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

[Mind of tempest]

deleted.

 

[Bardic Dave]

then why have any realism at all why not have no gravity or need for food or literally any grounding at all and just make everything an LSD trip?

Come on, just because we can all generally agree that including an earth-like gravity as the default is a good idea, it doesn’t logically follow that we should all accept that the in-fiction justification for halflings being how they are is insufficient/“not realistic”, or even that the inclusion of such a justification is necessary or particularly important. That’s bananas.

 

[Mind of tempest]

Come on, just because we can all generally agree that including an earth-like gravity as the default is a good idea, it doesn’t logically follow that we should all accept that the in-fiction justification for halflings being how they are is insufficient/“not realistic”, or even that the inclusion of such a justification is necessary or particularly important. That’s bananas.

okay but then that changes little as your argument is to have them because we have always had them, which is just an appeal to tradition.

 

[Bardic Dave]

okay but then that changes little as your argument is to have them because we have always had them, which is just an appeal to tradition.

I’m not sure where anyone has made that argument??? My “argument” is as follows:

1. I like halflings the way they are for reasons that I’ve articulated in previous posts
2. it’s unnecessary for me to convince you of the “validity” of my preference
3. Many of the things you see as defects I see as strengths
4. Many of the things you think are important for a “good” fantasy race, I view as unimportant
5. The idea that somebody can have a “correct” opinion on this matter is absurd
6. There’s enough inertia behind halfings as they currently exist that I doubt we’ll see the sort of reimagining some are hoping for. We definitely won’t see their removal to appease a tiny minority of people who have a problem.
7. I’m glad that halflings will likely continue to be presented in the manner they are currently being presented.

EDIT: however, in this instance an appeal to tradition isn’t an inherently bad argument, given that this is a conversation about subjective preferences. People are allowed to like things because they’re familiar. This isn’t an argument about whether halflings are “problematic” in any real sense, no matter how much certain people try to frame it as such.

 

[Cadence]

okay but then that changes little as your argument is to have them because we have always had them, which is just an appeal to tradition.

You've heard of this game D&D before right?

(But seriously, how much of it's popularity is keeping a lot of tradition as it slowly evolves?).

 

[Mind of tempest]

You've heard of this game D&D before right?

(But seriously, how much of it's popularity is keeping a lot of tradition as it slowly evolves?).

that does not logically follow on from you point.

 

[Bardic Dave]

that does not logically follow on from you point.

What makes you think there needs to be a “logic” to justify a preference regarding halflings? Do you make your friends justify their ice cream preferences?

 

[Cadence]

What makes you think there needs to be a “logic” to justify a preference regarding halflings? Do you make your friends justify their ice cream preferences?

The correct answer is Spumoni.

 

[Mind of tempest]

What makes you think there needs to be a “logic” to justify a preference regarding halflings? Do you make your friends justify their ice cream preferences?

are subjective opinions being incapable of being wrong? lots of preferences can be bad thus it being peoples preference does not mean it should be a thing. an opinion can literally be wrong this is the crux of both sides arguments.

 

[Bardic Dave]

are subjective opinions being incapable of being wrong? lots of preferences can be bad thus it being peoples preference does not mean it should be a thing. an opinion can literally be wrong this is the crux of both sides arguments.

A preference for something that causes others harm is probably wrong. A preference for something as benign as a fictional trope cannot reasonably be construed as wrong in any meaningful sense (unless it’s racist, sexist, etc. i.e. causes harm).

In what meaningful sense is liking halflings “wrong”?

EDIT: it’s not that you’re wrong for disliking halflings. You’re wrong for insisting that other people should dislike halflings.