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

[Crimson Longinus]

They have adventure books.

They do? Didn't someone say earlier that pretty much all official adventures (except Curse of Strahd) are set in FR? And how would we even tell these apart? Aren't they both the same sort of generic bland fantasy settings like FR?

We shouldn't run the game on the expectations of everyone being an expert and veteran.

What that has to do with anything? Using halflings is not inherently any more difficult than using any other fantasy species.

 

[Hussar]

At 4:1 odds against the gnoll raiding party either the gnolls go for an archery duel on prepared ground or there's a good chance that the halflings wipe them out before any of them make it into melee. And remember this is casually dressed halflings who weren't expecting trouble using MM-equivalent statblocks.

Umm, if my raiding party is outnumber 4:1, why in the hell am I attacking? Generally speaking, we're talking about villages right? That means that we're looking at 20-30 people total. 10-15 adults, probably half of which are non-combatant for reasons of age or whatnot. If your village is fielding 20 combatants, that's not a village, that's a fairly major town. Much more likely, your village of 30 people has, maybe 10 combatants at the most. Which, at 2:1 odds, the gnolls are going to munch that village.

And, since halflings generally live in villages (that whole "don't build large settlements" thing) halflings have a serious problem. There's a very good reason why the Shire was hundreds of miles from anything remotely dangerous.

 

[Hussar]

/snip

But part of the point of halflings is that they aren't cool. You're saying that people will go for the cooler race that's less visibly out of their depth. And you won't get the relatively common pick from wide-eyed newbie who picks a race that's like a small human, curious and doesn't know what it's doing and picks a race that visibly exemplifies the way they are feeling right now and isn't something too exotic. A cooler, more exotic version of halflings is a version of halflings with less of the emotional appeal and resonance of halflings.

And, I obviously disagree. It's funny, tielflings and dragonborn are popular because they are cool. So, apparently, cool things are popular. But, halflings aren't cool, but, that's what makes them popular too. So, apparently, being cool and not being cool both make things popular. It's a sort of quantum state of coolness as it relates to popularity.

Like I said, time will tell. I believe that if kobolds are in the new Fizban book and aren't locked behind the paywall, by this time next year, they'll be the only small race in the top 10. Now, if I'm wrong? Fair enough. Keep halflings in the PHB. Obviously. But, if I'm right, again, how low down the chain does an option have to be to get the punt?

 

[Crimson Longinus]

And, I obviously disagree. It's funny, tielflings and dragonborn are popular because they are cool. So, apparently, cool things are popular. But, halflings aren't cool, but, that's what makes them popular too. So, apparently, being cool and not being cool both make things popular. It's a sort of quantum state of coolness as it relates to popularity.

Almost like different people like different things or even the same people might want different things at different times! Radical, I know.

 

[Hussar]

They do? Didn't someone say earlier that pretty much all official adventures (except Curse of Strahd) are set in FR? And how would we even tell these apart? Aren't they both the same sort of generic bland fantasy settings like FR?


What that has to do with anything? Using halflings is not inherently any more difficult than using any other fantasy species.

Then why aren't they being used? According to @Neonchameleon, they are only getting lip service and TSR and WotC don't care about them and never have? Or, do you agree with @Faolyn that they are being well used and appear all over the game?

See, this is the problem that I'm running into. I don't know which interpretation you guys are working from. Are halflings well representing in the game, appearing just as often as any other race, and being utilized well? Or, are they getting "lip service" only and if we started giving them some real loving, they'd become a more popular option in the game?

Inquiring minds want to know.

 

[Hussar]

Almost like different people like different things or even the same people might want different things at different times! Radical, I know.

So, the claim here, as I understand it, is that anyone who plays a dragonborn or tielfling is only doing it because it's the "cool" race, and anyone playing a halfling is only doing it because it's the "uncool" choice?

Seems a bit reductionist and simplistic to me. I'm not sure I'd pigeonhole players and player motivations quite that much.

 

[Oofta]

...
2) Let us say there are two... against a band of orcs, which will be what, 20 orcs? Who have a wagon they loaded up. So, these halflings who might have a +3 stealth, against 20 orcs with darkvision who can see in the dark... and the halflings are going to sneak in, and steal it all back, without any of them noticing?

How long would any community with only commoners survive? Why are halflings any different?

That's the question. Either we assume that there are relatively settled lands with an established local militia to keep people safe or we don't. If we do have a local militia, it only makes sense that they protect all villages and farming communities in the region. If there is no separate militia then you have to assume that the locals protect themselves.

It doesn't matter what race we're talking about. It's directly contradicted in the lore that halflings are helpless pacifists.

From halfling lore on attitude towards humans: “Humans are a lot like us, really. At least some of them are. Step out of the castles and keeps, go talk to the farmers and herders and you’ll find good, solid folk. Not that there’s anything wrong with the barons and soldiers—you have to admire their conviction. And by protecting their own lands, they protect us as well.”

But the idea that every commoner is on the verge of being eaten doesn't fit your narrative.

 

[Crimson Longinus]

Then why aren't they being used? According to @Neonchameleon, they are only getting lip service and TSR and WotC don't care about them and never have? Or, do you agree with @Faolyn that they are being well used and appear all over the game?

I don't know, nor I really care. I don't use readymade settings or modules.

See, this is the problem that I'm running into. I don't know which interpretation you guys are working from. Are halflings well representing in the game, appearing just as often as any other race, and being utilized well? Or, are they getting "lip service" only and if we started giving them some real loving, they'd become a more popular option in the game?

We are talking about PHB. What other publications do with halflings is a separate issue.

And of course it is you who is contradicting yourself. You claim that halflings have every advantage they could get, are pushed by the designers, yet still remain unpopular,* but at the same time you claim they don't have lore in the published settings and are absent in the modules. So which is it?

(*In reality they remain moderately popular.)

 

[Crimson Longinus]

So, the claim here, as I understand it, is that anyone who plays a dragonborn or tielfling is only doing it because it's the "cool" race, and anyone playing a halfling is only doing it because it's the "uncool" choice?

No, because choices are not that simple. But it is one factor. And I observed in early pages that the underlying issue really is that certain people don't get wanting to play 'uncool' race like halflings and they want to make them 'cooler'.

 

[Krachek]

This thread use freely some stat about halfling popularity,
so I make another free assumption base on this amazing long thread,
could we state that the Halfling problem, is THE biggest problem with DnD!