D&D 5E (2014) Is a halfling a half-gnome?

[Vaalingrade]

It ain’t braggin’ if it’s true.

We we're in agreement that it's bragging.

 

[CreamCloud0]

No, I don’t see halflings as a gnome relative, and I don’t see why they would need to be either, leopards, housecats and bobcats all exist but you don’t see people going oh bobcats are too similar they must of course be crossbred housecat-leopards,

The halfling and the human are both there for the audience to relate to but in different ways, humans are human, so of course we’re going to relate to them, but they’re books and movies fantasy humans, they fit into the heroic tone of the world with some random human farmer to pick up a blade grab a horse from the fields and gallantly ride to the horizon to slay the dragon that’s terrorising their village and you expect them to succeed, but halflings, halflings we’re meant to relate to on a different level, on a societal level, with their cozy homes and nice meals who are far removed from the dangers of the world for the most part, if we were sent to the fantasy world while we’d resemble humans physically our attitudes would be more comparable to the halflings.

 

[Neonchameleon]

In any case, the halfling is too human.

In order for the halfling to merit the status of a D&D race − in the sense of a separate species − there must be something about the halfling, that is clearly, obviously, nonhuman.

Or there must be something about the human D&D race that is clearly, obviously, not a real world human.

Like how they are the badass race. With most D&D countries counting humans as the most powerful race - and approximately every second adventurer is a human. If you empathise with the glitterati and celebrities this is fine. But if you don't think they are like you? If you identify with the little people then the way humans are Fantasy Hero Badasses menas that they aren't the race you want. No one is ever surprised when an adventurer turns out to be human - but halflings they are.

It's not that there's something about halflings that are non-humans. It's that D&D Humans lean very hard into one side of humanity and halflings lean into the other side.

 

[jmartkdr2]

Officially, no.

In my homebrew settings, halflings are full gnomes. Same species, many cultures.

 

[MGibster]

I called a halfling a half-gnome when I was in 2nd grade and he kicked my %#$. I'm still not sure whether he was another kid or one of the teachers.