Tell me about halflings in your world.

[der_kluge]

I'm toying with creating a new setting for my next campaign. This will be a low magic world, and after I create the geography, and build up a timeline, I'm going to work on timelines for the major races - gnomes, halflings, and elves. I intend to remove dwarves since I can't justify the overlap between gnomes and dwarves. I also can't abide the concept of living completely underground since my sense of ecology and biology just can't take that leap of faith. So, dwarves get the axe, and my concept of gnomes will take over some of the previously dwarven concepts such as an affinity to gems, and an earth/stone emphasis.

Elves I intend to make a bit more fey, and modify slightly, but they definitely occupy a nitch that I like, and will maintain them more or less as they are.

That leaves halflings. I'm struggling with how to incorporate them into my world, and what niche they provide. I'm thinking that they will be a peaceful lot of individuals who farm lots of herbs and speciality crops, and have a brisk trade with the humans in these items, as well as maybe some wooden craftsmanship, or some other goods. Elves are good at making bows, and good at making chain, and gnomes have the invention side of things down, and good with metal-working. So, I think I'll leave wooden items, and other similar things to the halflings.

But it got me to wondering how others have implemented halflings as a culture into their respective campaign settings?

 

[Crothian]

My Halfling have just ended a 200 year journey of finding a new home. Their old lands were besiged by blight, plague and destruction that killed off many of them and drove the rest away in all directions. They were scattered to the winds and have been slowly finding each other and rebuilding. THe new country is in a rich farmlands that they share with humans. They are settling in to be farmers and find peace in staying in one place. THey will soon be known as the bread basket of the area as the old bread basket is in chaos. They are a proud people and will soon be making demands on the others as they feel they have been badly treated and they have lot of pent up anger that will be coming out.

 

[Chimera]

That leaves halflings. I'm struggling with how to incorporate them into my world, and what niche they provide. I'm thinking that they will be a peaceful lot of individuals who farm lots of herbs and speciality crops, and have a brisk trade with the humans in these items, as well as maybe some wooden craftsmanship, or some other goods.

Not having to deal with the Tolkein estate, I have returned them to their roots. I call them....(wait for it).....Hobbits!

Pastoral agrarian people, very isolationist. Prefer their own company and don't much cotton to the big folk. Right now 99%+ of them live in their homeland, but a few stalwart adventurers are looking for other places where they can found colonies. Places where they can rule themselves.

Known as very good farmers, great with herbs and crops that require a great deal of effort or a careful touch. Also known for their crop breeding skills and the large number of different varieties of the fruits and vegetables they grow.

 

[Boojum]

The halflings in my world have used the fact that they're the smallest of the races to great advantage, as they can ride animals too small for other races to use as mounts, and can get greater speeds out of the mounts used by other races (think race jockeys). This has led them to develop a loosely Mongol-ish culture, nomadic and focused around the use of animals for mounts, food, fur, bones, etc. The worth of a person is almost entirely measured in the number and quality of the animals they possess. They shave their heads apart from an elaborately braided topknot, the pattern of which marks their lineage. They are known as the greatest crafters of leather goods in the world. They are generally peaceful, although insular, and with rigid customs that can easily lead to misunderstandings. However, they do raid into the lands of other races for supplies and livestock, relying on hit-and-run mounted archery. They do not see this as an evil or warlike act, but just as part of their way of life (although the other races tend to see it differently).

There is also an offshoot of the race that lives on the surface (nearly all civilization is on airborne islands to escape from the Devourer, a force of pure entropy). They don't use tools or crafted weapons, because such things draw the attention of the Devourer, but they have developed inner mental powers to compensate, and have developed a complex society based on their powers. They live in almost complete squalor physically, but are highly developed mentally.

 

[Boojum]

Double post

 

[Ed Cha]

I've written a short treatise on halflings in "The Hamlet of Thumble". Reviewers have found it "amusing" and "interesting". It's a pretty traditional analysis with some quirks thrown in. Much of it is inspired by the interaction between Bilbo Baggins and his relatives the Sacksville-Bagginses in J.R.R. Tolkien's "The Hobbit" and "The Lord of the Rings". I've also put a lot of small town vibe in it as well as agrarian social commentary.

 

[Samothdm]

This won't help you, but I don't have halflings in my world. I don't like 'em. And, I don't use gnomes, either. I'm not really into the "small races".

To replace them, players can be goblins (altered, size medium) or orcs (altered - basically the half-orc stats), or half-elves, half-goblins, or half-orcs (altered from the PH a little bit to be different from the parent orc race).

All of the races have a traditional "homeland" but most of those are gone and now I'd say about 90% of each races' population is integrated in the major human centers of the world.

 

[Rugger]

In my world, the halflings have adapted through adversity.

When the Infernal Legions invaded the Prime 2 centuries ago, a few things happened:

1. The Elves vanished. Up and left.
2. The dwarves went deep into their mountains (eventually becoming PART of the mountains)
3. The gnomes hopped into their skyships and went up, up, and away.

This left the halflings and the humans. So they teamed up. 100 years of war with the extraplanar invaders hardened them and their human allies. They worked together to utilize their strengths together and eliminate their weaknesses. And they did it.

Now calling themselves the Halven (halfling is just about the single most insulting name you can call one, since that word had its roots in the language of the Elves that deserted them) make the finest crossbows in the world, able to punch bolts through any armor, and capable of multiple shots before reloading. They also learned the arts of mounted combat and riding from their human allies, and the ages have bred their dogs into fiercely protective mounts and friends.

The hard years have brought them close to their human allies, closer than any other two races in the world. Though they cannot cross-breed, the years of close association seem to have rubbed off on the Halven, they are taller and stronger than their great-great-grandfathers ever were, and the cities and towns of the greatest nations are equally populated by Halven and Men. And everyone else knows to NEVER anger one when the other is around...


-Rugger
"I WillRunMyWorldSomeday!!!"

 

[Chroma]

The halflings in my current campaign are wandering Gypsy-like creatures. Their legends say that, when they were created, their goddess hid them beneath the folds of her dress when Death walked among the new creations determining when they would die, so they were missed in the Great Counting. So, now they travel about it caravans, never staying in any place too long so that Death never catches up with them. They see themselves as the only "free" beings in existence, outside of Fate and able to choose their own path.

This also lets them see other's fates clearly and to change the course of other's destinies, though these acts risk catching the eye of Fate. So, they are strange and clannish, while also free and friendly, a strange mix to be sure! Generally Chaotic Good, they are extreme in their vengeance against anyone who would bring misfortune to their people.

These halflings are the first time I've ever had players scared and respectful of the Little Folk... and it was cool! *laugh*

 

[Krieg]

My halflings are essentially based on Appalachian America, rural, salt of the earth type folk. They are down to earth & tend to mind their own business. In return they expect the same from others, outsiders and meddlers are typically not cottoned to.

If you have ever driven through West Virginia or Kentucky you already have a pretty good picture of halfling life in my world. Small isolated communities set far back in the hollers, each home taking raising it's own crop (yes that includes pipeweed), with a number of hounds guarding each homestead.

Farther to the south there are also halfling communities that live far back in the bogs & marshlands of the region. Stilthomes & flatboats are the name of the game therein. Picture the most insular & remote cajun stereotypes & you have a general idea of the culture. Think of the movie "Southern Comfort".

Folks don't mess with the swamp halflings on their own turf. Period.