Incenjucar
Legend
I am now tempted to write to the Tolkien estate to suggest that they remind WotC that they are watching.
D&D 5E Middle-earth Hobbits and D&D Halflings in 5e
- Thread starter Dungeonosophy
- Start date
Serendipity
Explorer
Probably because Tolkien didn't invent the concept of elves, while halflings were invented by him, whole cloth, for Middle Earth. (Rather like orcs, though I've never encountered anyone mentioning "Tolkien Orcs.")
Jiggawatts
Adventurer
In my homebrew world there are two ethnicities for each of the four main demihuman races.
High Elves: Conglomeration of the high, grey, moon, sun, rivendale type, they practice arcane magic and live in crystal spire cities built within the forest. Gets a bonus to dex and int, negative to con
Wood Elves: The wood, wild, lothlorien type. Nature loving although not xenophobic, lives in tree top cities heavily warded against fire. May still practice arcane magic but much more inclined to be druids and rangers. Bonus to dex and wis, negative to con.
Hill Dwarves: While still good crafters these guys are more the traders and arms dealers of dwarven crafts and have much more interaction with the outside world, makes their home in the hilly areas at the base of mountains and their cities usually have both above ground and underground sections. Gets a bonus to con and wis, negative to dex.
Mountain Dwarves: More reclusive than their hill dwarf cousins, expert crafters of weapons, armor, and basically anything made of stone or metal. They dwell inside the mountains, their cities being at least half a days march from their (usually hidden) tunnel entrances. Gets a bonus to str and con, negatives to dex and cha.
City Halflings: These are the skinny, athletic, light fingered roguish types, generally preferring to dwell in human cities where they can enjoy the hustle and bustle of city life and all the creature comforts it entails. Bonus to dex and cha, negative to str
Shire Halflings: Hobbits through and through, complete with big bellies and hairy no-shoe'd feet. Likes to eat, drink, and smoke weed....err "pipeweed". Lives in green, slightly hilly plains in their hobbit holes, could be a druid or ranger as easily as a rogue. Bonus to dex and wis, negative to str.
Tinker Gnome: Less Dragonlance-y, more FR Isle of Lantan worshippers of Gond type. A healthy love of crafting and all things mechanical (favorite weapon: repeating crossbow, preferably with scope attachment). They either live in human cities, plying their crafts or in clockwork cities of their own people. Bonus to con and int, negative to str.
Garden Gnomes: These guys find you excellent deals on travel trips and vacations, also they have a strange fetish for large pointed hats.
They love nature almost as much as wood elves, albeit the serene, peaceful version, preferring carefully tended gardens that they like to stand in and admire. They are just generally cheery and good folk. Bonus to con and cha, negative to str.
Each of the above tropes (and probably more, but I favor these) has a place in the D&D universe, there is no reason to shut out any one type of (in this case) halfling from getting its D&D lovin.
High Elves: Conglomeration of the high, grey, moon, sun, rivendale type, they practice arcane magic and live in crystal spire cities built within the forest. Gets a bonus to dex and int, negative to con
Wood Elves: The wood, wild, lothlorien type. Nature loving although not xenophobic, lives in tree top cities heavily warded against fire. May still practice arcane magic but much more inclined to be druids and rangers. Bonus to dex and wis, negative to con.
Hill Dwarves: While still good crafters these guys are more the traders and arms dealers of dwarven crafts and have much more interaction with the outside world, makes their home in the hilly areas at the base of mountains and their cities usually have both above ground and underground sections. Gets a bonus to con and wis, negative to dex.
Mountain Dwarves: More reclusive than their hill dwarf cousins, expert crafters of weapons, armor, and basically anything made of stone or metal. They dwell inside the mountains, their cities being at least half a days march from their (usually hidden) tunnel entrances. Gets a bonus to str and con, negatives to dex and cha.
City Halflings: These are the skinny, athletic, light fingered roguish types, generally preferring to dwell in human cities where they can enjoy the hustle and bustle of city life and all the creature comforts it entails. Bonus to dex and cha, negative to str
Shire Halflings: Hobbits through and through, complete with big bellies and hairy no-shoe'd feet. Likes to eat, drink, and smoke weed....err "pipeweed". Lives in green, slightly hilly plains in their hobbit holes, could be a druid or ranger as easily as a rogue. Bonus to dex and wis, negative to str.
Tinker Gnome: Less Dragonlance-y, more FR Isle of Lantan worshippers of Gond type. A healthy love of crafting and all things mechanical (favorite weapon: repeating crossbow, preferably with scope attachment). They either live in human cities, plying their crafts or in clockwork cities of their own people. Bonus to con and int, negative to str.
Garden Gnomes: These guys find you excellent deals on travel trips and vacations, also they have a strange fetish for large pointed hats.
They love nature almost as much as wood elves, albeit the serene, peaceful version, preferring carefully tended gardens that they like to stand in and admire. They are just generally cheery and good folk. Bonus to con and cha, negative to str.
