Small: As Small creatures, desert gnomes gain a +1 size bonus to Armor Class, a +1 size bonus on attack rolls, and a +4 size bonus on Hide checks, but they must use smaller weapons than humans use, and their lifting and carrying limits are three-quarters of those of Medium-size characters.
Desert Gnome base speed is 20 feet.
Low-light Vision: Desert Gnomes can see twice as far as a human in starlight, moonlight, torchlight, and similar conditions of poor illumination. They retain the ability to distinguish color and detail under these conditions.
+2 racial bonus on saving throws against illusions, because all gnomes are innately familiar with illusions of all kinds.
+1 racial bonus to attack rolls against orcs and goblins: Desert Gnomes battle these creatures frequently and practice special techniques for fighting them.
+4 dodge bonus against giants: This bonus represents special tricks that previous generations developed in their battles with giants. Note that any time a character loses his positive Dexterity bonus to Armor Class, such as when he�s caught flat-footed, he loses his dodge bonus, too.
+2 racial bonus on Listen checks: Gnomes have keen ears.
+2 racial bonus on Alchemy checks: A desert gnomes sensitive nose allows him to monitor alchemical processes by smell.
Automatic Languages: Common and Gnome. Bonus Languages: Any (other than secret languages, such as druidic). In addition, once per day a gnome can use speak with animals as a spell-like ability to speak with a desert inhabiting creature. This ability is innate to desert gnomes. It has a duration of 1 minute (the desert gnomes is considered a 1st-level caster when he uses this ability). See the speak with animals spell description, page 254 of the Player�s Handbook.
Desert Gnomes with Intelligence scores of 10 or higher may cast the 0-level spells (cantrips) dancing light, ghost sound, and prestidigitation, each once per day. These are arcane spells, and as such the gnome suffers spell failure penalties for wearing armor. Treat the desert gnome as a 1st-level caster for all spell effects dependent on level (range for all three spells and duration for ghost sound). See the spell descriptions on pages 190, 209, and 238 respectively in the Player�s Handbook.
Favored Class: Wizard. A multiclass gnome�s wizard class does not count when determining whether he suffers an XP penalty (see Experience for Multiclass Characters, page 56 of the Player�s Handbook).