D&D General My Problem(s) With Halflings, and How To Create Engaging/Interesting Fantasy Races

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

No, Urbanus was also from Races of Destiny.

The dumb brick god can't even show up in the right splatbook!

 

[Mind of tempest]

All this talk about halflings when the real problem race is elves.

We're told that they're lithe and fair and don't need to sleep; that they're great casters and warriors and have had vast kingdoms etc.

Buy try and picture an elf working on something (besides drawing a bow). Try to imagine a sweaty tired elf, coming home from their day job cleaning out the stables of the elven cavalry. Picture an elf actually in a forge, hammering away with those skinny arms.

I contend that it is impossible. They are an absurdity and an offense.

Such a race with a focus on beauty cannot exist in any setting where hard work is required to get things done. Such traits do not fit in D&D. It'd be OK(and appropriate)if they were moved to the monster manual for the players that actually enjoy such a silly race, but us serious D&D players deserve something better.

(Only half kidding)

you assume elves sweat, they are far more likely to do temperature exchange by a sub subconscious magical process.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

Speaking of the 3E splatbooks, each of them added at least one new race to the proceedings. Dragonborn, with some changes, are now a core race. Goliaths are definitely second tier, but they've stuck around. Does anyone pine for the raptorians (a terrible name for the Winged Folk of 1E), spellscales or illumians?

 

[Gammadoodler]

you assume elves sweat, they are far more likely to do temperature exchange by a sub subconscious magical process.

This sounds like something a monster would do, not a serious PC race for serious D&D players.

 

[Mind of tempest]

This sounds like something a monster would do, not a serious PC race for serious D&D players.

ah but it plays into their betterness and dreaminess so it works perfectly and elf lovers would snap it up.

 

[Gammadoodler]

ah but it plays into their betterness and dreaminess so it works perfectly and elf lovers would snap it up.

No true D&D player loves elves. These imposters should be scoured from the ranks lest they infect their betters with their self indulgence and narcissism.

 

[lingual]

Even Hussar who is going way farther than me is only wanting to move them out of the first wave of PHB races for the next edition. He's expicitly said he believes putting them in the monster manual keeps them playable for everyone else.

So, no one I've seen is trying to ban them from the game.

And, to turn this around, why are you against rewriting them with stronger lore and a better place in the game world? What is wrong with improving halflings by say, making them the diplomats of the world who travel on river boats and caravans, faciliating trade and acting as the glue that stitches the civilized world together. And maybe giving their gods some actual lore and giving them an origin beyond "they were found".

What is wrong with that? What makes that a bad thing that will ruin halflings for you>

I'm not against anything. There's really not much lore in the players handbook anyways. If someone wants to add lore or make them cannibals, go for it!

I think it's a bit nitpicky to complain about a race being in a core book and at the same time agreeing that they should be in a subsequent book. Like who cares?

 

[Mind of tempest]

I'm not against anything. There's really not much lore in the players handbook anyways. If someone wants to add lore or make them cannibals, go for it!

I think it's a bit nitpicky to complain about a race being in a core book and at the same time agreeing that they should be in a subsequent book. Like who cares?

I and several others, is that not obvious? as people care about what should be the ground level assumptions of the game.

 

[Micah Sweet]

Yeah, no thanks. And the fact that it is a single niche deity from a book, and clearly meant to be the bad guy and likely a false god or devil leading humanity astray? Poor fit for being an actual human diety.

I actually think it would be an interesting idea to have Zarus be the human creator God, and that his teachings need to be ignored or actively fought against to be a good person. Kinda like Gruumsh and the orcs.

 

[Mind of tempest]

I actually think it would be an interesting idea to have Zarus be the human creator God, and that his teachings need to be ignored or actively fought against to be a good person. Kinda like Gruumsh and the orcs.

I think it would be in poor taste as I already do not think highly of humanity but making them descended from evil just seems both dull and somehow overdone not that I can place where I heard it.