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

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Nothing wrong with cuteness. But griefing kleptomaniac is not cute. Kender have a bad reputation because of griefing other players, not cuteness.
Truth. Kender blow because they encourage players to behave like dicks. Indeed, they almost mandate that behaviour (it also unfortunately matches up with some racist anthropology popular in the 1970s and 1980s).
Saying "all halflings are like this" is no different to saying "all Scotsmen are belligerent ginger drunkards*". Do you not see that?
I mean it's pretty different in that one of them is a stereotype about a fictional species in Dungeons and Dragons and the other is a nasty bit of bigotry which damages people IRL (I can joke about this because I am a Scot :p Well my Dad is and I regard myself as one). I'm pretty sure Scotsmen aren't fictional. I mean, like 95% percent because it would really make my entire childhood a lie.
 

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Truth. Kender blow because they encourage players to behave like dicks. Indeed, they almost mandate that behaviour (it also unfortunately matches up with some racist anthropology popular in the 1970s and 1980s).
Kender without kleptomania is fine template for halflings though. Somewhat naïve, inquisitive and brave. Makes good adventurers. I said this before but everyone overlooked it: one issue with D&D halflings is the competing influences of kender and hobbits, as those are many ways complete opposites of each other.
 
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Aldarc

Legend
Kender without kleptomania is fine template for halflings though. Somewhat naïve, inquisitive and brave. Makes good adventurers. I said this before but everyone overlooked it: one issue with D&D halflings is the competing influences of kender and hobbits, as those are may ways complete opposites of each other.
I find it a bit of a shame that such a great name for halflings (i.e., kender) is so closely associated with a wang-rod implementation.
 


Creatures that are so far removed to humans that they don't even have human-like faces is something a lot of people can't intuitively relate to terribly well and as a result do not want to play them. Though of course there is a significant portion of people to whom this is not a problem.
I've never had this problem.

Then again, my favourite Mass Effect crew memebers are Garrus (doesn't have a human-like face), Tali (wears a face-concraling mask for the entirety of the series), and Wrex (doesn't have a human-like body structure, let alone face), dunno if that has any significant import.
 


No it doesn't. That's nonsense. Halflings being in the PHB means excluding another race. Another race which would likely be more popular. As noted, I fully expect them to be there, to avoid "rocking the boat" too much with lineages already providing a lot of boat-rocking, but really, they're on the outs.
Halflings are not denying you any other species anymore than Wildemont being published "denied" people Dark Sun. 5E not only retained 4E's new core races, it also restored the two dropped from 4E (half-orcs and gnomes). Part of being, you know, inclusive of varying playstyles.
 

Minigiant

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One thing I pondered with halflings is replacing the Lucky and Brave Trait with 2 luck points and letting halfling have more options to spend them.

The idea is that Hallfings are brave because they know they are lucky. Lightfoots are acrobatic because they spent luck points in the past while training. Imagine how acrobatic you'd be if you rarely hurt yourself doing childhood stunts.

Halflings would have a culture based around luck. They'd be adventurous as they know they are protected from accidental tragedy. However they have a culture of not taking constant risk as they know luck runs out. They would get involved more in the world. But halflings would be known for slamming on the brakes and going home after doing a few crazy things.

Halfling Luck
You have 2 luck points. Whenever you make an attack roll, ability check, or saving throw, you may spend 1 luck point to roll an additional d20. You can use this ability after the original roll, but before the outcome is revealed. You choose which of the d20s is used for the attack roll, ability check, or saving throw.
You can also spend one luck point when an attack roll is made against you. Roll a d20, and choose whether the attacker's roll uses their d20 roll or yours.
If multiple creatures use a luck point on the same roll, they cancel out, resulting in no additional dice.
You regain expended luck points when you finish a long rest.

Halfling Bravery
If you have at least 2 unspent luck points, you have advantage on saving throws against being frightened.

Stout Resiliency
If you have at least 1 unspent luck point, you have advantage on saving throws against poison, and you have resistance against poison damage.

If you have at least 2 unspent luck points, you have resistance against necrotic damage.
 

Aldarc

Legend
Halflings are not denying you any other species anymore than Wildemont being published "denied" people Dark Sun. 5E not only retained 4E's new core races, it also restored the two dropped from 4E (half-orcs and gnomes). Part of being, you know, inclusive of varying playstyles.
Rubbish. 4E didn't "drop" the half-orcs and gnomes. WotC included them in PHB 2, which was also where they published the Barbarian, Bard, Druid, and Sorcerer classes (among others).* PHB 2 and 3 were regarded just as core as PHB 1 in 4E. The idea that WotC dropped the gnome and half-orc is flat-out wrong.

* It's noticeable, for example, that people don't talk of WotC "dropping" these classes despite also being published in PHB 2.
 

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