D&D 5E What is the appeal of the weird fantasy races?

[Crimson Longinus]

No, it doesn't.

But even if it did, so what?

As I said, I'd just combine halflings and gnomes into one species with several cultures. There is just so much conceptual overlap. But I feel like that about a lot of races and creatures in D&D.

 

[Gammadoodler]

Dodging works ... to an extent. You need to be spectacularly fast to dodge a polearm swing from a skilled wielder because you're trying to move your center of mass while they need to just roll their shoulders to be hitting an entirely different spot. Zelda-style dodge rolls only work because of iframes and the limitations of early 3d graphics. Your nine year olds are good at dodging you using only your arms - and even then they still lose a lot I expect.

It's unfortunately not bizarre to see someone more concerned with the texture of someone's skin than the serious physical day to day issues that they would have to deal with to operate in a reasonably normal society.

And Tolkien's hobbits worked because they were basically non-combatants and needed protecting. The Lord of the Rings was an escort mission that went really wrong. D&D is very combat centric.

As for popularity of gnomes vs halflings D&D Beyond and 538 released some data - halflings are more popular than gnomes but not by much (although half orcs are in the middle). Almost all the short rogues are halflings and the short wizards are gnomes - halflings also get monks and oddly enough bards.

This is really easy. Halflings are spectacularly fast. I know this because they are able to dodge polearms from skilled wielders.

 

[Minigiant]

I doubt it.

The halfling is a better everyman than the human.

That's the point.
Halflings are Boring Normal People The Race but short.
By default description every single halfling PC is a weirdo freak or a pool soul because any normal halfling would be home by night to eat dinner with the family.
As described,they don't belong in the PHB and belong in a setting book or an variants book.

 

[prabe]

Yeah. I get that. Oddly enough, one of those very few gnomes was just a few years ago.

Amusingly, they're the melee folks in that party (a monk and a paladin).

 

[doctorbadwolf]

Dodging works ... to an extent. You need to be spectacularly fast to dodge a polearm swing from a skilled wielder because you're trying to move your center of mass while they need to just roll their shoulders to be hitting an entirely different spot. Zelda-style dodge rolls only work because of iframes and the limitations of early 3d graphics. Your nine year olds are good at dodging you using only your arms - and even then they still lose a lot I expect.

It's unfortunately not bizarre to see someone more concerned with the texture of someone's skin than the serious physical day to day issues that they would have to deal with to operate in a reasonably normal society.

And Tolkien's hobbits worked because they were basically non-combatants and needed protecting. The Lord of the Rings was an escort mission that went really wrong. D&D is very combat centric.

As for popularity of gnomes vs halflings D&D Beyond and 538 released some data - halflings are more popular than gnomes but not by much (although half orcs are in the middle). Almost all the short rogues are halflings and the short wizards are gnomes - halflings also get monks and oddly enough bards.

The texture of their skin is hardly what makes dragonborn incredible. And 3ft tall people wouldn't be at nearly as much a day to day disadvantage as you think. Halflings would have less of a hard time than real life Little People, in day to day activities. They aren't toddlers, they're adults with adult skeletal and muscular structures, reflexes, and awareness of their surroundings and their body.

Your commentary about dodging has nothing to do with halflings, its just a blanket argument against dodging attacks. Not a compelling one, either. It's an action game. Characters dodge. Big shrug. A 9 year old can dodge a lot better than an adult, IME, because of their size and how easy it is for them to move that weight quickly in a short burst. Play nerf tag with some kids.

Now, if they remained about that hieght and wieght into adulthood, with better natural reflexes than a human, halflings are close enough for a game that doesn't get more nitty gritty than "dex means agile regardless of strength score".

Now, if you thinhk that the Hobbits were non-combatants who just needed protecting...are you sure you read the books? Because you're objectively wrong about that.

 

[doctorbadwolf]

That's the point.
Halflings are Boring Normal People The Race but short.
By default description every single halfling PC is a weirdo freak or a pool soul because any normal halfling would be home by night to eat dinner with the family.
As described,they don't belong in the PHB and belong in a setting book or an variants book.

Nonsense. They literally have adventure as part of their social norms, just not for every member of the race.

Nice hot take, but it's not seriously convincing at all.

 

[Hussar]

A 3 foot tall adult with adult physicality, of a species that is evolved to be that height and weight, dodging would work just fine. I assure you, even very short 9 year olds can be very, very, nimble and fast.

It's bizzare to see someone more puzzled by halflings than by dragon people.
/snip

Not really. Average halfling in 5e is 3 feet and 40 pounds. There's a very strong limitation on how strong that being can be. And, lacking the physical strength means that you lack the ability to dodge quickly - you just don't have the muscles necessary to move your body that quickly. Particularly on a humanoid frame. It's a question of physics.

I know people point to chimpanzees, but a full grown chimpanzee is three or four times the mass of the average halfling and isn't built to human proportions. And a chimp isn't fond of sedentary lifestyles that don't exactly lend themselves to being nimble acrobats.

 

[Minigiant]

Nonsense. They literally have adventure as part of their social norms, just not for every member of the race.

Nice hot take, but it's not seriously convincing at all.

Halfling 5e D&D description

The comforts of home are the goals of most halflings’ lives: a place to settle in peace and quiet, far from marauding monsters and clashing armies; a blazing fire and a generous meal; fine drink and fine conversation. Though some halflings live out their days in remote agricultural communities, others form nomadic bands that travel constantly, lured by the open road and the wide horizon to discover the wonders of new lands and peoples. But even these wanderers love peace, food, hearth, and home, though home might be a wagon jostling along a dirt road or a raft floating downriver.

The FIRST thing they talk about when describing Halflings is that they are homebodies who like being home so much they carry home with them..

And it ends with them basically saying halflings only adventure because an outside force pushes them or gives them a opportunity to leave.

 

[Maxperson]

Not really. Average halfling in 5e is 3 feet and 40 pounds. There's a very strong limitation on how strong that being can be. And, lacking the physical strength means that you lack the ability to dodge quickly - you just don't have the muscles necessary to move your body that quickly. Particularly on a humanoid frame. It's a question of physics.

Watch it big jobs! Nac Mac Feegle!

 

[Hussar]

@doctorbadwolf - I think the point that is being made is that halflings are no less "freaky" than tabaxi or lizard folk. Arguments that non-Tolkien races are somehow "harder" to accept than the Tolkien ones tend to fall fairly flat on examination.