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

[jasper]

It takes a dozen to make a small midnight snack, and they shake off the dipping sauce. Signed Smaug.

 

[Minigiant]

I'm not even sure what that is asking. Like if one really likes dragonborn as a concept, but thinks that their rules in PHB make crap job of representing them, how should they answer? Presumably some sort of 'dissatisfied'. And how would WotC tell that apart from someone being dissatisfied with the dragonborn because they hate them and want to get rid of them?

There is a problem if you make your races very human-like then allow all their proficiecies, languages, and ability score boosts to be swappable.
They become human.

WOTC is figuring out what many saw in halflings, many of the races and rubber-forehead humans with different cultures.

 

[Neonchameleon]

There is a problem if you make your races very human-like then allow all their proficiecies, languages, and ability score boosts to be swappable.
They become human.

WOTC is figuring out what many saw in halflings, many of the races and rubber-forehead humans with different cultures.

You mean like D&D elves, dwarves, half elves, and half-orcs have always been?

 

[Minigiant]

You mean like D&D elves, dwarves, half elves, and half-orcs have always been?

Pretty much.
The iconic races have long been just humans with specific ability score increases (and decreases.) and darkvsion (or low light vision)
TCOE took that away.
So now all but 2 of the races in the PHB look bland.
Oops.

 

[Disgruntled Hobbit]

You seem to need everything justified by the company to fit their settings/worlds, or to fill some mechanical or theory design space. That WoTC (& TSR before them) hasn't done much with them, or much that interests you, causes you to dismiss them. And worse - equate them to goblins & kobolds.

They've done lots
They made them into kender in 2nd Ed and riverboating nomads in 4th Ed

 

[Vaalingrade]

There is a problem if you make your races very human-like then allow all their proficiecies, languages, and ability score boosts to be swappable.
They become human.

WOTC is figuring out what many saw in halflings, many of the races and rubber-forehead humans with different cultures.

Here's the deal though:

D&D has never been xenofiction.

Elves are horrible aliens who don't sleep and live so long they should all be insane, but they don't in D&D.

Dwarves are burrowing mammals with stone sense that should have very little culture in common with any other species, but they don't in D&D.

All the sapient species, Tortle to Tabaxi are Humans with aesthetic and mechanical differences to make the game interesting. Even the humans, who are like what humans would be like if all of Patrick Stewart's speeches were true.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

Elves are horrible aliens who don't sleep and live so long they should all be insane, but they don't in D&D.

The elves are insane.

 

[doctorbadwolf]

He use a that elves should be insane is so deeply humanocentric that it’s wildly ironic that people talking about how all races are just humans always bring it up.

 

[Aldarc]

Elves are horrible aliens who don't sleep and live so long they should all be insane, but they don't in D&D.

"Should" is a bit strong of phrasing as it presumes human biology and psychology. That said, I do like Eberron's take on elves as ancestor and death-obsessed. They were essentially built around the fundamental fear of losing so much accumulated knowledge and wisdom to death.

 

[QuentinGeorge]

"Should" is a bit strong of phrasing as it presumes human biology and psychology. That said, I do like Eberron's take on elves as ancestor and death-obsessed. They were essentially built around the fundamental fear of losing so much accumulated knowledge and wisdom to death.

They're also ultra-conservative, which also makes sense. In fact, all demihumans in Eberron are.