D&D General My Problem(s) With Halflings, and How To Create Engaging/Interesting Fantasy Races

[Gammadoodler]

You do know to many, that explanation sounds ridiculous within the context of D&D logic.

That's partially why this thread exists.

Lol.

It's true, if there is one thing that must be preserved at all costs, it is the sanctity of D&D logic.

To allow it to be stained with ridicule would be blasphemous.

Edit: ninja'd by @Vaalingrade

 

[Minigiant]

Oh no, D&D being ridiculous? Perish the thought.

Lol.

It's true, if there is one thing that must be preserved at all costs, it is the sanctity of D&D logic.

To allow it to be stained with ridicule would be blasphemous.

Edit: ninja'd by @Vaalingrade

It's all about levels of suspension of disbelief.

Everyone has different levels on it. However ignoring ridiculousness can cause issues and division within the community.

 

[Neonchameleon]

That's kinda the point.

With how on the edge and ridiculous the norms is, halflings not engaging whatsoever with little countermeasures highlights how alien and plot holey they are.

And what on earth makes you think that living underground isn't a countermeasure? What makes you think that close knit communities full of people with accurate ranged weapons aren't a countermeasure? Just because halflings don't make a big song and dance about it doesn't mean they aren't there.

With how unsustainable the orcs are in their lore, orcs would be raiding every halflings village on a regular basis just to survive.

Sucks to be the orcs I guess.

And halflings only get a +2 to Dex. That's only a 5% increase. They don't even get a size bonus to stealth, AC, and attack rolls in 5e.

Halflings kinda suck mechanically. Some minor luck and bravery would not keep a tween sized humaniod from being punted around by full sized medium creatures who are trained for battle.

Here's the thing. Gnolls don't get any sort of bonuses either - and have a lower default AC.

Far from sucking mechanically halflings are as strong as hill dwarves, elves, or most humans. They've a higher AC than gnolls while being as accurate and doing as much damage in melee with a shortsword or scimitar as a gnoll does with their spear. An average halfling stands a pretty good chance of being able to 1vs1 an average hill dwarf under normal conditions, being more acccurate both in melee and at range even if the dwarf has a couple more hp.

The idea that halflings suck mechanically is something that you seem to have invented. Dex is the god-stat in 5e and halflings don't actually take significant penalties from being small in 5e.

Remember that 5e is not 3.5. In 3.5 halflings had a penalty to Str - and strength was important to both melee and ranged damage. In 5e halflings do not have a penalty to Str - and they can use Dex for both melee and ranged weapons. They don't need a size bonus to attack rolls because their damage isn't pathetic. And with bounded accuracy that damage just about always matters.

 

[Gammadoodler]

It's all about levels of suspension of disbelief.

Everyone has different levels on it. However ignoring ridiculousness can cause issues and division within the community.

That's a mighty big windmill to tilt at..good luck.

 

[Yaarel]

Far from sucking mechanically halflings are as strong as hill dwarves, elves, or most humans.

The Halfling is mechanically among the weakest lineages in the Players Handbook.

For the Halfling, the slow speed hurts, the luck is too situational, and there is little to offer powerwise.

When ranking the lineages from most powerful to least, the Half Elf is at the top and the Halfling is near the bottom. Among the lineages between them, the decrease is incremental and slight. It is hard to notice the difference between one and the one next to it. But across the ranks, the difference between Half Elf and Halfling is noticeable.

For example, like 4e, one can give the Halfling full speed 30 without problematic. This simply helps. It also distinguishes the Halfling smallness from that of the Gnome, and from the slowness of the Dwarf.

 

[Galendril]

Ugh. Won’t this thread ever die?

 

[Oofta]

Ugh. Won’t this thread ever die?

Probably not. We're stuck in a cycle of no explanation ever being good enough and changing goalposts.

 

[Yaarel]

It's all about levels of suspension of disbelief.

Everyone has different levels on it. However ignoring ridiculousness can cause issues and division within the community.

I cant enjoy Spelljammer because it is too ridiculous. It is fine to have a farcical parody of D&D. But when the ridiculous setting literally invades the serious settings, it can become problematic.

 

[Minigiant]

And what on earth makes you think that living underground isn't a countermeasure? What makes you think that close knit communities full of people with accurate ranged weapons aren't a countermeasure? Just because halflings don't make a big song and dance about it doesn't mean they aren't there.

Halflings don't live underground. They maybe live underhills with surface accessible doors. They don't have darkvision.

And they aren't that much more accurate. They only have +2 Dex.D&Dcan play it up but it's just a +1 modifier. 5e even took away their racial and size attack and AC bonuses.

Sucks to be the orcs I guess.

Yeah. Theorc lore is just as silly and stupid. You cannot sustain on raid and raze pillaging. No less their level of muscles.

Here's the thing. Gnolls don't get any sort of bonuses either - and have a lower default AC.

Far from sucking mechanically halflings are as strong as hill dwarves, elves, or most humans. They've a higher AC than gnolls while being as accurate and doing as much damage in melee with a shortsword or scimitar as a gnoll does with their spear. An average halfling stands a pretty good chance of being able to 1vs1 an average hill dwarf under normal conditions, being more acccurate both in melee and at range even if the dwarf has a couple more hp.

The idea that halflings suck mechanically is something that you seem to have invented. Dex is the god-stat in 5e and halflings don't actually take significant penalties from being small in 5e.

Remember that 5e is not 3.5. In 3.5 halflings had a penalty to Str - and strength was important to both melee and ranged damage. In 5e halflings do not have a penalty to Str - and they can use Dex for both melee and ranged weapons. They don't need a size bonus to attack rolls because their damage isn't pathetic. And with bounded accuracy that damage just about always matters.

Gnolls get +2STR, have 5HD in 5e, and get a free attack when they kill a commoner..

Being small is almost purely a disadvantage in 5e. It;s only advantage is in squeezing and finding hiding spots.

Dexterity is the best stat in 5e but that is under the assumpton of a PC. Low amounts of Dex, the amount a NPC would have, would not greatly increase their survivalibility. Add in a lower penchant for magic and martial pursuits and PHB halflings are a worldbuilding nightmare if you look at them too hard.

Now,fixing it is really easy. You don't need to make them super magical or all knight or anything. However there is a lot of pushback to bringing halflings down to the same level of ridiculousness of humans, elves,dwarves, tieflings, and the like.

 

[Yaarel]

Ugh. Won’t this thread ever die?

Heh. You helped the thread expand from 3855 posts to 3856 posts. Keep on keeping the discussion alive!