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

[Mind of tempest]

I've quoted the entire message because I'd like the OP to read my reply. Fair warning, I've not read others' replies so take this for what it is, not what it could have been.

The purpose of Halflings or Hobbits is to quantify the reluctant adventurer and to amplify the social structures that are in other cultures in a uniquely Hobbit way..

Many folks have taken bits and pieces of the Hobbit narrative, amplified them and made them part of other races because there's a good deal of overlap. However, if you want a race where family is paramount and stories where common things can be center stage while striking a generally warm tone; you're hard pressed to find better if you're of the mind to give Hobbits a thought.

Note: I dislike calling them Halflings.
2c

AJC

okay, but can you justify them being the fourth largest race in numbers and the fundamental fact they seem utterly disinterested in having an impact outside their town or their fundamental lack of history?

 

[JiffyPopTart]

okay, but can you justify them being the fourth largest race in numbers and the fundamental fact they seem utterly disinterested in having an impact outside their town or their fundamental lack of history?

They don't have much for the raiding bad guys to take so they are mostly left alone. They spread out everywhere because people like halfling villages in their kingdoms. They dont make trouble in their hostlands and are never clamped down on or escorted out.

Basically they are a single civilization but made up of many tiny pockets spread around the entire map rather than in one defined territory they control exclusively like humans, elves and dwarves.

 

[jayoungr]

can you justify them being the fourth largest race in numbers

Who is claiming that they are or should be the fourth largest race in numbers?

 

[Chaosmancer]

Or maybe, just maybe, like the last time this came up a lot of people like halflings the way they are.

That does not change the argument that there is a lack of lore. You can like a lack of lore, that doesn't magically create more.

The core races all represent at their base an aspect of humanity. Elves are back to nature types, dwarves are no-no sense hard workers. Halflings? Happy pastoral types, the literal "little people" that are happy being farmers or shopkeepers. Sometimes they go on walkabout before settling down.

I enjoy playing that happy-go-lucky PC. A lot of people do. Just because that's not what you want doesn't mean it's a problem for the majority of people.

I do enjoy happy-go-lucky PCs on occasion. As I have said repeatedly when this smokescreen strawman comes up, I don't need to play a halfling to play that sort of character. Which of course will bring forth the repeated counter-claims that just because I can play a happy-go-lucky character with a a different race doesn't mean that halflings are worthless.

Well, congrats. I never said they were worthless. And also it doesn't change the fact that somehow you want to make the argument that not likeing halfings = not liking specific character arguments. Which is false, and a bad argument, and I really wish people would stop trying to shove it down our throats like it was some grand declaration.

 

[Cadence]

That does not change the argument that there is a lack of lore. You can like a lack of lore, that doesn't magically create more.

Is there being a race where an intrinsic part of their being is a lack of lore a feature and not a bug? Does having a race that dropped out of nowhere add variety to the pool of racial backgrounds by being something none of the others have? Maybe they haven't been wiped out yet because none of the other gods can figure out what there purpose is.

 

[Mind of tempest]

Is there being a race where an intrinsic part of their being is a lack of lore a feature and not a bug? Does having a race that dropped out of nowhere add variety to the pool of racial backgrounds by being something none of the others have? Maybe they haven't been wiped out yet because none of the other gods can figure out what there purpose is.

have you met great wheel gods they know the exact purpose of all soul-bearing life to be converted into more of itself and used to further mine faith bitcoin in the name of whatever demented goals they have, they would covert halflings so they can get more of their stuff for some esoteric reason.

If lack of lore is enteral to race concept I find the halflings do a poor job of it as they can be best described as just nice none of the thousand other things that are likeable or wanted, if lack of lore was central I would go far more existentialist my self.

 

[Mind of tempest]

Who is claiming that they are or should be the fourth largest race in numbers?

wotc in the 5e phb.

 

[Mind of tempest]

They don't have much for the raiding bad guys to take so they are mostly left alone. They spread out everywhere because people like halfling villages in their kingdoms. They dont make trouble in their hostlands and are never clamped down on or escorted out.

Basically they are a single civilization but made up of many tiny pockets spread around the entire map rather than in one defined territory they control exclusively like humans, elves and dwarves.

halflings have food, metal, cloth and wood all of which is valuable it an extent or is at least worth getting, plus they are edible and slow and people want to make bad guys having them kill cook and eat people gets that across super fast.

 

[jayoungr]

wotc in the 5e phb.

It says the "core four" races are the most common in adventuring parties. But do remember that not all adventurers are PCs.

 

[Mind of tempest]

It says the "core four" races are the most common in adventuring parties. But do remember that not all adventurers are PCs.

I believe it said something more to the effect of most common in the number sense on a continent-wide level, discounting orc and goblins who have numbers only slightly less than humans.