D&D 5E Middle-earth Hobbits and D&D Halflings in 5e

[Dungeonosophy]

Of course the D&D Halfling originally came from the Middle-earth Hobbit. Yet the D&D Halfling has developed its own qualities which diverge from the Tolkienian roots. This is not a bad thing. The D&D Worlds are not Middle-earth.

Gygax only incorporated a selection of Tolkienian Hobbit traits to make the D&D Halfling. It's not like he did a thorough textual study of the Hobbit racial abilities. Nor should he have. Like all of D&D's literary sources, the Middle-earth Halfling was re-rendered and depicted through the framework of D&D rules and D&D style.

Then the D&D Halfling developed its own self-referential lore, through Ed Greenwood's The Five Shires, the development of the Halfling pantheon of deities, the Kender of Dragonlance, the 2e Complete Book of Gnomes and Halflings, Regis Rubblebelly of the Driz'zt stories, the vicious Dark Sun halflings, the 3e revision of the chubby stay-at-home Halfling into the trim, sideburned, vagabond Lightfoot, and so forth.

Yet I'd like to offer another look at the racial characteristics of Middle-earth Halfings, as they are presented in the actual texts.

I combed through The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings, and The Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien, and teased out any mention of Hobbit racial qualities.

In this post, I'm not offering any specific suggestions of how these might be embodied as rules; though some are obvious ("Sharp-eyed" and "Quick of Hearing" would likely be represented as racial bonuses to those perception checks).

Nor am I suggesting that D&D adopt these abilities wholesale. But these might be something for the 5e design team to consider.




The following is a list of Hobbit qualities that might be represented rules-wise as racial abilities. Seemingly synonymous qualities are grouped together:

• In Touch with Nature; Close Friendship with the Earth
• Skilled in Crafts and Tools
• Quick of Hearing
• Sharp-eyed/Keen-eyed
• Difficult to Daunt
• Difficult to Kill
• Curiously Tough; Tough as Old Tree-Roots; Survive Rough Handling by Grief, Foe, or Weather; Recover Wonderfully from Falls and Bruises
• Free from Ambition
• Free from Greed of Wealth
• Elusiveness; The Art of Disappearing; Hide Easily
• Move Very Quietly
• Doughty at Bay; Amazing and Unexpected Heroism "At a Pinch"
• Sure at the Mark (throwing and shooting)
• Sense of Direction Underground
• Work Like Bees
• Fund of Wisdom and Wise Sayings

In Touch With Nature; Close Friendship with the Earth:


"They are entirely without non-human powers, but are represented as being more in touch with 'nature' (the soil and other living things, plants and animals)"

Letter #131​

"their elusiveness is due solely to a professional skill that heredity and practice, and a close friendship with the earth, have rendered inimitable by bigger and clumsier races.​

Prologue to the LotR​

Skilled in Crafts and Tools:

"the only craft little practised among them was shoe-making; but they had long and skilful fingers and could make many other useful and comely things."

"They do not and did not understand or like machines more complicated than a forge-bellows, a water-mill, or a hand-loom, though they were skilful with tools."

Prologue to the LotR​

Quick of Hearing:

"They are quick of hearing"

Prologue to the LotR​

"when large stupid folk like you and me come blundering along, making a noise like elephants which they can hear a mile off."

Chapter 1, The Hobbit​

Sharp-eyed; Keen-eyed:

"They are [...] sharp-eyed"

Prologue to the LotR​

"they were keen-eyed"

Prologue to the LotR​

Difficult to Daunt:

"They were, if it came to it, difficult to daunt"

Prologue to the LotR​

["daunt" is the etymologically the same word as "dominate"]

"I think it likely that some [hobbits] would resist the Rings far longer than most of the Wise would believe."

Gandalf, in The Fellowship of the Ring​

Difficult to Kill:

"They were, if it came to it, difficult [...] to kill"

Prologue to the LotR​

Curiously Tough (Tough as Old Tree-Roots; Survive Rough Handling by Grief, Foe, or Weather; Recover Wonderfully from Falls and Bruises):

"ease and peace had left this people still curiously tough. [...] they were, perhaps, so unwearyingly fond of good things not least because they could, when put to it, do without them, and could survive rough handling by grief, foe, or weather in a way that astonished those who did not know them well and looked no further than their bellies and their well-fed faces.

Prologue to the LotR​

"Soft as butter as they can be, and yet sometimes as tough as old tree-roots."

Gandalf, in The Fellowship of the Ring​

"they can [...] recover wonderfully from falls and bruises"​

Chapter 5, The Hobbit​

Free from Ambition:
​

"They are entirely without non-human powers, but are represented as being [...] abnormally, for humans, free from ambition"

Letter #131​

Free from Greed of Wealth:

"They are entirely without non-human powers, but are represented as being [...] abnormally, for humans, free from [...] greed of wealth.

