The World of Abadonya

The Quiet Folk Below

Deep Gnomes inhabit the under-mountain reaches of Aurelion, where older layers of the region lie buried beneath newer arcane structures. Their settlements occupy natural caverns, forgotten mine systems, sealed stone complexes, and abandoned levels beneath ruined magical sites.

They are serious, careful, and difficult to surprise. Generations spent beside hostile subterranean creatures, unstable magical residues, and forgotten defenses have taught them that caution is a survival skill rather than a personality flaw.

Deep Gnome scouts sometimes watch surface expeditions from hiding long before making contact. If they reveal themselves at all, it is usually because they believe the visitors are about to disturb something dangerous.

Built for the Lightless Depths

Deep Gnomes are small, wiry humanoids with skin tones resembling slate, granite, ash, clay, and weathered stone. Their coloration helps them disappear naturally against underground terrain.

Males are commonly bald, while females often have thin gray hair. Their eyes are large and pale, well adapted to darkness and dim cavern light.

Aurelion Deep Gnomes favor durable clothing, layered leather, stone-dust colors, compact packs, and equipment designed to avoid snagging in narrow tunnels.

Bright decoration is uncommon outside protected settlements, though carefully cut gemstones and subtle metalwork may carry family or professional significance.

Cities That Do Not Want to Be Found

Deep Gnome settlements are deliberately difficult to locate. Entrances may be concealed behind natural stone, false tunnels, vertical shafts, submerged passages, or sections of ruin that appear collapsed.

Within an enclave, stonework is precise, defensive, and practical. Multiple escape routes, hidden observation points, alchemical workshops, food caverns, reinforced doors, and narrow chokepoints are common.

Visitors are rarely given complete maps. Even trusted allies may be guided through indirect routes so they cannot easily return alone.

The strongest enclaves maintain secret tunnels leading to old arcane chambers beneath Aurelion, some of which they have guarded for generations without fully understanding what lies beyond.

Craft Before Display

Deep Gnome culture respects useful mastery. Alchemy, mining, stonework, scouting, concealment, underground navigation, and recognition of dangerous magical materials are highly valued.

Aurelion's buried magical sites have made Deep Gnome alchemists and ward-breakers especially important. They frequently encounter strange minerals, lingering magical contamination, broken constructs, and substances unknown to surface scholars.

An elegant hidden hinge, silent doorway, stable support column, reliable antidote, or well-prepared escape tunnel may earn greater admiration than a decorative masterpiece.

Trust Must Be Earned

Deep Gnomes are often reserved around outsiders because their settlements depend upon remaining hidden. A careless visitor who learns the location of an enclave may unintentionally lead danger back to it.

Once trust is earned, however, Deep Gnomes can be exceptionally reliable allies. Promises given deliberately are taken seriously, and abandoning companions underground is considered deeply dishonorable.

Communities value patience, preparation, practical knowledge, and the ability to remain calm when something goes wrong in the dark.

Guardians of What Lies Below

Deep Gnome faith varies by enclave. Many feel a natural affinity for Namir through mining, stonework, and craftsmanship, while others respect Rashtala because so much of their homeland is shaped by ancient magic.

Some enclaves maintain quiet traditions centered on protection, secrecy, and the responsibility of keeping dangerous things sealed away.

Deep Gnomes may follow any alignment or deity. Their caution and reserve are cultural adaptations, not moral limitations.

Standard Pathfinder 1e Racial Traits

Ability Score Modifiers: Deep Gnomes gain –2 Strength, +2 Dexterity, +2 Wisdom, and –4 Charisma.

Type: Deep Gnomes are humanoids with the gnome subtype.

Size: Deep Gnomes are Small creatures and gain a +1 size bonus to AC, a +1 size bonus on attack rolls, a –1 penalty to CMB and CMD, and a +4 size bonus on Stealth checks.

Speed: Deep Gnomes have a base speed of 20 feet.

Languages: Deep Gnomes begin play speaking Gnome and Undercommon. Those with high Intelligence scores can choose Aklo, Common, Draconic, Dwarven, Elven, Giant, Goblin, Orc, and Terran.

Defensive Training: Deep Gnomes gain a +2 dodge bonus to Armor Class.

Fortunate: Deep Gnomes gain a +2 racial bonus on all saving throws.

Spell Resistance: Deep Gnomes have spell resistance equal to 11 + their class levels.

Skills: Deep Gnomes gain a +2 racial bonus on Stealth checks, improving to +4 underground. They also gain a +2 racial bonus on Craft (alchemy) and Perception checks.

Stonecunning: Deep Gnomes gain stonecunning as dwarves.

Innate Deep Magic: Deep Gnomes add +1 to the DC of illusion spells they cast. They also gain the following spell-like abilities: constant—nondetection; 1/day—blindness/deafness, blur, and disguise self. Caster level equals the Deep Gnome's class levels. The save DC for blindness/deafness is 12 + Charisma modifier.

Hatred: Deep Gnomes gain a +1 bonus on attack rolls against humanoid creatures of the reptilian and dwarf subtypes.

Darkvision: Deep Gnomes have darkvision 120 feet.

Low-Light Vision: Deep Gnomes can see twice as far as humans in conditions of dim light.

Race Points: 24 RP.

These are the Pathfinder 1e racial mechanics used for Deep Gnome characters in Abadonya.

Alternate Racial Traits

Healthy: Gain a +4 bonus on Fortitude saves against disease and poison, including magical diseases. This replaces Fortunate.

Stalwart Watcher: Gain a +1 racial bonus on attack rolls against fey creatures and a +2 racial bonus on saving throws against mind-affecting effects. This replaces Hatred and the relevant skill-based racial trait.

Stoneseer: Add +1 to caster level for spells with the earth descriptor and gain constant nondetection plus 1/day magic stone, stone shape, and stone tell. This replaces Innate Deep Magic.

These options use the normal Pathfinder 1e alternate racial trait replacement rules.

The Deep Wards

Aurelion is the principal homeland of the Deep Gnomes. Their enclaves lie far below towers, observatories, mountain roads, and arcane ruins.

Some communities quietly monitor ancient chambers beneath the surface, maintaining seals, warning systems, and defensive passages whose original purpose has been forgotten by everyone else.

Surface scholars occasionally meet Deep Gnome scouts near buried sites. Such encounters are often the first sign that a ruin is more dangerous—or more important—than anyone above realized.

Leaving the Deep

Deep Gnome adventurers usually leave their enclaves for practical reasons: investigating threats, recovering stolen artifacts, tracing creatures that escaped upward, finding rare alchemical materials, or warning surface settlements about danger rising from below.

Alchemists, rogues, rangers, clerics, wizards, investigators, and other stealth- or knowledge-focused classes are common, though Deep Gnomes can pursue any class.

An Aurelion Deep Gnome adventurer may be the only person in a party who realizes that a harmless-looking stone seam is actually a sealed doorway—or that something on the other side has been waiting for centuries.

Return to the Races of Abadonya index to browse other ancestries.