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

[Minigiant]

I'm sure that somehow made sense to you, but I certainly am not following you here...

The appeal for nostalgia in 5e ensured that many of the settings 5e pushed would include Halflings. This is because these settings where old and most of the old settings had fewer race options but almost always included humans, dwarf, elf, and halfling.

However that same appeal to nostalgia in 5e ensured that old setting lore where halflings are a background race with fewer setting entanglements.

And perhaps that's what they like? What's wrong with that? You're perfectly free to make the sort of setting you like.

I know 2 of them didn't.

One assumed you just had to include dwarves, halflings, and elves because they were D&D.

One aspired to make a setting worth selling and forced halflings because they were popular with some fans. He set up a halfling village and did nothing with them. His halflings don't even have their own god(ess).

 

[Mind of tempest]

I really don't get gnomes = halfling thing. Yes, they're both short. Yes they have a positive attitude. That's ... pretty much where the similarities end for me when I read the descriptions. Most halflings tend to be homebody couch potatoes who occasionally go on vacation to raid dragon lairs, most gnomes are energizer bunnies and pranksters. Halflings are pastoral, gnomes prefer woods and hills. Halflings don't care about material wealth, gnomes covet gems and on and on.

But hey, they're both short so I guess that makes them practically identical.

on this, we agree they are more divergent than elves and drow thus merging them would be a mistake unless they had a third one who makes it seem or plausible.

 

[Crimson Longinus]

The appeal for nostalgia in 5e ensured that many of the settings 5e pushed would include Halflings. This is because these settings where old and most of the old settings had fewer race options but almost always included humans, dwarf, elf, and halfling.

However that same appeal to nostalgia in 5e ensured that old setting lore where halflings are a background race with fewer setting entanglements.

Ok. I don't see a problem though. Should they have just abandoned the Forgotten Realms? Like sure, I wouldn't have minded one bit, but I'm sure a lot of people would have. They're also doing the MTG settings. And ultimately people can and should make their own settings anyway.

I know 2 of them didn't.

One assumed you just had to include dwarves, halflings, and elves because they were D&D.

One aspired to make a setting worth selling and forced halflings because they were popular with some fans. He set up a halfling village and did nothing with them. His halflings don't even have their own god(ess).

Well, that's sad, but I feel those people are misguided and the situation wouldn't be improved if people with similar lack of conviction and vision would feel forced to include, say, dragonborn against their will instead.

 

[Mind of tempest]

Ok. I don't see a problem though. Should they have just abandoned the Forgotten Realms? Like sure, I wouldn't have minded one bit, but I'm sure a lot of people would have. They're also doing the MTG settings. And ultimately people can and should make their own settings anyway.


Well, that's sad, but I feel those people are misguided and the situation wouldn't be improved if people with similar lack of conviction and vision would feel forced to include, say, dragonborn against their will instead.

first, you assume the will and second you assume they will not only make kitchen skin settings one is not as common as the other.

dragonborn at least can have lore tied to something if you want something fast halflings have no such luck.

 

[Minigiant]

Well, that's sad, but I feel those people are misguided and the situation wouldn't be improved if people with similar lack of conviction and vision would feel forced to include, say, dragonborn against their will instead.

It isn't sad. It's life.

They are new. 5e brought in a bunch of new fans. New fans of anything don't break the mold often. Those who do rarely get to DM their creations as they lack the trust and experience to get others to accept their ideas.

The road of a radical is rarely smooth.

 

[Gammadoodler]

Be careful, they are going to start accusing you of arrogance and putting forth opinions as facts. Because no one can possibly know what makes for bad writing and what doesn't.

Yeah that'd be a tragedy. Then you too might have to spend thousands of words without actually disputing such an accusation.

 

[Faolyn]

I really don't get gnomes = halfling thing. Yes, they're both short. Yes they have a positive attitude. That's ... pretty much where the similarities end for me when I read the descriptions. Most halflings tend to be homebody couch potatoes who occasionally go on vacation to raid dragon lairs, most gnomes are energizer bunnies and pranksters. Halflings are pastoral, gnomes prefer woods and hills. Halflings don't care about material wealth, gnomes covet gems and on and on.

But hey, they're both short so I guess that makes them practically identical.

I could see doing a "Smallfolk" people with a few traits, like Nimble, in common and then splitting it into different types of smallfolk. But no, gnomes and halflings shouldn't be the same race.

 

[Don Durito]

The appeal for nostalgia in 5e ensured that many of the settings 5e pushed would include Halflings. This is because these settings where old and most of the old settings had fewer race options but almost always included humans, dwarf, elf, and halfling.

However that same appeal to nostalgia in 5e ensured that old setting lore where halflings are a background race with fewer setting entanglements.


I know 2 of them didn't.

One assumed you just had to include dwarves, halflings, and elves because they were D&D.

One aspired to make a setting worth selling and forced halflings because they were popular with some fans. He set up a halfling village and did nothing with them. His halflings don't even have their own god(ess).

Nostalgia, and the current conservative (small c) moment in popular culture is the real issue here.

 

[Minigiant]

I could see doing a "Smallfolk" people with a few traits, like Nimble, in common and then splitting it into different types of smallfolk. But no, gnomes and halflings shouldn't be the same race.

I like D&D having small adventurer races.

I personally think 6e should have more in the PHB. Gnome Goblin, Kobold and Halfling for 4 options. Satyr and ratmen in supplements. And puppy dogs.

 

[Oofta]

Could be because you are thinking about older editions. Gnomes like gems, but nothing about them covetting them. In fact, I didn't think there was any mention of gems in the PHB until I saw that they might go on adventures to get wealth... which so does everyone else. Well, except halflings. But, additionally, their love of gems could be tied back to being born from gems. It isn't about greed, but about appreciating beauty and where you came from.

And both races are homebodies with tight knit communities. Halflings are just peaceful farmers while Gnomes are studying and researching things.

Gnomes are higher energy, but I think that is a good thing to add into halflings. And halflings also have a small prankster streak as well.

So... it is really the wealth thing, and that's about it. And even that is really minor, because gnomes don't care that much about wealth.

From the PHB "Seeing the World" under gnomes: " As lovers of gems and other fine items, some gnomes take to adventuring as a quick, if dangerous, path to wealth."

While gnomes form tight-knit communities (some variation of this shows up in most race entries) there's nothing that says they're particularly tied to family or homebodies. Gnomes that settle in other communities are " gemcutters, engineers, sages, or tinkers" or tutors. Halflings blend into the background.

I could go on, but honestly I'm not going to argue about this any more. They are no more alike than any other race in the book from my reading. Yes, both are just small humans, just like elves are humans with pointy ears and dragonborn are humans with scales. All of the races represent some aspect of humanity. For gnomes? They're the hyperactive but fun kid. Halflings are the quiet ones you practically forget about.