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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Polyhedral_Columbia" data-source="post: 7696628" data-attributes="member: 55445">I agree that, as a rough beginning, it's useful to point out the Tolkienian sources in D&D.But the Middle-earth "equivalents" (hobbits, dwarves, treants) were flattened and warped as they passed through Gygax's mind. That's fine - they became one more gonzo-ified ingredient in the D&D Multiverse. But they are no longer really Middle-earth in flavor, or in detail.For example, Gygax got the traits of the three Hobbit breeds mixed up when adapted them for D&D. In Middle-earth, the Stoors are the "Man-friends" and the Harfoots are the  "Dwarf-friends". While in D&D, the "Stouts" became the "Dwarf-friends", not the Hairfoots, as would be expected. Since the Harfoots/Hairfoots are the most numerous/ordinary breed in both worlds, D&D depicted them as having an affinity with the most numerous/ordinary race in D&D - humans. But in Middle-earth the Harfoots are the Dwarf-friends.And the Hobbit racial abilities were never fully translated into the D&D Halfling. Here are a list of Hobbit traits, taken straight from a close reading of the books and JRRT's letters:<ul> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Very Small Physical Power </li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Nimble and Deft in their Movements </li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Inclined to be Fat </li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">In Touch with Nature; Close Friendship with the Earth  </li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Skilled in Crafts and Tools  </li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Quick of Hearing  </li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Sharp-eyed/Keen-eyed  </li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Difficult to Daunt  </li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Difficult to Kill  </li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Curiously Tough; Tough as Old Tree-Roots; Survive Rough Handling by Grief,  Foe, or Weather; Recover Wonderfully from Falls and Bruises  </li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Free from Ambition  </li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Free from Greed of Wealth  </li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Slow to Quarrel </li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Hospitable </li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Elusiveness; The Art of Disappearing; Hide Easily  </li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Move Very Quietly  </li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Doughty at Bay; Amazing  and Unexpected Heroism "At a Pinch" </li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Handle Arms </li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Pretty Fair Shot; Aiming and Throwing; Sure at the Mark (stones, quoits, dart-throwing,  shooting at the wand, bowls, ninepins) </li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Used to Tunneling </li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Sense of Direction Underground  </li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Work Like Bees  </li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Fund of Wisdom and Wise Sayings </li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Vices of Sloth and Stupidity</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Pettiness; Unimaginative, Parochial </li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Blowing Smoke-Rings </li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Cooking </li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Asking Riddles </li> </ul>Here are the source quotes: <a href="https://sites.google.com/site/thereandbackadventure/hobbit-traits" target="_blank">https://sites.google.com/site/thereandbackadventure/hobbit-traits</a>Some of these made it into D&D, but many were overlooked, such as "Sense of Direction Underground."Unfortunately, many of these traits were never modeled in the Middle-earth RPGs either - MERP, CODA, and TOR.Another example: The Hobbit text gives the relative speeds of Hobbits, Dwarves, and Goblins:"poor Bilbo could not possibly go half as fast-dwarves can roll along at a tremendous pace, I can tell you, when they have to [...]Still goblins go faster than dwarves."This is not fully modeled in D&D, or in the existing ME RPGs, AFAIK.</blockquote>

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