D&D General why do we have halflings and gnomes?

[Chaosmancer]

No. Not like the kid whose parents pay for their apartment. Closer to a homeless encampment where those that live there are safe inside a country's boundaries and laws, yet independent from being told what to do the vast majority of the time.

Yeah, no.

If you live inside the borders of Cormyr, you are a subject of Cormyr. You don't get to tell the monarchy "no" just becase you are 3 ft tall instead of 5.5 ft tall.

 

[Oofta]

Once every hundred years.... So, first of all, that isn't how generations work. A generation is the time between birth and adulthood (ish) , so in humans that is about 20 years. So "once in a generation" is an attack every 20 years. Even if it is an attack that will be talked about for generations, that doesn't tell us how often they are attacked, but once every 100 years is beyond ridiculous.

(As a note, I find being attacked once every 20 years while I listed for Faerun about six cataclysms in the span of a single decade to be so generous as to be insulting.


Secondly, I'm done posting it. I'm done trying to explain it. Everyone is just insisting that the book doesn't say what the book says. I want halflings to use weapons. You guys want halflings to use weapons. I'm just willing to admit the book says that they don't. But if you guys want to pretend like that isn't the case, I'm done. I've posted the evidence multiple times.

We both know that it says halflings defend their homes with tactics that exclusively mention using sticks and rocks, and no other weapons. We both know that the PHB and Mordenkainen's doesn't give humans, let alone human commoners, any sort of attention on that front.

You can pretend that means Halflings use weapons.

It's once every several generations for a race that lives on average to 150. Multiple generations, not one. I was assuming a generation was 50 years because of the lifespan. None of the lore really explains when they start having families so it's just what I would do for my home campaign.

There's no reason for halflings to not use weapons, the book doesn't forbid it. As with most races it doesn't really go into it. The same way that commoners of all races will use the best weapon available not just the stick clubs listed in the MM. There's also no reason they wouldn't have guards, veterans and so on although with 100 people or less it's not particularly likely.

 

[Maxperson]

Yeah, no.

If you live inside the borders of Cormyr, you are a subject of Cormyr. You don't get to tell the monarchy "no" just becase you are 3 ft tall instead of 5.5 ft tall.

Who says the monarchy asks?

 

[PsyzhranV2]

Out of curiosity, I decided to see what the SCAG has to say about halflings, because specific beats general

Although there are many halfling communities, particularly in the lands in and around Luiren, halflings frequently fit themselves into dwarven, gnomish, elven, and human societies. Lightfoots breeze into communities as they travel, make friends easily, and then move on as the wind or whimsy takes them. Stronghearts settle in, make themselves at home, and weave themselves so deftly into the fabric of a community that it becomes hard for folk to think of a time without them.

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For lightfoot halflings, neither the journey nor the destination matters more; the important thing is to keep moving. The life of a lightfoot is one long exploration with each new horizon, new town, or new face a chance to find something delightful.

Lightfoot halflings typically travel in small bands, using whatever conveyance is convenient but just as easily striking out on foot. Bands consist of loosely related individuals, and when bands meet, membership frequently shifts. Lightfoot halflings typically excel at tasks related to travel — be it navigation, handling pack animals, foraging, sailing, and cartwright work — having tried their hand at all such things before or learned from other lightfoots met during their journeys.

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When strongheart halflings settle into a place, they intend to stay. It’s not unusual for a dynasty of stronghearts to live in the same place for a few centuries. Strongheart halflings don’t develop these homes in seclusion. On the contrary, they do their best to fit into the local community and become an essential part of it. Their viewpoint stresses cooperation above all other traits, and the ability to work well with others is the most valued behavior in their lands.

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So Lightfoots are always on the move, and Stronghearts do their best to integrate with the locals. That seems to conflict with the isolated shires that a lot of people are pushing in this thread.

 

[Maxperson]

Out of curiosity, I decided to see what the SCAG has to say about halflings, because specific beats general

Although there are many halfling communities, particularly in the lands in and around Luiren, halflings frequently fit themselves into dwarven, gnomish, elven, and human societies. Lightfoots breeze into communities as they travel, make friends easily, and then move on as the wind or whimsy takes them. Stronghearts settle in, make themselves at home, and weave themselves so deftly into the fabric of a community that it becomes hard for folk to think of a time without them.

------------------------

For lightfoot halflings, neither the journey nor the destination matters more; the important thing is to keep moving. The life of a lightfoot is one long exploration with each new horizon, new town, or new face a chance to find something delightful.

