So, about those halflings...

[GAAAHHH]

In my campaign I treat Halflings in a way that's a take-off on Tolkien. Where Tolkien meant hobbits as a sort of ode to English country folk, I make Halfling culture into a parody of American country (redneck) folk. My halflings eat too much pork fat, make moonshine, steal from outsiders, and are noted for that lack of "book learnin''. Their religion centers around charismatic preachers, and features speaking in tongues, faith healing, and lots of singing. They wear mullets, and often work as carnies.

You can have halflings be country folk, without making their lives bucolic.

That's cool too.

 

[Celebrim]

In my campaign I treat Halflings in a way that's a take-off on Tolkien. Where Tolkien meant hobbits as a sort of ode to English country folk, I make Halfling culture into a parody of American country (redneck) folk.

The redneck sterotype actually predates America. It is the English ode to Scot-Irish country folk, many of whom ended up settling in the American south.

There are hints of this negative sterotype of rural life in the Lord of the Rings as well, and it should be noted that the primary Hobbit characters in the book belong to what would be the English aristocratic class. It is the English squire that is really being romanticized, not (for the most part) the tenents that are on thier farms.

Many of the humans in Bree (Bill Ferny for instance) are presented according to the redneck sterotype, as are some of the Hobbits which have 'gone bad'.

 

[Angel Tarragon]

They wear mullets, and often work as carnies.

Blimey, I thought I smelled cabbage.

 

[Clavis]

Blimey, I thought I smelled cabbage.

Small hands...

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

Most humans aren't adventurers, but many are, and they don't have a racial culture defined by not wanting to do things like that.

Where do you live that you would assert that? Hobbit culture is human culture.

 

[Wormwood]

Hobbit culture is human culture.

Which is my primary problem with Hobbits.

 

[The Human Target]

In my campaign I treat Halflings in a way that's a take-off on Tolkien. Where Tolkien meant hobbits as a sort of ode to English country folk, I make Halfling culture into a parody of American country (redneck) folk. My halflings eat too much pork fat, make moonshine, steal from outsiders, and are noted for that lack of "book learnin''. Their religion centers around charismatic preachers, and features speaking in tongues, faith healing, and lots of singing. They wear mullets, and often work as carnies.

You can have halflings be country folk, without making their lives bucolic.

Thats just very fun.

I may thief that, tone it down a wee bit, and use it in my next fantasy game.

 

[RFisher]

I think I'd rather they be flavorless or removed.

 

[swirler]

hobbit-ish halflings always seemed like a thinly veiled ripoff IMO
in our old 2ed campaign we had kender instead of halflings. Most of the group couldn't stand halflings anyway. I ran a game for awhile that had barbarian kender nomads and the halflings were rabid feral creatures barely above rats that roamed the countryside eating anything that wasn't well defended.

3.x halflings are the good part of kender w/o the oddness
and none of the bad parts of hobbits

 

[Clavis]

Thats just very fun.

I may thief that, tone it down a wee bit, and use it in my next fantasy game.

Thanks.
Feel free to thief away!