Reimagining the Hobbit

[WayneLigon]

So if you wanted to replace the 3.5 halfling with a modernized hobbit, how would you do it? What would you change and what would remain the same? Would you use the D&D PHB stats, or would you come up with something new?

Huh? The 3.5 halfling is the modernized hobbit. Making them 'more hobbit-like' involves some flavor text changes and nothing more.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

Huh? The 3.5 halfling is the modernized hobbit. Making them 'more hobbit-like' involves some flavor text changes and nothing more.

If you blocked out the name of the 3E halfling and asked someone to identify what race it represented before the 3E PHB was released, most of them would have no idea.

They are most definitely not modernized hobbits. They're something else.

 

[Herobizkit]

I think a -4 STR is a bit extreme ... -2 I could see. I do like the bonus to Wisdom, but I think they should have a Con bonus as well, it would explain how they stomach the food

I don't see how it's extreme. Halflings are "supposed" to be *weak*. Plus, isn't there supposed to be a balance between negative and positive modifiers in order to avoid a level adjustment?

 

[Plane Sailing]

What are hobbits? My campaign has Gelflings.

Do the girls have wings?

 

[el-remmen]

Halflings in my setting:

• Halfling base speed is 20 feet (4 boxes).
• Small: All sub-races of halfling are of Small size. They gain a +1 size bonus to Armor Class and attack rolls. They also gain a +4 size bonus to all Hide checks. However, they only have three-quarters the carrying and lifting capacities of Medium-sized characters, and must use smaller weapons.
• All halflings gain a +2 racial bonus to Hide checks
• All halflings gain a +2 racial bonus to Move Silently checks.
• All halflings have a +2 racial bonus to all saving throws against poison.
• All halflings have a +2 racial bonus to all saving throws against spells and spell-like effects.
• Halflings are non-magical nature making them ill-suited for arcane spell-casting classes. They are simply unable to cast arcane spells.
• Halflings do not have a commonly used spoken language, but begin with two free ranks in the common tongue.
• Favored Class: Rogue
• Allowed Classes: Barbarian, Fighter, Paladin, Priest, Psionicist, Ranger, Rogue.
• Starting Age: 22 + 2d6 years.
• Height: 2’ 8" + 2d4 inches (average 3’ 1") Note: For Tallfellows is should be 3’ 1" + 2d6 inches.
• Weight: 30 lbs. + (the 2d4 or 2d6 for height * 1d3) (average: 42 lbs).
  
  Halflings have additional traits depending on their sub-race:
  Harfoot:
• +2 Dexterity, -2 Strength. Harfoots are agile, but small and weak.
• Harfoot halflings gain a +1 racial bonus to hit with thrown weapons and slings.
  
  Tallfellow:
• +2 Dexterity, -2 Strength. Tallfellow are agile, but lithe and weak.
• Tallfellow halflings gain a +1 racial bonus to Listen, Search and Spot skill checks.
  
  Stout:
• +2 Constitution, -2 Strength. Stouts are legendarily rugged, but still do not have physical power.
• Stout Halflings have Low-Light Vision. They can see twice as far as humans in moonlight, torchlight, starlight and similar conditions of poor visibility.

Aquerra's Halflings Cultural Info

 

[Slife]

Of course, IIRC, in LotR Hobbits were just a human subrace.

 

[Squire James]

In my campaign, characters are created by setting the six stats so the stat bonuses added up to +10, then add +1 to three scores to make them odd. Characters can generally get a lot of mileage out of adding their level-based stat bonuses to the odd stats, or they can run up a single score and leave the others alone. Racial mods were really just mods to the maximum initial score for that ability. So a -4 to Str would limit that score to 14, but that 14 is as easy to achieve as it would be for a human. IMO this makes -4 adjustements viable.

Along those lines, my "hobbit" race would look something like this:

Ability Modifiers: -4 Str, +2 Dex, +2 Wis. Hobbits are very weak physically, but are nimble and a lot wiser than they look.

Good Luck: Hobbits gain a +1 luck bonus to all saving throws.

Finesse: Hobbits gain a +1 competence bonus to attack rolls when using thrown weapons, missile weapons, or any weapon that qualifies for use with Weapon Finesse. The latter bonus applies even if the hobbit does not possess the Weapon Finesse feat.

Dodge Big Folk: Hobbits gain a +2 Dodge bonus to AC for each attacker size category beyond Small. This bonus does not apply when the hobbit is flat-footed.

Small Size: Base Speed is 20, +1 to AC and attack rolls, and +4 size bonus to Hide. Small weapons tend to deal less damage than their Medium counterparts.

Notes: It is my belief that Bilbo and Frodo, and to some extent Gollum, were exceptional hobbits who took the Iron Will feat and put points into stealth-related skills. The legendary hobbit ability to "disappear" was probably due to observed accounts of Bilbo doing just that when Sackville-Bagginses drew near. As we all know, he had some help in that category...

 

[Slife]

Notes: It is my belief that Bilbo and Frodo, and to some extent Gollum, were exceptional hobbits who took the Iron Will feat and put points into stealth-related skills. The legendary hobbit ability to "disappear" was probably due to observed accounts of Bilbo doing just that when Sackville-Bagginses drew near. As we all know, he had some help in that category...

That sort of assumes an unreliable narrator at the beginning of "The Hobbit" when it isn't justified.

 

[EditorBFG]

Never argue against AD&D with DD, it's a fruitless endeavor.

Well, I don't intend to get into "Edition Wars" with anybody, but I will state that I do not believe any edition of D&D has accurately simulated Tolkien's hobbits.

 

[mmu1]

Notes: It is my belief that Bilbo and Frodo, and to some extent Gollum, were exceptional hobbits who took the Iron Will feat and put points into stealth-related skills. The legendary hobbit ability to "disappear" was probably due to observed accounts of Bilbo doing just that when Sackville-Bagginses drew near. As we all know, he had some help in that category...

Ahem. As I posted earlier:

"They possessed from the first the art of disappearing swiftly and silently, when large folk whom they do not wish to meet come blundering by; and this art they developed until to Men it may seem magical. But Hobbits have never, in fact, studied magic of any kind, and their elusiveness is due solely to a professional skill that heredity and practice, and a close friendship with the earth, have rendered inimitable by bigger and clumsier races." (LotR, Prologue, "Concerning Hobbits")

Your belief is wrong, unless we're willing to assume that Tolkien, in his role as the narrator, intentionally chose to open his book with a bit of complete misinformation. Moreover, the prologue actually deals with both Hobbits in general and Bilbo specifically, and there's never any confusion as to which the narrator is talking about.