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

[Chaosmancer]

To be clear, those "evils" are less "going to the big city and losing their innocence" and more "getting slaughtered by orcs."


I think the Yoda comparison above is a good one. Yoda's species doesn't matter in the grand scheme of the galaxy. Not only do they lack lore, but they don't even have a name.

Yoda himself, however, and a few other members of his species? Super-important.

But, I think you are hitting the nail directly on the head.

Yoda's species doesn't matter. Yoda matters.

But, if I am building a star wars world and I start saying that Yoda's species is one of the four most important species in the galaxy... because Yoda matters... then I'm talking nonsense.

Sure, Sam, Frodo, Merry and Pippin mattered. But that doesn't mean Halflings matter. And if we want halflings to matter... they need to have actual lore.

 

[Chaosmancer]

Still a you problem. You don't like their basic premise, we get that. Other people like them just fine. That I find dwarfs boring and can't generally find use for them doesn't in any way prove that they're somehow objectively boring. In fact I'm pretty sure that if I would try to make dwarfs that are interesting to me, people who normally like dwarfs wouldn't like them anymore.

This is utterly bizarre. I have not seen this desperate attempt to pretend that one's subjective preferences are objectively correct for a long time. Seriously, get a grip!

Maybe if people stopped the ad hominem attacks I'd be more okay with "getting a grip" but you can't defend halflings without constantly attacking people who are saying that they are lacking.

 

[Yora]

Which... not only is that demeaning, but I find it to be a terrible bit of lore. Halflings are just so small and innocent that everyone has to protect them? Meanwhile gnomes are small and innocent and they actually do things that matter and help protect themselves.

There is quite a lot of demeaning and terrible lore in Lord of the Rings. That thing is filled with bad prejudices.

 

[Crimson Longinus]

Maybe if people stopped the ad hominem attacks I'd be more okay with "getting a grip" but you can't defend halflings without constantly attacking people who are saying that they are lacking.

I'm not sure that at this point there is much to discuss. If you truly tried to make them work for you like you said, but couldn't, then it is unlikely that they could be changed to your satisfaction. And some of us like them just fine at they are or at least are able to make a version of them that works for them. It's just that some here understand that these things are ultimately about personal preferences and some do not.

 

[FrozenNorth]

Does anyone who wants halflings to have more/better lore have concrete examples of that? I know everyone has grievances with each other, but that doesn't really address the base issue and what the OP was theoretically originally about.

As you said, since different people have different issues with halflings, no one proposed rewrite is going to get everyone onboard, and most rewrites are going to get pushback from those who like halfling lore as is.

Here are some suggestions:
(1) Small change to lore, big change to mechanics

Halflings are already supposed to be about friendliness and comfort. Add to that the sections from the half-elf write-up about being natural diplomats and travellers. Really emphasize that as a people, they believe in going along to get along.

Switch their +2 Dex to a +2 Cha. Halflings become natural bards, sorcerers and warlocks. One subrace gets the +1 to Dex, the other gets a +1 to Wis (I don’t think Stouthearts are salvageable).

(2) Big change to lore, small change to mechanics

Halflings are the always enslaved race. Consequently, they value freedom very highly. They are very good at avoiding notice, but also very good at picking locks. Explains why they tend towards rogues.

 

[jayoungr]

But, if I am building a star wars world and I start saying that Yoda's species is one of the four most important species in the galaxy... because Yoda matters... then I'm talking nonsense.

I see where you're coming from. But it's important to note that the PHB doesn't say halflings are one of the most important races--quite the opposite, in fact. Instead, it says halflings are one of the races most commonly found among adventuring parties. (I'll be interested to see if they walk that back in a future edition, but the fact that it's in the book doesn't bother me.)

 

[Cadence]

I find myself wanting the untold tale of the 5 rings and the 11 rings. For the former maybe Sauron realized the entire plan would go to &$-# if he actually had to wait for the ents to discuss it, and for the later there's no way the halflings would listen to someone who couldn't understand needing late second tea after the three lunches.

There's no way either race would ever be important anyway.

 

[FrozenNorth]

I think the Yoda comparison above is a good one. Yoda's species doesn't matter in the grand scheme of the galaxy. Not only do they lack lore, but they don't even have a name.

Yoda himself, however, and a few other members of his species? Super-important.

The constraints on a movie character are rather different than the constraints on a player race in an RPG.

Yoda’s race doesn’t matter because he is essentially unique: there doesn’t need to be a write-up for hundreds of players to create characters based on Yoda’s race, nor for GMs to fit in Yoda’s race in either existing settings or their own.

 

[Oofta]

I get it, we're talking about D&D, which at it's core revolves around combat. But it's still kind of sad that the impression is that halflings have terrible lore is because they aren't warlike and aggressive. The fact that they like to live peacefully with others around them and don't feel compelled to rule others is somehow a bad thing. That other species are more important because they craft items designed to kill others, or to make it easier to kill others.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

And tradition. And piety. And worship of ancestors.

I've never heard of dwarves having traditional ancestor worship. I can picture it (and it's a pretty good fit), but they have pretty much a D&D standard spiritual life, focused on their own pantheon.