How do you like your halflings best?

[MoogleEmpMog]

Erm... "mini-elves?"

How are nomadic merchants and traders with a penchant for roguishness "mini-elves?"

Anyway, I like the 3.x version of halflings quite a bit; the Eberron dinosaur-riding barbarian and Dark Sun cannibal savage varieties are quite cool, too, but more limited in their applications IMO.

EDIT: And for the record, I *love* kender. But I also casually boot disruptive players, including on a campaign-by-campaign basis. Well-played kender are awesome, and, frankly, I've never found poorly-played ones to be considerably worse than poorly-played characters of other types.

 

[Bagpuss]

Birthright style thanks very much. Spooky creatures from the shadow realm fleeing an great evil that has followed them into our world.

 

[Choranzanus]

Proto-hobbity "hidden folk" style. Not necessarily kleptomaniacs or rogues, but talented.

 

[Anti-Sean]

I hated halflings in all of their D&D incarnations until I picked up Eberron. The dino-riding halflings angle was a hook that piqued my interest, and the Talentan society turned out to be an interesting and refreshing take on them. I also love the fact that one of the major crime organizations in Sharn is run by the little guys. What's even better is that when my players discovered the Boromars and their influence, they immediately jumped to the conclusion that they secretly ran both of the halfling dragonmarked houses as well. I feel no need to disabuse them of that notion, and have decided to take their idea and run with it instead. The best part is that they're so worried about the halflings that they're not paying any attention to the true threat; the gnomes. *evil laugh*

 

[Darkness]

This.

What about the Dino wranglers? That's what I really like!!

 

[(Psi)SeveredHead]

Kenderphiles won't like it, but I can't see any appreciable difference between kender and 3.X halflings, other than kleptomania. And I don't know what Faen are.

I'm not a kenderphile but I don't like you saying this. Halflings aren't fearless taunters.

Check out Nightshade Pricklypear from the Dark Disciple series by Margaret Weis. He's a kender nightstalker, a kender who can speak with the dead. Not good at all with handling. Very atypical kender all in all. Yet the way Margaret writes him, he definitely is a kender, despite not being a "Tas clone."

I've never heard of this guy (or series). Are you sure he's not afflicted?

Anyway the rules/flavor text for playing kender in the DLCS doesn't cover this archetype.

Shroud, another kender nightstalker from Key of Destiny, only collected creepy items such as grave dust and finger bones.

If I was a pragmatic mage who didn't mind using necromancy, I'd be ticked off if the kender "collected" my stuff.

 

[airwalkrr]

Not a big halfling fan so I voted "devoured."

 

[Hairfoot]

Well, at close of trading, 'obbits is way ahead of the other contenders. 3.X halflings made a good showing, but were beaten by fans of the bulette buffet!

I didn't realise halflings were so disliked. Elves, I can understand. Even the superfluous gnomes. But I thought halflings had a place in everyone's heart.

Oh, well. Just as well Peter Jackson turned down "The Hobbit"!

 

[lukelightning]

What about the Dino wranglers? That's what I really like!!

Me too!

 

[questing gm]

I could neve figure my favorite flavor of halflings.
I just figured them as shorter gnomes (even the PHB seem to agree with me on the part of peace-loving and mischievious people)

I was thinking of reversing the stereotype role of the halfling with the elves. Somehow little critters that are wise, benevolent and tree-huggers just reminds me of never underestimating the small...