Lightfoot halflings typically travel in small bands, using whatever conveyance is convenient but just as easily striking out on foot. Bands consist of loosely related individuals, and when bands meet, membership frequently shifts. Lightfoot halflings typically excel at tasks related to travel — be it navigation, handling pack animals, foraging, sailing, and cartwright work — having tried their hand at all such things before or learned from other lightfoots met during their journeys.

-----------------

When strongheart halflings settle into a place, they intend to stay. It’s not unusual for a dynasty of stronghearts to live in the same place for a few centuries. Strongheart halflings don’t develop these homes in seclusion. On the contrary, they do their best to fit into the local community and become an essential part of it. Their viewpoint stresses cooperation above all other traits, and the ability to work well with others is the most valued behavior in their lands.

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So Lightfoots are always on the move, and Stronghearts do their best to integrate with the locals. That seems to conflict with the isolated shires that a lot of people are pushing in this thread.

Isn't that set in the Forgotten Realms which has different Halfling lore? It makes sense that it would differ from the default. It doesn't change anything about the discussion here since we are discussing the default.

 

[Gammadoodler]

Out of curiosity, I decided to see what the SCAG has to say about halflings, because specific beats general

Although there are many halfling communities, particularly in the lands in and around Luiren, halflings frequently fit themselves into dwarven, gnomish, elven, and human societies. Lightfoots breeze into communities as they travel, make friends easily, and then move on as the wind or whimsy takes them. Stronghearts settle in, make themselves at home, and weave themselves so deftly into the fabric of a community that it becomes hard for folk to think of a time without them.

------------------------

For lightfoot halflings, neither the journey nor the destination matters more; the important thing is to keep moving. The life of a lightfoot is one long exploration with each new horizon, new town, or new face a chance to find something delightful.

Lightfoot halflings typically travel in small bands, using whatever conveyance is convenient but just as easily striking out on foot. Bands consist of loosely related individuals, and when bands meet, membership frequently shifts. Lightfoot halflings typically excel at tasks related to travel — be it navigation, handling pack animals, foraging, sailing, and cartwright work — having tried their hand at all such things before or learned from other lightfoots met during their journeys.

-----------------

When strongheart halflings settle into a place, they intend to stay. It’s not unusual for a dynasty of stronghearts to live in the same place for a few centuries. Strongheart halflings don’t develop these homes in seclusion. On the contrary, they do their best to fit into the local community and become an essential part of it. Their viewpoint stresses cooperation above all other traits, and the ability to work well with others is the most valued behavior in their lands.

-------------

So Lightfoots are always on the move, and Stronghearts do their best to integrate with the locals. That seems to conflict with the isolated shires that a lot of people are pushing in this thread.

I'm honestly not sure who the "Shire-pushers" would even be. There are those defending that shires could be fine, and there are those saying that shires are not fine. I'm not sure either side is committed to "shires or nothing".

 

[Minigiant]

Isn't that set in the Forgotten Realms which has different Halfling lore? It makes sense that it would differ from the default. It doesn't change anything about the discussion here since we are discussing the default.

It don't hint to an ascpet that many here don't like to admit.

That Halflings in some popular settings are completely dependent on the "big folk" due to them lacking a nobility, a military society, or a magic tradition.
That's how it works in FR..
How it works in Greyhawk.
How it works in Warhammer.
How it works even in Middle Earth.

Only is certian specific examples in 3e and 4e do halflings really put effort in real racial independence.

 

[PsyzhranV2]

Isn't that set in the Forgotten Realms which has different Halfling lore? It makes sense that it would differ from the default. It doesn't change anything about the discussion here since we are discussing the default.

I was under the impression that most people in this thread were already talking about the Forgotten Realms?

 

[Maxperson]

I'm honestly not sure who the "Shire-pushers" would even be. There are those defending that shires could be fine, and there are those saying that shires are not fine. I'm not sure either side is committed to "shires or nothing".

No, but one side is saying that the default Halfling lore is for some Halfling communities to set up villages in remote areas and for others to set up in cities that belong to other races. The core of this discussion is revolving around the remote villages and how all kinds of monsters just all happen to wander through those areas specifically to kill and eat Halflings.(Yes, I know. That's a slight Strawman. At least I can admit it when I make them. )

 

[Maxperson]

I was under the impression that most people in this thread were already talking about the Forgotten Realms?

No. We're discussing the default lore. The Realms and other settings have been brought up as examples of how else Halflings can be run, though.