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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Lord Zardoz" data-source="post: 3950008" data-attributes="member: 704">Ok, let me explain my reasoning. -- STR -2 / Bows are a Generally, when someone is making a character, there is a tendency to optimize.  -2 Str is not much of a barrier, and can be worked past.  But if your looking to create a longsword specialist, your not going to take the character race with a -2 Str penalty.  And in 3rd edition, every small sized race in the PHB has the Str penalty.Even if you do not go for a melee type, the Str penalty to hit and damage still applies to bows.  Essentially, if your not going for a spell caster, your probably not going for a size small character.-- Movement 20Yes, the rules are clear and easy to apply.  The problem is from the tactical disadvantage in combat.  Being last to enter melee because everyone else moves faster sucks.  Dwarves get around it by not losing movement in heavy armour, so they can keep pace with humans / elves / half orcs.  Gnomes and Halflings in heavy armour get to move a whole 10 / round.  Halflings can get around it by generally being optimized for Dex.  Gnomes end up getting to be a crappy choice for melee combat due to either a poorer AC than the MV 30 crowd, or by just being a whole lot slower.--  Weapon SizeAgain, this is not a difficulty in applying the rules.  This is a difficulty that arises due to the tactical disadvantage of having every weapon (melee, ranged, and even the Monk unarmed damage) you use a smaller damage die than the medium weapon of the same type.Encumberance is only a problem for folks that can't add and subtract.Why should a halfling fighter be the same as a human fighter?A medium sized character isn't going to be able to find cover and concealment as easily as a small sizaed character. players of small sized charcetrs that realzie how much more cover is available to them certainly benefit from it many times over becasue they learn how to play a small character as oppsoed to a medium character.</blockquote>Why should a halfling fighter be the same as a human fighter?They should not.  However, they should be roughly about as effective if the same level.A 6th level human fighter will be doing a baseline 1d8+X  damage with either a martial melee weapon or just 1d8 with a long bow.  He can wear medium armour and only lose 1/3rd of his movement, giving him a good AC.A 6th level Halfling fighter will have a better AC due to the Dex and Size bonus.  He will do a baseline of 1d6+X-1 damage in melee relative to a human who made similar stat assignment choices in point buy.  Using a long bow he will do 1d6-1 due to the str penalty.  He could wear medium armour, but will lose half of his movement if he does so.  The Low light vision is a very helpful advantage.In general, someone interested in playing a Halfling is better off playing an Elf.  The Con penalty sucks, but not as much as a Str penalty and the size penalties to weapon damage.  Someone wanting to play a Gnome is better off with a Dwarf unless they want to play a Sorcerer, Wizard, or Bard.To put it more simply, in 3.5 and 3.0, being a size small character generally sucks a whole lote more than it should.  Str penalty I could live with, but the reduced damage for size small weapons in 3.5, and the movement penalty are particularly egregious.END COMMUNICATION[/QUOTE]

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