Halflings -- should they die?
- Thread starter Akrasia
- Start date
MrFilthyIke
First Post
John Q. Mayhem said:
Show me the pic...um, never mind...
MrFilthyIke
First Post
diaglo said:edit: but my DM, Olgar Shiverstone, wouldn't let me take the Monkey Boy feat for 12th lvl.
Why not? Aren't you in that Buckaroo Banzai campaign I heard about?
Mercule
Adventurer
I like the idea of some "little people", but neither the halflings or the gnomes float my boat. The halflings are either wierd little Gypsies or totally flavorless. I hate the name "halfling", too -- that alone is worth whacking them.
Gnomes that liked technology were fine for DragonLance, but mechanically inclined gnomes in any other setting bug the snot out of me. I like the burrow-living, rabbit-talking druidic gnomes. The techie/knowledge-loving gnomes are such a tired schtick that mechanically-inclined gnomes are the only remaining way to get "the thumb of god" zotted on a PC in my campaign.
If I hadn't removed halflings entirely, playing a kleptomaniac, overly curious halfling would also be zot-worthy. I don't mind the Dragonlance setting, but I hate the export of Tinker Gnomes and Kenders that seems to have happened. Of course, neither would have been an issue if gnomes or halflings actually had a personality.
Gnomes that liked technology were fine for DragonLance, but mechanically inclined gnomes in any other setting bug the snot out of me. I like the burrow-living, rabbit-talking druidic gnomes. The techie/knowledge-loving gnomes are such a tired schtick that mechanically-inclined gnomes are the only remaining way to get "the thumb of god" zotted on a PC in my campaign.
If I hadn't removed halflings entirely, playing a kleptomaniac, overly curious halfling would also be zot-worthy. I don't mind the Dragonlance setting, but I hate the export of Tinker Gnomes and Kenders that seems to have happened. Of course, neither would have been an issue if gnomes or halflings actually had a personality.
MrFilthyIke
First Post
diaglo said:Wow... you may be the only one i've run into that got the actual reference.
the real feat... Monkey Grip... isn't allowed b/c the DM didn't want me using the Med characters' weapons.
My geek-fu flows strong.
Actually, I saw it when it first came out, and kinda forgot about it. Only after marrying my wonderfully geeky wife, have I come to revel fully in my geekiness, whether its movies or games or music.
Plus, she's a HARDCORE fan of BB. I just happen to really like the cast and lame storyline. 
Evilhalfling
Adventurer
I use stouts and hairfeet in my new game,
and in sharp contrast to Dialgo's DM stouts get monkeygrip as a free feat, although it is unavalible to humans. both races have a few other changes - having developed their own cultures in response to other presures.
My last campaign world (5yrs) had no gnomes, and there were never any complaints.
It had no 1/2 orcs either - flavorless lackluster race that they are. OOh im strong lookie at me.
and in sharp contrast to Dialgo's DM stouts get monkeygrip as a free feat, although it is unavalible to humans. both races have a few other changes - having developed their own cultures in response to other presures.
My last campaign world (5yrs) had no gnomes, and there were never any complaints.
It had no 1/2 orcs either - flavorless lackluster race that they are. OOh im strong lookie at me.
BiggusGeekus
That's Latin for "cool"
Not all members of a given race act the same, but in the game and in settings you do have a need to have an elf act different than a human otherwise the elf is just a human with pointy ears.
Frankly, I think settings like Wheel of Time nail it. Humans are slightly different and have their little bonuses and penalties, while the real alternate race is VERY different. However, I do not run the world, more's the pity because I'd get rid of that weird yellow moose on the Noggin network.
Humans tend to be the baseline.
Elves tend to be "cool" humans
Half-Orcs tend to be "thuggish" humans
Dwarves tend to be "dour" humans
... which leaves halflings and gnomes both contending for the same archetype of "short"
I like what Eberron did with halflings. I don't like what Eberron did with gnomes. Hold that thought. I like Eberron's Warforged. I don't like Eberron's orcs. It's the same problem. When they introduced Warforged, the half-orcs got marginalized. Likewise, I've seen a lot of settings do cool things with halflings or gnomes, but not both (unless dwarves get punted to the side or whatever).
In any literary work you don't add crud just for the sake of adding things. Typically, I see races added that just don't do anything. They're just there for the plusses, minuses, and nifty artwork.
Happy gaming!
Frankly, I think settings like Wheel of Time nail it. Humans are slightly different and have their little bonuses and penalties, while the real alternate race is VERY different. However, I do not run the world, more's the pity because I'd get rid of that weird yellow moose on the Noggin network.
Humans tend to be the baseline.
Elves tend to be "cool" humans
Half-Orcs tend to be "thuggish" humans
Dwarves tend to be "dour" humans
... which leaves halflings and gnomes both contending for the same archetype of "short"
I like what Eberron did with halflings. I don't like what Eberron did with gnomes. Hold that thought. I like Eberron's Warforged. I don't like Eberron's orcs. It's the same problem. When they introduced Warforged, the half-orcs got marginalized. Likewise, I've seen a lot of settings do cool things with halflings or gnomes, but not both (unless dwarves get punted to the side or whatever).
In any literary work you don't add crud just for the sake of adding things. Typically, I see races added that just don't do anything. They're just there for the plusses, minuses, and nifty artwork.
Happy gaming!
diaglo
Adventurer
BiggusGeekus said:
the MM version of halflings... has Tallfellows as short elves.
and deep halflings as shorter dwarves.
with the "normal" halfling ... short humans... i guess. but really they are just Kender. since they went on their diet and gained bonus vs fear... and have CHa as dump stat. and.. travel/wanderlust so much.
BiggusGeekus
That's Latin for "cool"
diaglo said:
OK, so they're "happy" humans. What are gnomes? "Short" is still kinda occupied. The illusion zappies don't mean much and neither does the alchemy. If they're "magic" humans then they aren't very good ones because the human's extra feat can really help a 1st level wizard.
I toyed around with the idea of swapping out the illusions with necromantic cantrips and make them vile Gnecromancers, but that's just a campaign thing. In the FR, Greyhawk, and Ebberon, Gnomes don't do much. That's why I kinda like the Dragonlance tinker gnomes because they do occupy a niche. Of course, they also act as comic relief which brings the Dragonlance racial comic relief squad up to a total of three along with gully dwarves and kender. Another crowded stage for gnomes to perform on.
Again, I'm not knocking halflings and gnomes. I just think they overlap.
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