I have a problem with monks and halflings

[D&D3] The discussion about a DM disallowing dragonborn PCs, in another thread, made me think of this right now. Although I have never disallowed them, I have a real, gut-level problem with monks and halflings. In our current campaign, there is a halfling monk PC.

My problem with monks only comes up when the monk is fighting a monster -- something bigger than a man. Ogres, giants, dragons, aboleths, elementals, etc. I have a hard time picturing the empty-hand blows on the monster.

My problem with halflings (and gnomes) is how everyone at the table -- DM, other Players -- forget, or don't realize to begin with, how truly small these characters are. Several years ago, when my oldest son was around 3-4 years old, my group had a dinner get together. At this gathering, I pointed out to the players that my little son was within an inch and two pounds of the size of the PC halfling rogue. This illustration shocked them. It was especially interesting because the Player of the halfling is 6' tall.

Our current campaign, which has been running for many months, has a halfling monk. This PC has been in the game since the beginning, and I have absolutely no problem with the Player. But I just can't wrap my imagination around how this character works -- how can he kill a dire wolf with his bare fists?

He has stunned (stunning fist) a Large dragon and a Large giant (that I can remember off the top of my head). It's a running joke among our group that he always stuns the biggest monsters we fight.

This halfling seems to always get the last, killing hit on the monster, too. I can't, for the life of me, describe (when I DM) how that happens.

So I'm asking for help here. I need some hand holds on this wall for my imagination to climb it. How do you see a halfling monk dealing damage to -- and killing -- big monsters? And how do you keep in mind that Joe the linebacker sitting beside you at the table is playing a 3'-tall, 30# halfling?

Bullgrit
Total Bullgrit

Pretty much as with everything else in D&D. Try to picture how it would work in an action movie. Monks are pretty much torn right from wuxia, and I'd play it up.

A stun could take many forms. If a halfling hits an ogre on the back of their knee just right, maybe they're doubled over in pain for a round.

By the same token, a halfling who learns pressure points and vulnerable spots could hurt heavily-armored foes.

D&D is fantasy. Monks are fantasy. Halflings are fantasy. I have no more problem with tiny monks hitting ogres in pressure points than I do with wizards throwing fireballs.

-O

A little anecdote for you... when I was in high school I had a history teacher who stood about 5'6" and was a master in a particular martial art. One day, a fight broke out between a couple of rather large guys. As my teacher stepped in to break up the fight one of the guys took a swing at him. What I saw next amazed me as this little guy flipped this much larger guy over onto his back knocking the wind right out of him. The moral is that size and strength does not always equate to power.

As to your halfling/monk problem. I have found that by using variations of the above story works well enough for me. Or better yet, allow the player to describe how he drops the giant/dragon/etc. Put the honus on him to come up with a "killing blow." If the "size thing" is that much of a problem you can also think about upping the size of halflings a little. Maybe double their weight and increase the height somewhat.

To me it is a build in assumption that haflings must have a proportionally much higher strength to weight ratio. Otherwise they wouldn't even be able to fight medium opponents. It's not like any 3-5 year old human child could defeat a normal healthy man or woman in a fight.

So even though the halfling may be only 3-4 ft. tall and weigh about 40 pounds he could easily have the strength of a 6 ft. linebacker.

And if that seems unlikely just look the the rest of the animal kingdom. Female chimpanezee are far stronger than humans even though they are quite a bit smaller.


Anyway the exact same problem IMO crops up if you increase enemies a size category or two more. How does Joe Fighter actually hurt that colossal red dragon? His sword is the size of a toothpick and its scales would be equal to a tanks armor.


As for the monk part. Again to me its a build in assumption that a monk is more than a guy striking people with his fists. He has supernatural powers and among those are some way of doing damage to almost anything with his fists.

There are a few factors to remember.

I recall that having a lower center of gravity is actually better for certain martial arts.

Halflings are pound for pound stronger then humans.

Monks probably hit weak spots, pressure points and use nerve pinches.

And most of all Monks use Ki when they fight. When the Monk hits, his fists are as hard as rock. Energy flows through his hand right INTO his enemies body causing internal injuries.

That critical hit he got killing the ogre? That's the Ki force leaving the Halflings hand and going right through the ogres chest.

That look on the Ogres face? That's because he got massive internal injuries in his part of him formally known as his heart.

Yeah, I hate to say it, but the more I think about it, the more I think that this should fall into the same category as fireballs, dragons, and giants.

I know that's a poor response when you're talking about something like versimilitude vs. realism... but in this case you're clearly talking realism vs. realism, and I hardly think a little guy beating up on big guys is less realistic than an aboleth.

-O

Byronic said:

There are a few factors to remember.

I recall that having a lower center of gravity is actually better for certain martial arts.

Halflings are pound for pound stronger then humans.

Monks probably hit weak spots, pressure points and use nerve pinches.

And most of all Monks use Ki when they fight. When the Monk hits, his fists are as hard as rock. Energy flows through his hand right INTO his enemies body causing internal injuries.

That critical hit he got killing the ogre? That's the Ki force leaving the Halflings hand and going right through the ogres chest.

That look on the Ogres face? That's because he got massive internal injuries in his part of him formally known as his heart.

Click to expand...

You've recently watched Fist of the North Star, haven't you?

Monk is the best one. He do karate very well.

The halfing is small, but have big heart. Big bravery.

Halfling Monk : Large Creature :: Human Monk : Huge Creature.

If you can accept the idea of a human monk besting a dragon, it's really not much of a stretch to say that a halfling monk can take on an ogre.

And as has been pointed out earlier in the thread, halflings have more strength, pound for pound, than humans.

Personally, I envision strong halflings as understanding their strength and how to leverage it against larger opponents, rather than their strength score being simply a measure of how strong they are. It's not a perfect fix, but it works for me.

GnomeWorks said:

Halfling Monk : Large Creature :: Human Monk : Huge Creature.

If you can accept the idea of a human monk besting a dragon, it's really not much of a stretch to say that a halfling monk can take on an ogre.

And as has been pointed out earlier in the thread, halflings have more strength, pound for pound, than humans.

Personally, I envision strong halflings as understanding their strength and how to leverage it against larger opponents, rather than their strength score being simply a measure of how strong they are. It's not a perfect fix, but it works for me.

Click to expand...

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