svirfneblin gains a +1 size bonus to Armor Class, a +1 size bonus on attack rolls, and a +4 size bonus on Hide checks, but he uses smaller weapons than humans use, and his lifting and carrying limits are three-quarters of those of a Medium character.

Speed: Svirfneblin base land speed is 20 feet.

Combat Bonuses: A svirfneblin gains a +1 racial bonus on attack rolls against kobolds and goblinoids and a +4 dodge bonus to Armor Class against monsters of the giant type. Any time a creature loses its Dexterity bonus (if any) to Armor Class, such as when it's caught flat-footed, it loses its dodge bonus, too.

Darkvision (Ex): A svirfneblin has darkvision to a 60-foot range.

Illusion Affinity: Add +1 to the Difficulty Class for all saving throws against illusion spells cast by svirfneblin. This adjustment stacks with those from similar effects.

Darkvision (Ex): svirfneblin's darkvision range increases to 120 feet.

Hide Bonus: a svirfneblin gains a +2 racial bonus on Hide checks when underground. At 2nd level, he gains a +2 racial bonus on Hide checks under all circumstances, and his bonus while underground increases to +4.

Disguise Self (Sp): The svirfneblin may use disguise self (caster level equals svirfneblin's class level) once per day /3 HD.

Stonecunning: This ability grants a svirfneblin a +2 racial bonus on Search checks to notice unusual stonework, such as sliding walls, stonework traps, new construction (even when built to match the old), unsafe stone surfaces, shaky stone ceilings, and the like. Something that isn't stone but that is disguised as stone also counts as unusual stonework. A svirfneblin who merely comes within 10 feet of unusual stonework can make a Search check as if he were actively searching, and he can use the Search skill to find stonework traps as a rogue can. A svirfneblin can also intuit depth, sensing his approximate depth underground as naturally as a human can sense which way is up.

Saving Throw Bonuses: A svirfneblin gains a+2 racial bonus on saving throws against illusions

Weapon Familiarity: A svirfneblin may treat gnome hooked hammers as martial weapons rather than exotic weapons.

Skill Bonuses: A svirfneblin gains a +2 racial bonus on Perception checks and a +2 racial bonus on Craft (alchemy) checks.

Automatic Languages: Common, Gnome, Undercommon. Bonus Languages: Dwarven, Elven, Giant, Goblin, Orc, Terran.

The Svirfneblin Racial Class

Svirfneblin Racial Class Features

All of the following are class features of the svirfneblin racial class.

Saving Throw Bonus: At 1st level, a deep gnome gains a +2 racial bonus on all saving throws. This bonus overlaps (does not stack) with his normal +2 racial bonus on saves against illusions.

Blur (Sp):  the svirfneblin may use blur (caster level equals svirfneblin's class level) once per day/ 5 HD.

Spell Resistance (Su): At 2nd level, the svirfneblin gains spell resistance equal to 3 + character level. At 2nd level, his spell resistance increases to 7 + character level.

Blindness/Deafness (Sp): Once per day, a svirfneblin may use blindness/deafness (caster level equals svirfneblin's class level; save DC 16 + svirfneblin's Cha modifier) / 5 HD.

Nondetection (Su): the deep gnome gains a continuous nondetection ability (as the spell, caster level equals svirfneblin's class level).

Svirfneblin Dodge: +4 dodge bonus against giants becomes effective against all creatures.