Halflings: An Identity Crisis

[Zarithar]

WotC seems to have decided to stop focusing their game on what was "cool" to fantasy fans 30 years ago, and start focusing on what is "cool" to fantasy fans right now. It's about time really.

Very few people see gnomes as "cool" anymore, and thus they are rarely played. Halflings aren't a whole lot better, but apparently enough people like them that WotC decided it was worth taking a shot at making them more interesting. I wouldn't be surprised to see them out of the PHB in 5th edition though. Dwarves and Elves have never stopped being cool, so their spot is safe. It's safe to say that alot of people will think Tieflings and Dragonborn are cool, so WotC is probably making a good decision throwing them in.

Ok first off you said fantasy fans of today and used gnomes as an example. Think what you will of it, but WoW is the biggest fantasy themed game on the market at present (10 million active accounts and climbing) and archetypical gnomes are one of the playable races. Many players enjoy playing them.

As to hobbits, another very popular MMO, Lord of the Rings Online (voted best new MMO of 2007) features... hobbits as one of the 4 playable races. Many people play them in that game, which has close to a million subscribers.

Although well passed its glory days now, Everquest also featured halflings (very Tolkienesque halflings mind you) as a playable race.

No, these are not Dungeons and Dragons, but ARE of the fantasy genre... and I would be willing to bet that far more people play MMORPGs than are currently playing traditional pen and paper RPGs.

 

[Ruin Explorer]

Ok first off you said fantasy fans of today and used gnomes as an example. Think what you will of it, but WoW is the biggest fantasy themed game on the market at present (10 million active accounts and climbing) and archetypical gnomes are one of the playable races. Many players enjoy playing them.

As to hobbits, another very popular MMO, Lord of the Rings Online (voted best new MMO of 2007) features... hobbits as one of the 4 playable races. Many people play them in that game, which has close to a million subscribers.

Although well passed its glory days now, Everquest also featured halflings (very Tolkienesque halflings mind you) as a playable race.

No, these are not Dungeons and Dragons, but ARE of the fantasy genre... and I would be willing to bet that far more people play MMORPGs than are currently playing traditional pen and paper RPGs.

You might want to check you actual figures, mate.

Gnomes aren't very popular in WoW, even despite being a far more attractive conception than that typically used by D&D (child-like, overenthusiastic mad scientists). They're one of the least popular races. http://www.warcraftrealms.com/censu...id=-1&minlevel=10&maxlevel=70&servertypeid=-1

I can't give you exact figures for LotRO, but anyone who plays it can confirm that humans and Elves make up the vast majority of the population outside the starting zones, and that Hobbits are pretty unpopular. They'd be played even less if they didn't have good racials for certain classes.

EverQuest also had Ogres, Trolls, Barbarians, Dark Elves, Gnomes and a many other D&D stalwarts not present in D&D 4E. Almost all of them were vastly more popular than Halflings. Should they all be in 4E, too?

The point here is, these races are all severe minority interests. Oddly Dwarves are unpopular in MMORPGs too, probably they're ugly in those games in a way they're not in P&P RPGs. None of this makes Hobbits remotely popular or relevant.

If it did, they'd be in 4E.

 

[Nahat Anoj]

Then they should create a new race with a new name.

I honestly believe they should have named the 4e halflings "kender." It's a much better name IMO.

 

[Zarithar]

You might want to check you actual figures, mate.

Gnomes aren't very popular in WoW, even despite being a far more attractive conception than that typically used by D&D (child-like, overenthusiastic mad scientists). They're one of the least popular races. http://www.warcraftrealms.com/censu...id=-1&minlevel=10&maxlevel=70&servertypeid=-1

I can't give you exact figures for LotRO, but anyone who plays it can confirm that humans and Elves make up the vast majority of the population outside the starting zones, and that Hobbits are pretty unpopular. They'd be played even less if they didn't have good racials for certain classes.

EverQuest also had Ogres, Trolls, Barbarians, Dark Elves, Gnomes and a many other D&D stalwarts not present in D&D 4E. Almost all of them were vastly more popular than Halflings. Should they all be in 4E, too?

The point here is, these races are all severe minority interests. Oddly Dwarves are unpopular in MMORPGs too, probably they're ugly in those games in a way they're not in P&P RPGs. None of this makes Hobbits remotely popular or relevant.

If it did, they'd be in 4E.

I cant argue with any of that, but I really do hate the fact that Blood Elves are the most popular Horde race.... :\

 

[exile]

I for one like Tolkeinesque haflings. I played one in 2E, and she (Maggie Summertoes) was one of my favorite characters ever. I can't say that every game that I ever run will feature such a race, but it is an option that I like more than either 3E or what I have seen of 4E halflings (or kender for that matter).

A thought that really intrigues me right now is what would such traditional halflings become if thrust into 4E's Points of Light setting. Still small, still with big hairy feet, still fond of creature comforts, and perhaps fierce defenders of such comforts, maybe a little leaner, maybe a little better armed, just as many hafling adveturers (proprtionately) as any other race. I thinks ome good stuff could be done in this direction.

Chad

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

You know what I wonder is, how many, exactly of the "Hobbit-boosters" routinely play Hobbits/Halflings?

Right here.

 

[Lord Kyle Windsor]

In 25 years of playing D&D I've run exactly one halfling PC, and the character was actually more along the lines of a kender. I've got zero interest in Hobbit-halflings, and to be honest, I've got little interest in anything that isn't human. Hell, I'd be more interested in running a half-orc than I would a halfling, gnome or dwarf.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

In 25 years of playing D&D I've run exactly one halfling PC, and the character was actually more along the lines of a kender. I've got zero interest in Hobbit-halflings, and to be honest, I've got little interest in anything that isn't human. Hell, I'd be more interested in running a half-orc than I would a halfling, gnome or dwarf.

Can I interest you in a game of Iron Heroes or Conan?

 

[Lord Kyle Windsor]

Can I interest you in a game of Iron Heroes or Conan?

Funny you should mention IH and Conan, because I'm pretty sure the next campaign I run will be one of the two (more likely Conan). Well, if I ever finish the Ptolus campaign I'm running...

 

[Wormwood]

I honestly believe they should have named the 4e halflings "kender." It's a much better name IMO.

Complete agreement.