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<blockquote data-quote="Lizard" data-source="post: 4046434" data-attributes="member: 1054">As opposed to &quot;I'm a typical human gypsy, only fun sized&quot;?The idea of halflings-as-farmers is that they're not human; they don't have human desires for wealth, power, fame, glory. They aren't poor peasants kept down by The Man; they're passionately content with their &quot;humble&quot; lot, and can fight like rabid badgers multiclassed into barbarian if they have to in order to keep it. For all their seeming weakness, they remain free and self-ruled without the apparent versataility of humans, the stolid might of dwarves, or the mystical cunning of the elves. They are free landowners in a world mostly filled with slaves and serfs; they are happy to stay at home in a world where &quot;Adventurer&quot; is a job description; they do not seek power in a world where you can't walk a mile without encountering an evil wizard, mad warlord, or crusading king; they are, when you think about it, very strange and alien. That kind of normalacy just isn't normal, and thinking of the motives for a member of this race to leave home -- once you get beyond the stereotype of &quot;I'm just too cool for this lifestyle!&quot; -- is fascinating and leads to truly interesting characters, characters who may not WANT to adventure but have become, by necessity, good at it.Cunning thieving riverboat gypsies with a lust for adventure and excitement? Yeah, THAT'S strange and unusual in a typical fantasy world!</blockquote>

[QUOTE="Lizard, post: 4046434, member: 1054"] As opposed to "I'm a typical human gypsy, only fun sized"? The idea of halflings-as-farmers is that they're not human; they don't have human desires for wealth, power, fame, glory. They aren't poor peasants kept down by The Man; they're passionately content with their "humble" lot, and can fight like rabid badgers multiclassed into barbarian if they have to in order to keep it. For all their seeming weakness, they remain free and self-ruled without the apparent versataility of humans, the stolid might of dwarves, or the mystical cunning of the elves. They are free landowners in a world mostly filled with slaves and serfs; they are happy to stay at home in a world where "Adventurer" is a job description; they do not seek power in a world where you can't walk a mile without encountering an evil wizard, mad warlord, or crusading king; they are, when you think about it, very strange and alien. That kind of normalacy just isn't normal, and thinking of the motives for a member of this race to leave home -- once you get beyond the stereotype of "I'm just too cool for this lifestyle!" -- is fascinating and leads to truly interesting characters, characters who may not WANT to adventure but have become, by necessity, good at it. Cunning thieving riverboat gypsies with a lust for adventure and excitement? Yeah, THAT'S strange and unusual in a typical fantasy world! [/QUOTE]

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