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Message: <blockquote data-quote="BonesMcCoy" data-source="post: 383703" data-attributes="member: 7695">back to the subject at hand...Well this thread sure did wander way off track.I'm 30 and I prefer the old halflings.I believe WotC really missed the boat when they changed them and here's why:1. Tolkien fans. Gary initially put them in to attract Tolkien fans; he has said as much on these boards. Why? Because those Tolkien fans are extremely numerous. Gary knew it would help the popularity of his game if he appealed to all sorts of fantasy fans, Tokien-ites included, so he did. But now WotC has excluded these same fans by changing the halflings into Kender so that the Tolkien influence is no longer present, and thus the attraction of the halfling is no longer bringing in these Tolkien-ites to boost our game. Also, it was known back when 3E came out that the LotR movies were being made and if I'm not mistaken, there were already some early spoiler pics available of Hobbiton and maybe more. In any case, it was a perfect opportunity to capitalize on the traditional Tolkien halfling in anticipation of the movies being successful. Even if they weren't, you're still attracting the book fans. Either way you're in a safe position and you're continuing the broad appeal of the D&D game.2. Tradition. The old halfling is the way it's always been done in D&D. Unless there was a vital reason to change it, it should have been left alone to avoid annoying the many existing fans of the game. Respect for the old guard, and all that. If a Kender race was desired, then just add them to the core rules, don't replace a venerable favorite.3. Believability. New halflings remain at the 3 foot height mark and yet weigh just 30 to 35 pounds. Such a weight is so utterly ludicrous it should have been laughed out of the books on day one. At this site: <a href="http://www.webhealthcentre.com/general/yc_hwchart.asp" target="_blank">http://www.webhealthcentre.com/general/yc_hwchart.asp</a> we see that a 3 year old child averages 3'1" and 32#, just right for a new halfling. But sweet Jesus, think about that for a second! A 3 year old child!?! The new halfling is the same size as a 3 year old child! Can a 3 year old wield a real short sword? Can he wear actual chain mail armor? Can he carry 3/4 the weight of an adult human? Can he compete physically with an adult human in anything? Of course not! And to say "well it's a fantasy game" just doesn't cut it. There has to be at least a small basis in real world physics to maintain the sense of believability and suspension of disbelief we need to immerse ourselves in the game world. A 30# halfling is utterly ridiculous.</blockquote>

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