Each of the above tropes (and probably more, but I favor these) has a place in the D&D universe, there is no reason to shut out any one type of (in this case) halfling from getting its D&D lovin.
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Steely_Dan
First Post
But there is mass Tolkien influence (high, grey and wood etc), even though I believe the original D&D Elf is based on Three Hearts and Three Lions?
As for Halflings/Hobbits in D&D, it's world dependant to me, in Greyhawk and Forgotten Realms they are more the Tolkien style; in Eberron and Dark Sun they are more the 3rd/4th Ed style.
As for me, I only include halflings/hobbits and orcs in Middle-Earth campaigns.
Olgar Shiverstone
Legend
Not to mention halflings were called "hobbits" in the original D&D rules...
Steely_Dan
First Post
Yep, and you had Balrogs, before they changed it to Type VI Demons (Balor, etc).
Some people seem to want to downplay any influence Tolkien had at all on the original D&D game.
I think 4e rules captured classic Halflings pretty well, barring imagery.
In Touch with Nature; Close Friendship with the Earth - not directly, but feats like Riverborn Ritualist certainly can support this.
Skilled in Crafts and Tools - nothing
Quick of Hearing/Sharp-eyed/Keen-eyed - not directly, but can be established through backgrounds like River Guardian
Difficult to Daunt - +5 racial bonus to saving throws against fear, and some additional support via tools like Halfling Scoundrel paragon path.
Difficult to Kill - Second Chance
Curiously Tough; Tough as Old Tree-Roots; Survive Rough Handling by Grief, Foe, or Weather; - Optional +2 Con, Second Chance, myriad of Second Chance improving feats
Recover Wonderfully from Falls and Bruises - +2 bonus to Acrobatics
Free from Ambition; Free from Greed of Wealth - nothing, though these are mostly just role playing aspects
Elusiveness - +2 AC against opportunity attacks, racial feats like Lost in the Crowd, and Underfoot, racial powers like Happy Feet
The Art of Disappearing; Hide Easily; Move Very Quietly - +2 Dex helps stealth, racial powers such as Minor Threat, and a variety of backgrounds support this
Doughty at Bay; Amazing and Unexpected Heroism "At a Pinch" - not much there, everyone is heroic in 4e.
Sure at the Mark (throwing and shooting) - +2 Dex, and feat support, such as Deft Hurler
Sense of Direction Underground - nothing
Work Like Bees - nothing
Fund (Fond?) of Wisdom and Wise Sayings - nothing there, but there is something to be said for their love of singing and story telling supported by the optional +2 charisma.
In Touch with Nature; Close Friendship with the Earth - not directly, but feats like Riverborn Ritualist certainly can support this.
Skilled in Crafts and Tools - nothing
Quick of Hearing/Sharp-eyed/Keen-eyed - not directly, but can be established through backgrounds like River Guardian
Difficult to Daunt - +5 racial bonus to saving throws against fear, and some additional support via tools like Halfling Scoundrel paragon path.
Difficult to Kill - Second Chance
Curiously Tough; Tough as Old Tree-Roots; Survive Rough Handling by Grief, Foe, or Weather; - Optional +2 Con, Second Chance, myriad of Second Chance improving feats
Recover Wonderfully from Falls and Bruises - +2 bonus to Acrobatics
Free from Ambition; Free from Greed of Wealth - nothing, though these are mostly just role playing aspects
Elusiveness - +2 AC against opportunity attacks, racial feats like Lost in the Crowd, and Underfoot, racial powers like Happy Feet
The Art of Disappearing; Hide Easily; Move Very Quietly - +2 Dex helps stealth, racial powers such as Minor Threat, and a variety of backgrounds support this
Doughty at Bay; Amazing and Unexpected Heroism "At a Pinch" - not much there, everyone is heroic in 4e.
Sure at the Mark (throwing and shooting) - +2 Dex, and feat support, such as Deft Hurler
Sense of Direction Underground - nothing
Work Like Bees - nothing
Fund (Fond?) of Wisdom and Wise Sayings - nothing there, but there is something to be said for their love of singing and story telling supported by the optional +2 charisma.
S
Sunseeker
Guest
There are two problems with harkening back to Tolkein. First: even by the ancient Appendix N, and considering modern D&D, turf is quite a bit more to draw from than simply Tolkein. Second: at the time, LOTR was enjoyed largely by avid readers and fantasy geeks. Now it is a multi-billion-dollar franchise, which means copyrights, copyrights and more copyrights. As a brand that already doesn't bring in much money, the last thing D&D needs to do is get bogged down in huge copyright costs.
Hobbits and other Tolkein lore are cool and all, but I think D&D has enough material to stand creativly on its own at this point.
avin
First Post
Yes.
It seems (IMO) a clear mistake to be driven only by tolkienesque influence these days.
Breaking up with long therm lore didn't help 4E, but D&D can walk with it's own legs now.