Letter #131​

Elusiveness (The Art of Disappearing Swiftly and Silently; Disappear Quietly and Quickly; Hide Easily):

"There is little or no magic about them, except the ordinary everyday sort which helps them to disappear quietly and quickly when large stupid folk like you and me come blundering along"

Chapter 1, The Hobbit​

"they can [...] hide easily"

Chapter 5, The Hobbit​

"though they are inclined to be fat and do not hurry unnecessarily, they are nonetheless nimble and deft in their movements. They possessed from the first the art of disappearing swiftly and silently, when large folk whom they do not wish to meet come blundering by; and this art they have developed until to Men it may seem magical. But Hobbits have never, in fact, studied magic of any kind, and their elusiveness is due solely to a professional skill that heredity and practice, and a close friendship with the earth, have rendered inimitable by bigger and clumsier races."

Prologue to the LotR​

Move Very Quietly:

"they can move very quietly"

Chapter 5, The Hobbit​

"though they are inclined to be fat and do not hurry unnecessarily, they are nonetheless nimble and deft in their movements."​

Prologue to the LotR​

Doughty at Bay; Amazing and Unexpected Heroism "At a Pinch":

"they were doughty at bay, and at need could still handle arms."

Prologue to the LotR​

"They are made [FONT=TimesNewRoman,Italic][FONT=TimesNewRoman,Italic]small [/FONT][/FONT](little more than half human stature, but dwindling as the years pass) partly to exhibit the pettiness of man, plain

unimaginative parochial man – though not with either the smallness or the savageness of Swift, and mostly to show up, in creatures of very small physical power, the amazing and unexpected heroism of ordinary men 'at a pinch'.​

Letter #131​

Sure at the Mark: (shooting and throwing)

"Bilbo was a pretty fair shot with a stone, and it did not take him long to find a nice smooth egg-shaped one that fitted his hand cosily."
"As a boy he used to practise throwing stones at things, until rabbits and squirrels, and even birds, got out of his way as quick as lightning if they saw him stoop; and even grownup he had still spent a deal of his time at quoits, dart-throwing, shooting at the wand, bowls, ninepins and other quiet games of the aiming and throwing sort"

Chapter 8, The Hobbit​

"They shot well with the bow, for they were keen-eyed and sure at the mark. Not only with bows and arrows. If any Hobbit stooped for a stone, it was well to get quickly under cover, as all trespassing beasts knew very well."

Prologue to the LotR​

Sense of Direction Underground:

"Hobbits are not quite like ordinary people; and after all if their holes are nice cheery places and properly aired, quite different from the tunnels of the goblins, still they are more used to tunnelling than we are, and they do not easily lose their sense of direction underground"

Chapter 5, The Hobbit​

Work Like Bees:

"Hobbits can work like bees when the mood and the need comes on them."

The Return of the King​

Fund of Wisdom and Wise Sayings:

"they have a fund of wisdom and wise sayings that men have mostly never heard or have forgotten long ago."

Chapter 5, The Hobbit​

I wonder: though D&D Halflings have some of these abilities, should any of the "missing" racial abilities be "returned" to the 5e Halfling? Or, are these best relegated to Middle-earth roleplaying?

 

[CM]

Frankly I would like to see a return of the hairfoot, stout, and tallfellow subraces from 1e. Hairfoot being the stereotypical doughty Tolkien hobbit, tallfellow being the typical 4e taller, more athletic shore-dweller, and stouts being the more dwarf-like subterranean type (3e's deep halflings).

I think this would satisfy fans of both hobbits and halflings.

Edit: To respond to your question, I think splitting them up in this manner would make plenty of room to use all of the meaningful abilities you listed, albeit split among the subraces. Many of those could also be made into racial feats, so any subrace could choose them if desired.

 

[Dungeonosophy]

Frankly I would like to see a return of the hairfoot, stout, and tallfellow subraces from 1e. Hairfoot being the stereotypical doughty Tolkien hobbit, tallfellow being the typical 4e taller, more athletic shore-dweller, and stouts being the more dwarf-like subterranean type (3e's deep halflings).

I like your idea. And your reply inspired me to look up the traits of the Middle-earth equivalents:

D&D Hairfoot < Middle-earth Harfoot
D&D Stout < Middle-earth Stoor
D&D Tallfellow < Middle-earth Fallohide

From the Prologue to the LotR:

"Before the crossing of the mountains the Hobbits had already become divided into three somewhat different breeds: Harfoots, Stoors, and Fallohides."

Harfoots:
"The Harfoots were browner of skin, smaller, and shorter, and they were beardless and bootless; their hands and feet were neat and nimble; and they preferred highlands and hillsides."

"The Harfoots had much to do with Dwarves in ancient times, and long lived in the foothills of the mountains. They moved westward early, and roamed over Eriador as far as Weathertop while the others were still in the Wilderland. They were the most normal and representative variety of Hobbit, and far the most numerous. They were the most inclined to settle in one place, and longest preserved their ancestral habit of living in tunnels and holes."

