D&D General My Problem(s) With Halflings, and How To Create Engaging/Interesting Fantasy Races

[Neonchameleon]

I find the theme of the halfling so useless as to be not worth having, I would rather uplift a monster race or make a new one from scratch who better fits.

The stats show that 5% characters made in DDI are halflings. Just because you find it useless doesn't mean others do.

I’m amazed that you can’t see the through line that is present right there in your own descriptions.

They’re small, magical, hidden folk.

So they are to halflings what genasi are to elves?

Seriously, halflings are small folk and are generally pretty good at hiding and staying hidden (and have been ever since Tolkien). All you're telling me is that gnomes are magical halflings.

And the 5e gnome could just stop at Forest Gnome and be perfect, tbh, but some folks needed the 3.5 hill gnome with light tinkering for whatever reason.

The Tinker Gnomes got off Krynn I suspect. I blame Spelljammer. And rock gnomes have nothing in the PHB I see to make them hidden. A forest gnome is, of course, the type that's obviously encroaching on halfling territory - and not just halfling territory but Tolkien halfling territory.

 

[Mind of tempest]

Why do you assume you know what will make us happy?

same reason I have not shot myself, yes I am being genuinely serious.

I already did a while back. They're small, cute and plucky. What's not to like?

the total lack of proper world integration and a lack of cool looks, the base function of the small race you have identified is not what I disagree with.

The stats show that 5% characters made in DDI are halflings. Just because you find it useless doesn't mean others do.

So they are to halflings what genasi are to elves?

Seriously, halflings are small folk and are generally pretty good at hiding and staying hidden (and have been ever since Tolkien). All you're telling me is that gnomes are magical halflings.

The Tinker Gnomes got off Krynn I suspect. I blame Spelljammer. And rock gnomes have nothing in the PHB I see to make them hidden. A forest gnome is, of course, the type that's obviously encroaching on halfling territory - and not just halfling territory but Tolkien halfling territory.

why they have 5% can likely be based on the fact they are part of the phb.

a group of frames who only care for comfort will not be good at hiding because that defies the laws matter and basic biology.
plus nothing ever said in the legendarium about the shire being hidden, also we are not in lotr we are in dnd which is far more profoundly different than you seem to notice.

no, the rock gnomes are because nobody could find a niche for them and then they added that so that is their role now making cloak work stuff.

 

[Crimson Longinus]

same reason I have not shot myself, yes I am being genuinely serious.

What?

the total lack of proper world integration and a lack of cool looks, the base function of the small race you have identified is not what I disagree with.

What world integration? Integrate them in your world as you build it; that's the GM's job. As for cool looks, I think 3e and 4e had pretty decent look for them, though of course improvements could always be made. 5e look obviously is terrible, so let's ignore that.

 

[JiffyPopTart]

Well, drow are still elves, and humans that went underground, completely changed appearance, gained magical abilities, and, well, lost their ability to see altogether, became grimlocks.

It's almost like those two examples are the same thing and the only difference is the arbitrary decisions of the designers.

If we want to talk slaughtering "having no niche" sacred cows we really should be talking about half elves and half orcs.

I think the best discussion is where part of this thread has gone, in that you could (fairly I think) argue that halflings deserve to be taken out of the ICONIC FOUR pedestal and demoted back to the dragon born tier and I'd actually be in support of that move.

Basically you have the BIG 3 that would be considered 99% universal, the middle tier of "has subclasses" that are frequently used, and the bottom tier no subclass niche options. That makes sense to me.

What doesn't make sense is taking a tip tier PHB inclusion and demoting it to no-tier status.

 

[Mind of tempest]

What?


What world integration? Integrate them in your world as you build it; that's the GM's job. As for cool looks, I think 3e and 4e had pretty decent look for them, though of course improvements could always be made. 5e look obviously is terrible, so let's ignore that.

that I am of some use.

they have one mould and any attempts to make them better would make anything cool so it removes the halflingness from them.

 

[Crimson Longinus]

that I am of some use.

they have one mould and any attempts to make them better would make anything cool so it removes the halflingness from them.

 

[doctorbadwolf]

I'd prefer if gnomes were fey dwarfs.

I kinda question the need for dwarves, if we for some reason want a “less is more” approach to dnd. Gnomes are a more general fantasy creature, and can do all the same things, while also having other niches they can cover.

Can we also move Dragonborn and Tieflings out of the main book and into a supplement that focuses on material influenced/inspired by Warcraft, Everquest, etc? Then, have WOTC print a supplement that focuses on Anime influences and inspiration. I'd buy the latter.

Only if we remove all the races from the PHB.

blind honouring of history rarely gets you anywhere and let's face it the ranger has some deep fundamental identity problem hence id does not work well to give it subclasses or get it to fit in the setting. so why not rework, move to a lesser position or cut that which does not work well?

Keeping soemthing we enjoy isn’t blind anything.

I want to remove it so you can get something better? why would I want you in a grey one-room cell when you could be living it up in a mansion?
.

We enjoy halflings.

I remain steadfast in my position that cheese is good, coffee is good, a warm fire is good, books are good, friendship is good, the outside world is scary, and halflings are good.

Yes, this.

 

[Faolyn]

It's almost like those two examples are the same thing and the only difference is the arbitrary decisions of the designers.

In the latter case, it's probably a backwards decision: we have grimlocks, where are they from? Eh, they used to be human.

If we want to talk slaughtering "having no niche" sacred cows we really should be talking about half elves and half orcs.

I have no problem getting rid of those. In the Level Up playtests, they don't have 'em officially, but you can make a half-whatever easily.

I think the best discussion is where part of this thread has gone, in that you could (fairly I think) argue that halflings deserve to be taken out of the ICONIC FOUR pedestal and demoted back to the dragon born tier and I'd actually be in support of that move.

And I wouldn't have a problem with that, personally. Even if in one of my games, a full 60% of the players are playing a halfling. (Well, one is a halfling-shaped tiefling.) Gnomes are in the "uncommon" section, so I don't really have a problem putting halflings there, either.

 

[ph0rk]

blind honouring of history rarely gets you anywhere

It got them pretty far in 5e - this was in many ways the nostalgia edition in early days.

 

[Crimson Longinus]

I mean whether something is in 'uncommon' or 'common' section is completely irrelevant as long as they're in the book. Though of course dividing them in these two categories in the first place is just silly.