D&D 5E Dragon's Eye View: Halflings, Part 2

[DEFCON 1]

With elves I always felt their appearance, aside from being perhaps a bit more petite and pointy eared than humans, wasnt ever what really defined them. Their longevity and connection to magic/nature has always been much more important than how they look; their culture too.

Well yes, inside the game world itself, that's true. But that doesn't change the fact that *if* you are going to make an artistic representation of these races, then you HAVE to concern yourself with it, because that's what art does. That's the whole point of the art in the first place.

 

[Bedrockgames]

Well yes, inside the game world itself, that's true. But that doesn't change the fact that *if* you are going to make an artistic representation of these races, then you HAVE to concern yourself with it, because that's what art does. That's the whole point of the art in the first place.

I agree, but I also think it would be a mistake to allow the needs of the artist to distinguish some of these races to negatively impact the flavor. While I dont care for the halflings as slightly smaller humans approach of 3E and 4E, i feel their rational of "you cant tell them apart in the art without a point of reference" isnt a good reason to change the race. Thr race should be changed because they honestly think it is better for the game if halflings are slightly out of proportion (not because it makes things easier for the artists). I feel the same way about half elves. For years they have been a race you couldnt spot in a line up. They could pass for human or for elven and I think that worked (and was kind of the point). They are an ambiguous race. For me, giving them a distinct look actually undermines the concept,

 

[Klaus]

True enough. But the problem we have with elves specifically is the half-elf problem. Having that race in the game means that there has to be a greater difference between humans and elves in how they look, because otherwise, half-elves have no visual identity that lies between them.

But do the half-elves *need* such a visual distinctiveness? IMHO, no. They can pass off as humans or elves, with just a token effort.

As for "attractive", there's a whole range of "attractive" that doesn't look "elvish". Scarlett Johansson is a gorgeous woman, but doesn't have the angular looks that one would call "elvish" (like Olivia Wilde, for instance).

 

[Bedrockgames]

But do the half-elves *need* such a visual distinctiveness? IMHO, no. They can pass off as humans or elves, with just a token effort.

As for "attractive", there's a whole range of "attractive" that doesn't look "elvish". Scarlett Johansson is a gorgeous woman, but doesn't have the angular looks that one would call "elvish" (like Olivia Wilde, for instance).

I agree. I think of tanis half elven for example. In elmore's images of him, you think he is a human until you catch the ears (and I sure didnt notice for a while).

 

[Animal]

So yes, if we want to go with the idea that elves are beautiful by human standards... and that they maintain a more or less human shape... then we need to therefore make all humans relatively ugly. Because that way... you actually have a middle ground wherein you can place half-elves in the visual spectrum that makes us all go "okay, that's a half-elf". Humans are all unattractive, elves are exceedingly attractive (plus thin, pointy eared, catseyed), and half-elves can have fuller figures, be normal looking, and maybe slightly pointed ears.

Here we return to my initial point.
There can be subtler differences between races. Not necessarily their anatomy has to be vastly different.
IMHO, 3e was very successful in pin-pointing elven appearance because you could tell an elf from a human just by looking at their faces! You didn't even need to see their bodies or ears to recognize the distinction.
And i don't think it's a bad thing half-elves are not always easy to discern. Klaus makes a good point.

Similarly, I'd love to see halflings with more creative distinctive traits than just humans with dwarfism condition.

 

[Klaus]

I agree. I think of tanis half elven for example. In elmore's images of him, you think he is a human until you catch the ears (and I sure didnt notice for a while).

And more importantly, Laurana gives us the impression that, without the beard, Tanis would look just like an elf (albeit with red hair instead of blonde like the other Qualinesti).

 

[steeldragons]

But do the half-elves *need* such a visual distinctiveness? IMHO, no. They can pass off as humans or elves, with just a token effort.

I was going to ask the same thing. And, imho, also, no.

Below is one of...oooo, LOTS of racial comparison sketches for my homebrew world of Orea. You'll see the half-elf has "slightly" pointed ears which I'm showing because it's a comparison sketch...but his hair is long, he could just as easily cover those up and who's gonna know he's not human? That and the possibility of facial hair (which I do, as many world/descriptions do, deny Orea's full-blooded elves).

The "Stout Races", you may note, are four-fingered. Something I've done for decades now and I think helps to differentiate them, along with the traditional stuff like beards, hairy feet and big noses, as different than just little humans...but not necessitating making them "alien-ly" or disproportionate to prove they aren't.

Anywho, this is how I picture the traditional races in Orea...and my D&D in general and will continue to regardless of the official final concepts.

 

[Libramarian]

I quite liked the concept drawings. They had these fun toddler proportions that really seemed to suit halflings. But I'm okay with making them closer to six-year-olds. The most recent drawings look a hair stockier, but that also be the clothes which look rather bulky.

I think the main reason that I really like these halflings is the style reminds me of the character portraits from the Icewind Dale computer games, which is my favorite D&D-related art of all time.