How do you like your halflings best?

[DiamondB]

While I posted my preference to a feral mini-elf halfling previously, I'm actually going a different route with my homebrew. My halflings are nomadic inhabitants of a massive grassland. I suppose the best RL example would be a cross between Native Americans and Gypsys.

 

[D.Shaffer]

Medium rare...

More seriously, I Prefer the Eberron style "Dino Rider" savages

 

[pawsplay]

Sounds like children to me.

Yeah, I have three of those. I love them to death, but I wouldn't take them on an expedition to hunt dragons.

And kender seem like particularly ill-behaved children, raised by career criminals.

I don't see what "looking beyond the stereotypes" has to do with anything. I wasn't traumatized by a succession of bad kender players in the 80s or anything. I just think, as written, kender are abhorrent creatures. It's one thing for a child to behave as a child... it's another for an adult to retain certain (but not all) child-like characteristics and walk around with a mindset that justifies virtually everything they do.

Actual children are tender, interesting to talk to, get afraid, cry, need love and approval, and admire and emulate adults. Kender are superficial, self-absorbed, fearless, emotionally unavailable, unresponsive to the disapproval of others, and lacking in character.

Sociopaths. Three foot tall Bonnie and Clydes armed with slingshots.

Tas is probably one of the best of the bunch, a sympathetic character with some heroic and moral qualities.

 

[Mortis]

Barbecued

or the Tolkienesque hin of Mystara's Five Shires.

Regards
Mortis

 

[Dragonhelm]

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

Positive.

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

Yet the rules/flavor of the nightstalker class does (see Age of Mortals for the original and the upcoming Races of Ansalon for the revised).

I don't see what "looking beyond the stereotypes" has to do with anything. I wasn't traumatized by a succession of bad kender players in the 80s or anything. I just think, as written, kender are abhorrent creatures. It's one thing for a child to behave as a child... it's another for an adult to retain certain (but not all) child-like characteristics and walk around with a mindset that justifies virtually everything they do.

Actual children are tender, interesting to talk to, get afraid, cry, need love and approval, and admire and emulate adults. Kender are superficial, self-absorbed, fearless, emotionally unavailable, unresponsive to the disapproval of others, and lacking in character.

Sociopaths. Three foot tall Bonnie and Clydes armed with slingshots.

Tas is probably one of the best of the bunch, a sympathetic character with some heroic and moral qualities.

You are, of course, entitled to disagree, and that's fine. I do disagree that kender are superficial, self-absorbed, and emotionally unavailable. Not sure what you mean by lacking in character. Kender have a great capacity for caring for others. We see this many times over, especially with Tas.

Anyway, let's just agree to disagree on this one.

 

[(Psi)SeveredHead]

Yet the rules/flavor of the nightstalker class does (see Age of Mortals for the original and the upcoming Races of Ansalon for the revised).

Is that a base class? If it isn't, then that would mean most kender wouldn't be like the one you described (and default to the terrible stereotype foisted on them).

 

[Dragonhelm]

Is that a base class? If it isn't, then that would mean most kender wouldn't be like the one you described (and default to the terrible stereotype foisted on them).

Age of Mortals has it as a prestige class. It was a role in the SAGA products as well. See, I like the nightstalker as it was the first role for kender that really developed them beyond the stereotypes.

And no, most kender aren't like that. However, it demonstrates how kender can be more than the stereotype. A clever player who wants to invest a little time into character background (which they should anyway ) can make a kender who isn't just the "annoying kleptomaniac."

 

[Man in the Funny Hat]

Other