ccs
41st lv DM
As the player of a good many 1/2ling characters over the decades, I disagree with you.
(my very 1st character was a 1/2ling - specifically inspired by Bilbo)
Yes, Halflings exist in D&D because of the massive influence that Tolkiens' works had on the formation of the game. That is a fact. But so do a great many other things.
So why do I disagree with you that there's no niche for Halflings? Because we look at the game completely differently.
You seem to need everything justified by the company to fit their settings/worlds, or to fill some mechanical or theory design space. That WoTC (& TSR before them) hasn't done much with them, or much that interests you, causes you to dismiss them. And worse - equate them to goblins & kobolds.
ME? I see another tool with wich to build stories, worlds, adventures, characters, etc. It doesn't matter to me how much, or little, the company has built on to something. I'll keep anything I like & re-write/create anything else I need. My games? Have a rich (enough) 1/2ling culture developed over years & years play. I've added stuff as the DM. Players have added stuff over the years. I've added stuff by playing halflings in others games, revealing tidbits that those DMs have accepted & then written back it into my own campaigns. And I've kept stuff from Tolkien/TSE/WoTC.
So I would argue that the relatively under developed 1/2lings niche in the game is as a tool for people like me.
So there's no need for you to worry about what the 1/2lings niche is in the game, just in yours.
Go forth & create something interesting for Halflings in your own games.
(my very 1st character was a 1/2ling - specifically inspired by Bilbo)
Yes, Halflings exist in D&D because of the massive influence that Tolkiens' works had on the formation of the game. That is a fact. But so do a great many other things.
So why do I disagree with you that there's no niche for Halflings? Because we look at the game completely differently.
You seem to need everything justified by the company to fit their settings/worlds, or to fill some mechanical or theory design space. That WoTC (& TSR before them) hasn't done much with them, or much that interests you, causes you to dismiss them. And worse - equate them to goblins & kobolds.
ME? I see another tool with wich to build stories, worlds, adventures, characters, etc. It doesn't matter to me how much, or little, the company has built on to something. I'll keep anything I like & re-write/create anything else I need. My games? Have a rich (enough) 1/2ling culture developed over years & years play. I've added stuff as the DM. Players have added stuff over the years. I've added stuff by playing halflings in others games, revealing tidbits that those DMs have accepted & then written back it into my own campaigns. And I've kept stuff from Tolkien/TSE/WoTC.
So I would argue that the relatively under developed 1/2lings niche in the game is as a tool for people like me.
So there's no need for you to worry about what the 1/2lings niche is in the game, just in yours.
Go forth & create something interesting for Halflings in your own games.