Halflings or Hobbits?

[El Mahdi]

I don't really have a preference for either name, as like slwoyach, to me they're completely different things.

Hobbits to me are exclusive to Lord of the Rings. I don't like them as D&D creatures as they're too undiferentiated from Gnomes for my tastes. Gnomes to me are more like the Nelwyn of Willow (but call them "Peck" at your own risk).

Halflings to me are more like Dragonlance Kenders, just not as annoying or cleptomaniacal - and unlike Hobbits, don't have big furry feet and do wear shoes/boots.

In my games there are no such things as Hobbits. Just Nelwyn-esque Gnomes, Kender-esque Halflings, stocky and strong 4'-5' Dwarves (that otherwise appear Human), Neanderthal-esque Orcs/Goblins, Elves, Half-Elves, and Humans.

 

[Thunderfoot]

Most often, they are called neither in my campaigns, or more importantly, they call themselves neither. Halfling is usually a derogatory term used by "too talls", an equally derogatory term used by the (insert campaign name for the race here).

One thing is for sure, if you start acting like a kleptomaniac and start talking in a funny voice, your halfling will be one thing for certain....dead - Kender are a blight upon the earth that I hope Weis and Hickman suffer for someday.

 

[R-Hero]

Most often, they are called neither in my campaigns, or more importantly, they call themselves neither. Halfling is usually a derogatory term used by "too talls", an equally derogatory term used by the (insert campaign name for the race here).

I Dm'ed a campain where this was the underlying thought of the characters, which all of them were halflings.
The leader was a cleric that was a tad racist/sizest/sexist and thought that the nelwyn/shirefolk was the perfect race. His god made them perfect the first time. The other gods tried to improve on perfection by making the other races bigger, taller...etc.

Humans, elves and others were refered to as 'ganglys'

 

[Stormonu]

And are they fey?

Yep, they are - minor nature spirits that took mortal form to enjoy the tangible plaesures of the world. In a way, they were incorporeal fey creatures that saw the fun elves were having and decide to try it out for themselves. Some say the elves had a jest at the hillenfaey's expense, whilst the 6-meals a day hillenfaey content they are quite happy with the choice, thank-you-very-much.

 

[Magesmiley]

Hin on Mystara

Hobbits on Blackmoor

One of my favorite races, regardless of name

-Havard

Of course that would be in the Blackmoor era of Mystara, the term for modern halflings on Mystara is, of course, "Hin".

 

[Dioltach]

Halflings. Mine are a cross between the dinosaur-riders from Eberron and the vicious cannibals from Dark Sun.

 

[Hairfoot]

Depending on how canonical you want to be, hobbits are different from recent iterations of halfling because they're human.

In Tolkien's cosmology only humans and hobbits experience life after death, while the other races are fundamentally bound to the world they inhabit.

Hobbitish or not, halflings are also the only demihuman D&D race that's believed to have actually existed.

 

[frankthedm]

Bobbits

 

[Zhaleskra]

Bobbits

I do hope you rethink that name.

 

[Dragonhelm]

Bobbits

When I was younger (and less mature), I came up with a character named Bobbit the Hobbit. He was half the man he used to be.