D&D 5E Dragon's Eye View: Halflings, Part 2

[Klaus]

http://www.wizards.com/DnD/Article.aspx?x=dnd/4dreye/20130213

 

[Sunseeker]

The problem I have with all these Halfling designs, is that it still feels like we're designing midgets, like these were humans who just didn't develop properly. I don't really like that concept, it breeds a far too humano-centric fantasy for my tastes. Elves don't look like humans with too little meat on their bones. Dwarves don't look like humans with too much. Halflings don't even look like children, they look like improperly proportioned humans, even in the latter renderings...which are better than the initial one, but it still feels like they're holding to some idea that halflings resemble midgets.

I've never pictures halflings like midgets, they're just generally small humans. Fully developed...just proportionally smaller.

Sure, I've complained that too many races look like just "short humans", "fat humans", "skinny humans", but I don't think altering their proportions will do anything for that.

 

[I'm A Banana]

I don't really like that concept, it breeds a far too humano-centric fantasy for my tastes

I think "archetypal D&D" is pretty humano-centric, honestly. So I imagine that an edition designed to first and foremost be the most D&D-like kind of game it can be is going to ground their other races fundamentally in what people look like.

I don't think these halflings look like "short humans." I honestly think the proportions go a long way toward making them distinctly non-human[/I -- no real person looks like that, even taller, unless maybe they have some sort of genetic disease or something.

I am fond of the pictures of them. I appreciate the explanation for the "cartoony" concept art, it helps me put my feedback in a more constructive way. I like the lil' buggers. They definitely feel like halflings to me.

 

[El Mahdi]

deleted

 

[D'karr]

They remind me of John Goodman's character in The Emperor's New Groove.

Can't say that I'm impressed with either the previous concept art, or this go around.

 

[Jester David]

I couldn't resist...

 

[Klaus]

I couldn't resist...

Jon is trying to contact you to say he got a laugh out of it.

 

[Jon Schindehette]

Thanks for the laugh!
...now go make my head bigger!

I couldn't resist...

 

[Libramarian]

I LOVE these new halflings, seriously!

The guy on the right is pretty big and edging into dwarf-sized, but other than that they look great.

 

[Jon Schindehette]

I LOVE these new halflings, seriously!

The guy on the right is pretty big and edging into dwarf-sized, but other than that they look great.

Thanks.