Stoors:
"The Stoors were broader, heavier in build; their feet and hands were larger, and they preferred flat lands and riversides."

"The Stoors lingered long by the banks of the Great River Anduin, and were less shy of Men. They came west after the Harfoots and followed the course of the Loudwater southwards; and there many of them long dwelt between Tharbad and the borders of Dunland before they moved north again."

Fallohides:
"The Fallohides were fairer of skin and also of hair, and they were taller and slimmer than the others; they were lovers of trees and of woodlands."

"The Fallohides, the least numerous, were a northerly branch. They were more friendly with Elves than the other Hobbits were, and had more skill in language and song than in handicrafts; and of old they preferred hunting to tilling. They crossed the mountains north of Rivendell and came down the River Hoarwell. In Eriador they soon mingled with the other kinds that had preceded them, but being somewhat bolder and more adventurous, they were often found as leaders or chieftains among clans of Harfoots or Stoors. Even in Bilbo’s time the strong Fallohidish strain could still be noted among the greater families, such as the Tooks and the Masters of Buckland."

One curious thing that happened in the translation from Tolkien to D&D is that in D&D, the Stouts became the "Dwarf-friends" instead of the Hairfoots. The Middle-earth Stoors are the "Man-friends" and the Middle-earth Harfoots are the "Dwarf-friends".

And understandably, D&D dropped the implication that the three Halfling strains are equivalent to the Real World Angles (Harfoots), Saxons (Northern Stoors), Jutes (Fallohides), and Welsh (Southern Stoors).

 

[CM]

Yes, I think the stoor and fallohide are probably unknown to even 99% of us RPG geeks. When we hear hobbit we assume the hairfoot variety.

Essentially, in D&D terms I always felt that stouts had a little dwarfish blood in them, and tallfellow elvish.

 

[Sunseeker]

I think it's important to note that the #1 racial trait of Hobbits is that they're not adventurers.

 

[CM]

I think it's important to note that the #1 racial trait of Hobbits is that they're not adventurers.

Which makes adventuring hobbits all the more exceptional.

 

[Sunseeker]

Which makes adventuring hobbits all the more exceptional.

While that may be true, they are only exceptional in their desire to adventure. Given their rarity however, I think you're more likey to see a dragonborn than a hobbit. In the LOTR setting, Bilbo, Frodo, Sam, Merry, and Pippin were the only adventuring hobbits EVER, or at least in recorded history. Even Dwarves, given their extremely reculsive nature were rare by Bilbo's time.

If we are going to continue the argument of using LOTR as source material, Dwarves and Hobbits are most certainly "rare" adventurer races.

 

[Dausuul]

In the LOTR setting, Bilbo, Frodo, Sam, Merry, and Pippin were the only adventuring hobbits EVER, or at least in recorded history.

Not at all. The Tooks were known for being adventuresome types. "The Hobbit" makes a point of calling out this fact early on, noting Bilbo's Tookish blood that he got through his mother's side. Bandobras the Bullroarer was probably the most famous Tookish adventurer, but surely not the only one.

[/Tolkiengeek]

The sense I get is that Tolkien halflings are, by and large, not adventurous, but the same is true of every race. Most humans are peasant farmers who don't even know how to hold a sword and whose response to meeting a monster is "run screaming."

 

[seregil]

While that may be true, they are only exceptional in their desire to adventure. Given their rarity however, I think you're more likey to see a dragonborn than a hobbit. In the LOTR setting, Bilbo, Frodo, Sam, Merry, and Pippin were the only adventuring hobbits EVER, or at least in recorded history. Even Dwarves, given their extremely reculsive nature were rare by Bilbo's time.

If we are going to continue the argument of using LOTR as source material, Dwarves and Hobbits are most certainly "rare" adventurer races.

Well, Bilbo et al. were not the only adventuring hobbits ever. Old Took is often alluded to, and there is at least one passage where it is inferred that Took went on some sort of adventure, maybe even with Gandalf.

But I agree, Hobbit adventurers should be are if they are based on Tolkien's work.

Then again, the REASON why Shire hobbits are not adventurous is that they don't need to be. The Shire is protected by the Rangers, who work tirelessly to secure the Shire's borders, unbeknownst to its inhabitants.

What is the Ranger were not there? What if the adventure came to the hobbits?

 

[Serendipity]

Nice bit of research! Though I for one could do with less Tolkien influence on D&D but I'm not naive enough to think that's going to happen. It's easily enough excised from games I run.
Having said that, I always liked the halfling subraces; a heck of a lot more than the 31 flavors of elves and the like. (Which I suppose is ironic given my feelings re: D&D v. Tolkien.)
In any case, put me down as the dissenting vote - I've never played halflings as anything remotely faithful to Middle-Earth and don't see much reason to start now.