D&D 5E Halflings Of The Corn

B

BigVanVader

First Post

• Dec 14, 2014

• #1

So, I got the player's handbook the other day, love it, I'm a big fan of 5th Edition so far. Got a question though, why do Halflings look so horrific? I would never play one of these things, look at it. It's head is massive and giant, and it's got little tiny hands and feet. Honestly, you just need the artwork to be black and white and you've got an illustration for Scary Stories, anyone remember that?

Yeah, I just don't know why they made Halflings look like that. They look like they kidnap babies and live under your house.

 

log in or register to remove this ad

Parmandur

Book-Friend

• Dec 14, 2014

• #2

They had a stated goal of designing the races so that one could identify a member of said race in a given picture very easily, which they succeeded in doing. A Gnome is clearly a Gnome, and a Halfling is clearly a Halfling, without any size referents needed.

But yeah, the actual Halfling art so far is pretty weak.

 

Dragonhelm

Knight of Solamnia

• Dec 15, 2014

• #3

I am not a fan of the halfling art either. I understand the desire to make them look unique, and not like a small human and to avoid copyright issues with the hobbit, but this bit of art is horrible. One of my few complaints in D&D 5e.

I prefer either the kender-like halflings of 3e and 4e, or the hair footed halflings of Pathfinder.

 

Parmandur

Book-Friend

• Dec 15, 2014

• #4

What's a little frustrating, is that if you hunt down the articles where the art director talks about Halflings, the concept art isn't so bad; but all the Halfling pictures in the book are terrible. The rest of the art knocks ot out of the park, but the Halflings are bleh.

 

B

BigVanVader

First Post

• Dec 15, 2014

• #5

I mean, the art looks like they wanted to draw Halflings as though they had dwarfism, which I think is a cool nifty idea. But you don't achieve that by making them look like they're going to stand over your bed with a kitchen knife in their hands.

 

Minigiant

Legend

Supporter

• Dec 15, 2014

• #6

They're not my favorites but trying to draw a halfling without needing another object to create scale is scale when you can't go heavy on the big or hairy hands and feet thing. Escaping the hobbit or small human chasms could not have been easy.

I expected the halfling pics to be weak before the game came out.

 

rjfTrebor

Banned

Banned

• Dec 15, 2014

• #7

the halflings are pure garbage-status and there's nothing we can do about it. if i found a genie, one wish would go toward righting this. i know it's silly, but i think fans of the halfling deserve it.

 

R

Riley37

First Post

• Dec 15, 2014

• #8

BigVanVader said:

look like they're going to stand over your bed with a kitchen knife in their hands.

Click to expand...

Because people with deformed bodies also have evil minds and souls?

Or are they drawn with wicked grins? (I haven't seen the art in question.)

Ever since Gary Gygax listed four types of Halfling, with the same names Tolkien used (Proudfoot etc.), pretending that D&D halflings aren't LOTR halflings is ludicrous.

 

B

BigVanVader

First Post

• Dec 15, 2014

• #9

Riley37 said:

Because people with deformed bodies also have evil minds and souls?

Click to expand...

There ya go, champ, ya caught me.

Seriously though. Go look at the Halfling artwork.

 

Queer Venger

Dungeon Master is my Daddy

• Dec 15, 2014

• #10

I agree, Ive said that Im not a big fan of the artist version of halflings in the PHB. I did find these on Deviantart that I really like and will use as conceptual for my games