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

[carkl3000]

LIke I said, I'm going by what I'm told. I'm being told that I'm 100% wrong for saying that they aren't getting pushed by the designers. At the same time I'm 100% wrong for saying that they ARE getting pushed by the designers. So, being tired of being told contradictory things by you guys, I'm still waiting for your guys to pick a lane so we can have a conversation.

See, to me, if they ARE being promoted, then they're failing to gain much traction because they aren't being played very much. OTOH, if NeonC is right, and it's just an issue of promoting them as an option, then, fair enough, promote them and see if they start getting played more. Either way, my concerns are addressed - if they aren't being played, punt them to the DMG. If they ARE being played, then great, job done.

So, again, which is it?

"It's not my fault! How can you possibly expect me to adopt a charitable interpretation of someone else's argument? I'm trying to win the internet here!"

-Hussar 2021

 

[FrozenNorth]

I don't think they have much to worry about. It seems as though the ratios of helpless halfling villages to gnoll raiding parties to bands of brave adventurers in Faerun is almost invariably 1 to 1 to 1. Go figure...

You’re talking about illusionism/railroading. That’s one thread over.

 

[carkl3000]

You’re talking about illusionism/railroading. That’s one thread over.

I seriously don't have enough time in my life for more than one thread here!

 

[FrozenNorth]

Much like people keep hunting rifles near their houses, I can see halflings keeping crossbows near their houses, and that provides enough benefits to give them a fighting chance.

A light crossbow is 25 gp. That’s like 2 years’ wages to a farmer.

 

[Neonchameleon]

A light crossbow is 25 gp. That’s like 2 years’ wages to a farmer.

Even the ammo is 1GP for 20 bolts. Another reason halflings use slings is that a sling is 1sp and 20 sling bullets are 4cp. Paying to outfit a militia is not cheap, but giving everyone a sling and telling them to practice is. Again, practical and effective but not flashy.

 

[FrozenNorth]

The classes are supposed to be balanced, and for every Fighter player complaining that the Wizard can do too much, there is an equal and opposite Wizard player complaining that the Fighter deals too much damage and the Wizard too few spells at higher levels. The mutual envy suggests some sense of balance. Meanwhile, 5e has made the Fighter and Wizard class more balanced than I have ever seen. The Concentration mechanic forcing only one good spell at a time is PAINFUL to Wizard players, and the scarce spell slot, are probably more balancing that people realize.

Yes, let’s take this topic that has been a paragon of civility and add a SECOND controversial topic.

 

[FrozenNorth]

If goblins and kobolds make the 6e PHB, rest in pepperonis halflings and gnomes.

Deekin is STILL a popular kobold decades after he was introduced in a game.

 

[Oofta]

Deekin is STILL a popular kobold decades after he was introduced in a game.

Umm, who?

 

[Neonchameleon]

If goblins and kobolds make the 6e PHB, rest in pepperonis halflings and gnomes.

You're throwing a banquet for the halflings? Because seriously, gnomes are even more of an endangered species with kobolds - but only people who wouldn't play halflings and don't see their appeal think kobolds threaten the popularity of halflings.

Deekin is STILL a popular kobold decades after he was introduced in a game.

Making him a decent complex character in a computer game will do that.

Edit: @Oofta he's a Neverwinter Nights NPC

 

[FrozenNorth]

OK. Just adding a simple fact check here:

• Genasi are not Pay to Play. The Elemental Evil Player's Companion is free. Likewise Goliaths and Aaracokra.
• Variant Aasimar are not Pay to Play - they aren't in the PHB but (alongside the Eladrin subrace of elves) are an example in the DMG of how to design a race.

I specifically didn’t say genasi were pay-to-play because I know they aren’t. But I’ll grant you that I was mistaken about aasimar.

I think it's fair to recognise that the popular two of the three races you list aren't pay to play. And that outside the PHB halflings aren't actually pushed hard.

I would disagree with this. Pretty much all D&D media that I can think of (board games, video games, comics) has halfling as a playable character, much more than gnomes, tieflings and half-orcs.

Recently got Betrayal at Baldur’s gate board game. 4 core, plus a half-orc. Baldur’s gate 3 keeps halflings, but drops dragonborn and gnomes.

There is in addition the fact that mechanically, the Lightfoot Halfling (+2 Dex, +1 Cha) has great stat synergy for a large amount of classes, much more than gnomes with their +2 Int.

Finally, regarding halflings, I'm going to repeat myself:

• Removing races should be done with extreme care.
• It would be ridiculous to remove halflings without removing gnomes; gnomes are objectively less popular than halflings and have less of a control over their niche and less of a unique niche

Seriously, who is on the other side of this issue? You keep on bringing up the “anyone who axes halflings should axe gnomes first” as if it is a cudgel despite no one really arguing against this.

• It would be ridiculous to remove halflings and gnomes at the same time; removing both existing humanoid small races completely empties a niche

I disagree with this, as to me, being small is not a niche.