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

[Chaosmancer]

I can't even imagine... It must have been horrible! And just think. All they had to do was tell you it was magic that made your character feel bad and everything would have been ok... What an absolute tragedy...

Mock me all you want. I know what I experienced and I know that I will not do that to someone else.

 

[Chaosmancer]

Hey bro. You can keep misquoting and misrepresenting my position, which didn't mention you at all, but I'll probably have to mute you or more. At this point your unethical representation of my clearly stated position is bordering on harassment

Feel free to clarify. No one listens anyways.

 

[Cadence]

That's why I stuck 'em on ignore a while ago.

See, more proof that their powers carry over to real life!

 

[Hussar]

Do halflings horde treasure? Are they known for their crafting of magical items? Dig mines deep underground? Create vast cities? Have a subrace that in the past were a primary antagonist? Do they strive to be have lasting impact on others or conquer enemy territories?

The answer to all of these is of course no. Next, how many adventure modules revolve around idyllic pastoral villages? Being the center of, or the excuse for, conflict is not the halfling niche. That doesn't mean they have no role to play in the game.

So I don't really see why "mod with major focus on [insert race]" matters.

And yet, funnily enough, PC halflings are distinctly outsiders in their own culture. After all, PC halflings DO craft magical things, dig mines, create cities, and, I don't know about you, but, my high level PC's generally have a lasting impact on the setting.

It's almost as if halflings as a race are basically there to tell players what their character isn't, rather than what it is. After all, your character probably isn't an idyllic pastoral farmer. Or a cheesemonger or a shop keeper. Might, maybe, be part of the character's background, but, it's not required nor is it particularly more likely than any other background. It's not like every halfling PC must take the Folk Hero background, nor is the Folk Hero background particularly aimed at any race.

So, here we have a race, with very little lore in the game, very little guidance being given to the players for what that race is in the setting and how it interacts with the setting, very little presence in any published adventure and it's one of the four most common races in the game. And you honestly think there's no issue there?

 

[Hussar]

And a distinction pointed out by Jeremy Crawford in the Sage advice used to try and prove that a Pit Fiends fear aura is 100% non-magical fear.

Magical but not mechanical is EXACTLY what he was calling out, and applies to the issue.

I'm still waiting to find out how medusas turn people to stone without magic. That's one HELL of a natural phenomenon. I wonder if I can claim that my halfling can spontaneously fly in these campaigns where there is no demarcation between magic and natural. After all, flying isn't magical. So, why can't my character fly?

 

[Zubatcarteira]

Merry had a anti-Nazgul weapon that he used to help kill the Witch King, so that magic item did come up. Him and Eowyn being brave enough to stand up and fight against a demigod with a magical fear aura was an important point.

I think it was more about how you don't need to be powerful to do great things, both ganked the Witch King and brought him down, Bard and Bilbo both took down Smaug with Bilbo's knowledge and Bard's aim, Sam, Frodo and Gollum managed to get to the volcano and destroy the ring, etc. Still, having power on your side is still worth it, Glorfindel saved Frodo from the Nazgul, Gandalf took down the Balrog, and men were strong enough to beat Sauron's armies in Minas Tirith in the end. You need a bit of both for it to work.

 

[Hussar]

Since at least 2008 (4e Forgotten Realms Player Guide). And that is not even counting the Drizzt clones of the 90s and 2000s.

Heck, since about 1983 actually. When did the 1e Unearthed Arcana come out. Playing drow predates Drizz't by a considerable margin.

 

[Cadence]

I'm still waiting to find out how medusas turn people to stone without magic. That's one HELL of a natural phenomenon. I wonder if I can claim that my halfling can spontaneously fly in these campaigns where there is no demarcation between magic and natural. After all, flying isn't magical. So, why can't my character fly?

You also can't breath water like a fish, echolocate like a bat, hold your breath like a whale, or regrow limbs like a lizard. It's not your place in the world to do so. Or your halfling's place in a world with much expanded physics.

Are Tony Stark's armor and Wolverine's healing factor magic just because they don't fit our world's physics? Are Spock's mindmeld, the transporter, and warp drive magic?

 

[Vaalingrade]

Who has their character dig mines?

 

[Hussar]

I can't even imagine... It must have been horrible! And just think. All they had to do was tell you it was magic that made your character feel bad and everything would have been ok... What an absolute tragedy...

Again, do you force your players to be friendly to NPC's if they make a good persuasion check?

Note, if I use a Charm spell, then no one really complains because that's overt mind control. But, again, I'm really curious here if you force your players to be nice to your NPC's when the NPC makes a good persuasion check. After all, a good Persuasion check changes attitudes to friendly. So, if PC's can be granted the Frightened condition through Intimidate, then why can't they be Charmed by Persuasion?