Small characters

[Vespucci]

I've decided to run an old school module to open my Trailblazer game. I briefly toyed with

Spoiler

Raggi's The Grinding Gear

before settling on

Spoiler

Moldvay's The Lost City (aka B4)

. A common element in these modules is that they stress problems with supply - a game concern that usually falls by the wayside.

So I decided to familiarise myself with starvation and thirst rules in d20. Looking at the SRD (or in the Trailblazer compendium), we find out that:

Characters might find themselves without food or water and with no means to obtain them. In normal climates, Medium characters need at least a gallon of fluids and about a pound of decent food per day to avoid starvation. (Small characters need half as much.)
​

No problem. Let's look at equipment in the SRD (the non-pointy stuff doesn't get mentioned in Trailblazer). One day's trail rations (one pound of food) and waterskins (carrying 4 pounds - I guess half a gallon - of water) both refer to the footnote (1), which says:

These items weigh one-quarter this amount when made for Small characters. Containers for Small characters also carry one-quarter the normal amount.
​

I haven't checked my old 3.0 books, but I think this means that Gnomes and Halflings have been on starvation rations for over a decade...

 

[AdmundfortGeographer]

No wonder halflings as homebodies was such a common theme. It was a Darwinian outcome! Traveling would involve bringing (relative) vaults of potable water on a road trip, so just stay home where your local pub kept you satisfied.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

Your adventure choices are invisible in the default theme on this board, OP.

 

[Vespucci]

Your adventure choices are invisible in the default theme on this board, OP.

That's what should happen when I use the "Spoiler" tag!

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

That's what should happen when I use the "Spoiler" tag!

 

[Vespucci]

Whizbang, if you really need to see the names of the modules, just highlight the text. The Spoiler tag exists in order to stop people (in this case, folks in my play group) from accidentally reading things. (The spoiler block would be a bit excessive considering the amount of information involved.) Admittedly, if my players were to see those module names, they'd still need to struggle to remember the older one, and probably haven't heard of the newer one.