Small Characters and Weapons

[ve4grm]

To some people, that halflings make poor fighters is a feature rather than a bug.

And to some people Dwarves not being able to cast arcane spells was a feature in 2e, rather than a bug.

Does that mean that because a percentage of the audience opts for less choice, we should limit that choice? They can always choose to not play that option.

 

[mellack]

Can you skip all of this by making a slightly tall halfling and making them size medium? There is only 1" difference between an average-tall halfling and an average-small dwarf. on the flip side, a smallish or younger dwarf will be size small?

 

[ve4grm]

Can you skip all of this by making a slightly tall halfling and making them size medium? There is only 1" difference between an average-tall halfling and an average-small dwarf. on the flip side, a smallish or younger dwarf will be size small?

Yes, but the issue is not with halflings.

It's with every small race besides halflings.

Gnomes, for instance, are 3'4"-3'8", as opposed to halflings' 3'10"-4'2".

It's not a problem with any particular race.

 

[Center-of-All]

Name one other race that actively gets a penalty to 4 classes.

Dwarf. 5 speed is a significant penalty for Rogues, Rangers, Warlocks, Wizards, Swordmagi, and some Warlords and Fighters. Honestly, I'd argue that the 5 speed is more damning to the first four than the scimitar shoehorning that halfling paladins, rangers, fighters, and warlords have to deal with, considering how important mobility is in 4E. I'd also argue that they have the second and third best racial abilities in the PHB, which more than make up their inconveniences.

 

[ve4grm]

Dwarf. 5 speed is a significant penalty for Rogues, Rangers, Warlocks, Wizards, Swordmagi, and some Warlords and Fighters. Honestly, I'd argue that the 5 speed is more damning to the first four than the scimitar shoehorning that halfling paladins, rangers, fighters, and warlords have to deal with, considering how important mobility is in 4E. I'd also argue that they have the second and third best racial abilities in the PHB, which more than make up their inconveniences.

True about Dwarves. Not so much for Wizards, but the three strikers for sure (though Warlocks do a lot of teleporting). Good point.

As for the "second and third best racial abilities", however, I'm not really concerned about halflings.

It's every other small race that is concerning me.

If I make a new small race, do I need to give them super-awesome abilities to make up for this? Do I need to overbalance them, as some are suggesting is the case with the halfling?

I would hope not, because then when they are not affected by this disadvantage, they automatically become the default choice.

I would like it if the "small" descriptor was balanced within itself.

 

[DevoutlyApathetic]

True about Dwarves. Not so much for Wizards, but the three strikers for sure (though Warlocks do a lot of teleporting). Good point.

As for the "second and third best racial abilities", however, I'm not really concerned about halflings.

It's every other small race that is concerning me.

If I make a new small race, do I need to give them super-awesome abilities to make up for this? Do I need to overbalance them, as some are suggesting is the case with the halfling?

I would hope not, because then when they are not affected by this disadvantage, they automatically become the default choice.

I would like it if the "small" descriptor was balanced within itself.

I think the biggest issue with this for me is that if you do give them super awesome abilities if those abilities are not focused firmly on melee you'll make the small race in question much better at their focus than they should be.

 

[ve4grm]

I think the biggest issue with this for me is that if you do give them super awesome abilities if those abilities are not focused firmly on melee you'll make the small race in question much better at their focus than they should be.

Yeah, that's what I'm seeing, too. The halfling's abilities, for instance, are geared towards the rogue/striker role (though useful still for all). If they were better than other races in compensation, they would be too powerful. From what I've seen, they are not too powerful, so this can't be the case.

Or am I missing something?