D&D 5E (+) Halflings In A New PHB

[doctorbadwolf]

I do think that some races need a rework in light of newer styles of race mechanics.

I’m curious what y’all would do, specifically, to make halflings keep their 5e lore, stay basically why they are in the current phb, but update them to the new style? What do you think we will see?

I’ll post mine in a follow up.

It’s a + thread. Don’t trash other folks’ ideas, don’t try to well actually the thread, etc.

 

[doctorbadwolf]

So, this post made me think about what is missing from the halfling mechanics.

Post in thread 'The Trouble with Halflings'
The Trouble with Halflings

Especially, it seems like a tool proficiency should have been a no brainer.

Stouts are tougher and harder working than they seem, why not give them a benefit against exhaustion?

Halflings no longer have any benefit toward stealth or nimbleness.

We can guess they’ll have speed of 30ft. I’d love for Lightfoots to have an additional benefit to movement.

 

[Zardnaar]

They just need a slight power boost maybe lucky applies to 1's and 2's.

They're not the worse phb race but the new format powercrept most of the phb races out.

 

[bedir than]

Halflings no longer have any benefit toward stealth or nimbleness

I don't think that's cultural. I think that's about their size

 

[Shiroiken]

Halflings provide a bit of an issue with the new size descriptors, since their focus should be about the fact that they're small. Under the new racial descriptors, you can be a 7ft+ halfling and be small size, which makes the idea of them hiding behind a medium size creature ridiculous.

Something I feel they can do is any racial skill that's supposed to be because of their physiology, such as elves Perception, is granting advantage to those checks. In the case of halflings, you could argue they're naturally lightfooted and easily overlooked due to their smallish size, granting them advantage on Stealth checks to Hide. I don't know if this is something they'll want to do, however.

 

[Mecheon]

I don't think that's cultural. I think that's about their size

Hobbits specifically had the ability to just vanish as one of their racial things, so honestly I'd roll into that. Halflings just, have ridiculous stealth. They can just erase their presence and blend into the background if they're not focused on. Not magical, its just their thing.

Good for getting out of awkward dinner conversations and/or adventuring

 

[bedir than]

Hobbits specifically had the ability to just vanish as one of their racial things, so honestly I'd roll into that. Halflings just, have ridiculous stealth. They can just erase their presence and blend into the background if they're not focused on. Not magical, its just their thing.

Good for getting out of awkward dinner conversations and/or adventuring

Right. There's nothing need to remove it

 

[rgoodbb]

Minor boosts

Proficiency in Stealth?

Lucky: When you roll a 1 on a D20, reroll until you don't get a 1.

 

[CreamCloud0]

Hmmm, well...
-Stealth proficiency and/or a Mask of the Wild analog
-Choice of Brewers tools, cooks utensils or herbalism kit proficiency
-Lucky PB/LR uses and applies on 1s, 2s or can spend a use to give advantage or ‘make something minorly lucky happen’
-I think halflings should get something similar to the bards Song of Rest ability for rests but flavoured about being a good cook/host/homely, ‘warmth of the hearth’ or something, maybe it gives everyone some extra temp hitpoints or advantage on 1 skill check or attack roll during the next 6 hours
-Advantage on nature/survival checks to identify edible/inedible plants or generally forage for food
-Inspiring Bravery: halflings have advantage against fear and give advantage against fear to any allies within 10ft too.

 

[Tales and Chronicles]

Ok, here goes:

ASI: Tasha's floating
Size: Small
Speed: 25

Art of Disappearing: There is little or no magic about a Halfling, except the ordinary everyday sort which helps them to disappear quietly and quickly when large tall folk comes blundering along, making a noise like elephants which they can hear a mile off. As an action, you are obfuscated from the eyes of one creature you can see within 120 feet of you; the target must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw against a DC of 8+Prof+Dex or you are invisible to it until the end of your next turn.

Bravery from the Many. If you miss with an attack roll or fail an ability check or a saving throw, you can draw on your bonds of reciprocity to gain a bonus to the roll equal to the number of allies you can see within 30 feet of you (maximum bonus of +5). You can use this trait a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus, and you regain all expended uses when you finish a long rest.

Halfling Nimbleness. You can move through the space of any creature that is of a size larger than yours. Creatures you share a space with have disadvantage on attack of opportunities against you. When you enter the space of a large or larger creature for the first time on your turn, you have advantage on the next attack roll against it.