D&D 5E Halflings are the 7th most popular 5e race

[CleverNickName]

I have an idea! We give them animal heads -- whatever animal you like -- and they all get wings! Wait, come back ...

And gills! And prehensile tails! And retractable claws! And--

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

And gills! And prehensile tails! And retractable claws! And--

And blackjack! And hookers!

 

[doctorbadwolf]

So are you suggesting Hobbits should be replaced with Ents as a PC-playable species?

That would jump more than a few sharks....

Literal ents, sure.

You’re starting 1st-level party: a Human, an Elf, a Dwarf, a Tiefling, and an Ent.

Which of those could wipe the floor with the other four characters with no effort whatsoever? (hint: the answer starts with 'E' but is not Elf)

Unless of course Ents were horribly gimped so as to be in balance with other PC-playables, thus ruining the species.

I mean…tree people don’t need to be ents. They can just be dryads or some other thing.

Again, I answered this. Orcs are already getting heaved, so, why would I bring them up.

You brought them up every thread you could before half-orcs were getting yeeted.

Everyone pretty much agrees that if gnomes got the toss, it wouldn't be much of a loss.

What wild nonsense are you inventing now!?

 

[doctorbadwolf]

So, it's a bizarre beef with Tolkien...?

Looking at current book sales rankings and "power rankings" like r/Fantasy does, Tolkien isn't going anywhere in the popular imagination, and yeah, Halflings are part of that.

Gnomes aren't, though. Seperate issue.

Yeah for popularity, JRRT might as well not be dead. Like…it’s very, very, popular.

 

[Parmandur]

Yeah for popularity, JRRT might as well not be dead. Like…it’s very, very, popular.

The R/Fantasy Top Novels list has a strong recency bias, but Tolkien almost unseats the Stormlight Wrchivr for top spot in the most recent iteration:

 

[Hussar]

By my count, Halflings are 6th.

There is no longer a "Half Elf" species. The character is either Human or Elf mechanically, or hopefully an option to mix-and-match.

So for the stats to be relevant for a 2024 core species, combine both Full Elf and Half Elf: the Elf species.

Then:

1. Elf (full and half)
2. Human
3. Tiefling (standard and feral)
4. Dwarf
5. Dragonborn
6. Halfling
7. Orc (full and half)
8. Genasi
9. Gnome
10. Goliath
11. Aasimar
12. Aarakocra

Halfling is the 6th.



Yeah, there are 12 core classes. Having 12 core species seems fine.

The Halfling belongs among the top 12.

But not among the top 4.

If that is the new phb I will withdraw any and all complaints immediately. About the only thing I might have on a wish list would be an anthropomorphic race.

 

[Hussar]

So, it's a bizarre beef with Tolkien...?

Looking at current book sales rankings and "power rankings" like r/Fantasy does, Tolkien isn't going anywhere in the popular imagination, and yeah, Halflings are part of that.

Gnomes aren't, though. Seperate issue.

Yup. I’ll absolutely cop to that.

 

[Hussar]

You brought them up every thread you could before half-orcs were getting yeeted.

What wild nonsense are you inventing now!?

?

I think you gave me confused with someone else. I don’t think I’ve ever talked about half orcs in this context. Only thing I can recall is the changing of the racist language around orcs. But I can’t recall ever talking about half orcs.

But I would certainly give votes to a plant people pc race.

 

[Yaarel]

If that is the new phb I will withdraw any and all complaints immediately. About the only thing I might have on a wish list would be an anthropomorphic race.

With regard to the playtests so far. The 2024 core species are shaping up to be:

Elf, Human, Tiefling, Dwarf, Dragonborn, Halfling, Orc, Gnome, plus Goliath.

That is nine so far.

Plus the playtests are introducing a new Celestial species "Ardling", opposite the Fiend species Tiefling. This Ardling is the anthropomorphic humanimal species. It actually refers to old school traditions relating to Beastland Celestials that are humanimals, especially the Guardinals who inhabit Beastland who are humanimallike. (But in Elysium, the Guardinals are humanlike.) The lore so far is, some Celestial animals evolve into bipeds. The Ardlings are specifically some of these bipedal anthropomorphs that have an animal head (Egypt style). But they can also of have bodily characteristics like fur or wings, or whatever is pertinent to the specific kind of animal.

In this way, the Ardling is absorbing Celestial Aasimar and the Aarakocra, as well as the Tabaxi, and many other humanimal species.

Personally, I think the design direction is strong, but if the Ardling is to remove the Aasimar from the core, then I want the Ardling to have the option of a human head.

Anyway, that is ten core species so far.

The playtests dont seem to have plans for the Genasi as core, but it should be because of its enormous popularity (even when the stats require people to pay money to have a Genasi!), and its Elemental flavor is salient for D&D flavor.

The Genasi would make eleven species.

Like the twelve core classes, it makes sense to have twelve core species. I am unsure what the twelfth species should be. Maybe Aasimar.

 

[John Lloyd1]

dryads

Now I want to play a dryad!