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

[Oofta]

Having them being known for negotiating peace between different parties and traveling as bards collecting doesn't change them any more than making them the Post Office.

First, I never said they were the post office. That's something you're adding in. Sometimes they deliver packages and messages if it happens to be where they're going next. Second, we really have a different opinion of what it takes to be a diplomat. A diplomat is not just a go-between messenger, that's what runners are for. A diplomat has to work with differing factions, broker deals, convince others to make compromises. Furthermore it makes them very public and driven. That's not halflings.

 

[Chaosmancer]

Yes it does. It gives them an agenda. I would also like halflings out in the world more, and I like them positively affecting communities.

But being mobile peacemakers feels a little too active to me.

Yes the agenda of... making peace and helping ensure people get along. You know, it could be the same level of agenda of seeing two of your neighbors fighting and talking to them about what is wrong and how to resolve it.

That is something I'd expect a race of kind, generous, helpful people to do.

 

[Yaarel]

Elves in DnD just can't be that level of magical. The Faerie? They can do that. But Elves are mortals. They may want people to believe that about them, but a wood elf has no natural magic, they can't do the things you are talking about unless they are getting trained in both arcane and druidic magic and have special elf magic that no one else has. Which is possible, but it isn't how the elves are presented.

Elves are magical, I will grant that, but they don't have this super prescence you are presenting.

The Wood Elves are Druids and Rangers, mages and gishes: "a magic people". "Holding high a gnarled staff wreathed with holly, a [wood] elf summons the fury of the storm and calls down lightning to smite [those] who threaten her forest."

These "mortals" spend their centuries personally mastering magic.

Elves have magic rituals that are mainly unique to elves, such as High culture, for shaping treehouse towns from living wood.

In my campaign, the Faerie are exclusively fullcasters without gishes. In 4e, part of my flavor for the Feywild is, the martial power source doesnt exist. The martial power source is strictly a Material Plane source. The Fey magical power source is especially psionic, arcane, and primal, but not necromancy which is a Shadowfell thing.

Nevertheless, the Players Handbook makes clear the Elf are magical, including Fey ancestry for every Elf, High cantrip and Uda innate spells.

A "nonmagical elf" is an oxymoron, and would simply be a human.

 

[Chaosmancer]

First, I never said they were the post office. That's something you're adding in. Sometimes they deliver packages and messages if it happens to be where they're going next. Second, we really have a different opinion of what it takes to be a diplomat. A diplomat is not just a go-between messenger, that's what runners are for. A diplomat has to work with differing factions, broker deals, convince others to make compromises. Furthermore it makes them very public and driven. That's not halflings.

Driven too..... make peace? To settle differences between people? How is it not halflings to try and get two people to get along?

 

[Yaarel]

The problem I have with this.... is that this is what EVERYONE should be doing. Dwarves and humans and everyone else should be using seers and divination in war and politics. Fullcaster military units, ect.

I can accept elves are more magical than the norm, but when you lay "and they should use magic in statescraft" that is something that everyone should be doing.

The elf ... CULTURE ... is way more magical than other cultures. The elves value their Fey magic heritage.

(One of the reasons for materializing may well be in pursuit of new kinds of magic.)

The Elf should be using magic in statecraft. No kidding. That is what the Elf Bard is.

 

[Chaosmancer]

The Wood Elves are Druids and Rangers, mages and gishes: "a magic people". "Holding high a gnarled staff wreathed with holly, a [wood] elf summons the fury of the storm and calls down lightning to smite [those] who threaten her forest."

These "mortals" spend their centuries personally mastering magic.

Elves have magic rituals that are mainly unique to elves, such as High culture, for shaping treehouse towns from living wood.

In my campaign, the Faerie are exclusively fullcasters without gishes. In 4e, part of my flavor for the Feywild is, the martial power source doesnt exist. The martial power source is strictly a Material Plane source. The Fey magical power source is especially psionic, arcane, and primal, but not necromancy which is a Shadowfell thing.

Nevertheless, the Players Handbook makes clear the Elf are magical, including Fey ancestry for every Elf, High cantrip and Uda innate spells.

A "nonmagical elf" is an oxymoron, and would simply be a human.

Or maybe they spend their centuries mastering painting, or music, or statuary.

I don't think Dnd elves (canonically) focus so much on magic

 

[Chaosmancer]

The elf ... CULTURE ... is way more magical than other cultures.

The Elf should be using magic in statecraft. No kidding. That is what the Elf Bard is.

Yes, they should.

And therefore so should everyone else. If the elves are using charm magic and divination in negotiations with humans and dwarves, humans and dwarves need counter-measures.

 

[Yaarel]

A hunter or beast master could each fit that bill.

Is the Hunter or Beast Master bucolic enough for Halfling flavor?

 

[Yaarel]

Or maybe they spend their centuries mastering painting, or music, or statuary.

I don't think Dnd elves (canonically) focus so much on magic

The Bard music of the Elves is magical. Their art is magical. Their structures are magical.

 

[Yaarel]

Yes, they should.

And therefore so should everyone else. If the elves are using charm magic and divination in negotiations with humans and dwarves, humans and dwarves need counter-measures.

Different communities adapt differently.

The Human martial power source is as effective as the Elf magical power sources.

It is a matter of flavor.