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

[doctorbadwolf]

dragoons who ride mounted but fight dismounted (and again the reduced weight means they might be actively better).

With war dogs like mastiffs…terrifying. Shooting while charging only to leap off (good dex+no nat 1s make this less insane) to join the fray alongside their war dogs. Very cool.

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

FWIW, one of my more successful oddball builds was a high-dex, highly mobile character who used a lot of throwing weapons. A monk, rogue or ranger with a fully loaded Quiver of Ehlonna is a major pest.

And eventually, when that character gets interesting magic weapons…

 

[Levistus's_Leviathan]

Worgs are for Goblins in D&D, not orcs. Orcs would just use stolen horses and breed them.

No! Orcs ride Aurochs! Maybe Rhinos for a nomadic orc culture.

Are clockwork or Artifice contraptions for gnomes too advanced for "base D&D"?

Not for most worlds, IMO. Certainly not for Eberron, Wildemount, and Gnomes from Lantan. I have Forest Gnomes ride Giant Badgers and Giant Weasels, and Deep Gnomes ride Cave Badgers or just ride in carts pulled by Earth Elementals (if they're lucky).

 

[Levistus's_Leviathan]

Sorry, canid PC races. Unless you meant what canid races they have in Mystara, in which case the lupin (wolfies, of course) and the hutaakans (jackal-people).

Yeah, I just use Shifters for this, but I could see a Lupin/Canid race being added to the game. We currently have 2 cat-races in the game (Leonin and Tabaxi), but no Dog-race. I wouldn't play one, because I'm still disturbed by the idea of a dog-human hybrid (but not most other human-animal hybrids, for some inexplicable reason), but would like them being an option for those that do want to play them.

 

[Yaarel]

FWIW, one of my more successful oddball builds was a high-dex, highly mobile character who used a lot of throwing weapons. A monk, rogue or ranger with a fully loaded Quiver of Ehlonna is a major pest.

And eventually, we that character gets interesting magic weapons…

Even tho ability scores are no longer a thing for a race, I feel it is useful to associate classes to help inform the culture.

For the Halfling, maybe intentionally focus on tropes in England.

Monk - a Friar Tuck concept? (If I recall correctly, his monastic order makes delicious alcohol?)

Ranger - a farmer or shepherd or beekeeper using nature magic.

Rogue - a goodnatured, wellmeaning thief, being part of a deadly but happy family mafia.



I tend to think of police detectives as the Rogue class. The Halfling could be part of a Human citys security force, tracking down criminals.

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

Even tho ability scores are no longer a thing for a race, I feel it is useful to associate classes to help inform the culture.

For the Halfling, maybe intentionally focus on tropes in England.

Monk - a Friar Tuck concept? (If I recall correctly, his monastic order makes delicious alcohol?)

Ranger - a farmer or shepherd or beekeeper using nature magic.

Rogue - a goodnatured, wellmeaning thief, being part of a deadly but happy family mafia.



I tend to think of police detectives as the Rogue class. The Halfling could be part of a Human citys security force, tracking down criminals.

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

I’d assume they’d fire only when in smooth flight- like when gliding or soaring- to maximize accuracy. Or they’d master the art of firing between wingbeats.

Speaking of goats…why not goat-drawn battle carts? Worked for Thor, right?

…OTOH, if they had giant DRAGONFLIES to ride into battle…

dart
hover & fire
dart
full move
dart
dart
hover & fire

Etc.

 

[Casimir Liber]

…OTOH, if they had giant DRAGONFLIES to ride into battle…

dart
hover & fire
dart
full move
dart
dart
hover & fire

Etc.

Yeah but dragonflies aren't as cute as giant furry bees.....more in keeping with cutesy farmy hobbit image (y'know...fly like a butterfly...sting like a bee)

 

[Mind of tempest]

Yeah but dragonflies aren't as cute as giant furry bees.....more in keeping with cutesy farmy hobbit image (y'know...fly like a butterfly...sting like a bee)

it is float like a butterfly.
bees would be terrible in war thus you would more likely go for something which ranges more widely or hunts.
the dragon born army mentioned above would be terrifying as drakes would try to eat people and the foot soldiers can vomit goats of acid, cold, fire or lightning at people, for other I would suggest a caster of some sort as they strike me as loving magic far more the dwarves may be a different type of paladin or the legendary arcane half caster?

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

Yeah but dragonflies aren't as cute as giant furry bees.....more in keeping with cutesy farmy hobbit image (y'know...fly like a butterfly...sting like a bee)

I can’t argue the cuteness of bees.

But dragonflies have their own charms as well.