D&D General why do we have halflings and gnomes?

[Gammadoodler]

I don't want to short people on their arguments, I just don't think they rise to the height of "no reason to exist".

Puns intended?

 

[Oofta]

Puns intended?

I see nothing wrong with a small pun here and there. They're in quite short supply. I was just trying add little levity.

 

[Mind of tempest]

All I really want to say to this is...okay. To you they feel that way. I strongly doubt the percentage of dnd players who feel the same is even double digits.

most of them tend to be new and thus just love it all, be old and thus see it as a supposed to be or they generally like them.
plus most people do not quite have my background.

I have however learned in this thread that the small folk seems to be an honestly desired option so I will factor that into world-building, I would make something with a bit more setting hooks my self but I can now see a purpose for them outside of children's media.

 

[Minigiant]

I'm pretty sure that the Might and Magic series has halflings, and know for a fact that Warhammer does.

They are unplayable as heroes and the units are jokes. That's when they aren't discontinued.

That's the point. Few nonD&D nonLoTR games that use the two as inspiration attempt to make halflings equal in lore and mechanics as the rest of the races. It's not like it is impossible. However it keeps happening. I have theories why.

 

[Mind of tempest]

They are unplayable as heroes and the units are jokes. That's when they aren't discontinued.

That's the point. Few nonD&D nonLoTR games that use the two as inspiration attempt to make halflings equal in lore and mechanics as the rest of the races. It's not like it is impossible. However it keeps happening. I have theories why.

go on then give us your theories.

 

[Charlaquin]

They are unplayable as heroes and the units are jokes. That's when they aren't discontinued.

That's the point. Few nonD&D nonLoTR games that use the two as inspiration attempt to make halflings equal in lore and mechanics as the rest of the races. It's not like it is impossible. However it keeps happening. I have theories why.

What does “equal in lore and mechanics” even mean??

 

[Maxperson]

I see nothing wrong with a small pun here and there. They're in quite short supply. I was just trying add little levity.

Puns are the lowest form of humor, though.

 

[Minigiant]

go on then give us your theories.

1. Well some people see D&D as LOTR with more monsters so the are fine with races not making sense. So they don't care if the races aren't treated equally as long as they get the outcome desired.
2. Maybe due to the backlash of the Lucky feat and other instances of removal of codified luck, people who want halflings to run on luck prefer to hide their preferences so descriptions of luck and pluck are limited to individual cases and not vocally spread to the whole race.
3. Perhaps many people prefer halfling to be silly. In a compromise to D&D somewhat serious, D&D designers actively avoid situations where halfling silliness would have to be made.
4. Perhaps many designers just don't like halflings and don't want to put the work into making the fit in the fantasy in the same way as dwarves and elves
5. Maybe due to the pushback of fancy, wuxia, and anime like actions, there is a fear of how halflings as realistic warriors would be protrayed. They are only 3 foot tall. Halfling combat could easily look like Yoda wielding his lightsaber. I'm fine with it but I could easily see other not liking it

 

[Charlaquin]

I draw a distinction between puns and wordplay. Wordplay makes use of homophones, homographs, and homonyms to create humorous double-meanings, and I adore it. Puns substitute words that kinda sound like other words and often make no other attempt at humor.

 

[Maxperson]

1. Well some people see D&D as LOTR with more monsters so the are fine with races not making sense. So they don't care if the races aren't treated equally as long as they get the outcome desired.

And many don't see D&D as LotR with more monsters and are fine with the fully integrated and lore of Halflings. Halflings are treated equally. They have a lot of lore, equaling the lore of others. They are in the top 4 for adventuring races.

The lore has a different flavor than the other races, but that isn't the same as unequal.

1. Maybe due to the backlash of the Lucky feat and other instances of removal of codified luck, people who want halflings to run on luck prefer to hide their preferences so descriptions of luck and pluck are limited to individual cases and not vocally spread to the whole race.

I haven't seen this. Can you name some names here who have taken this position?

1. Perhaps many people prefer halfling to be silly. In a compromise to D&D somewhat serious, D&D designers actively avoid situations where halfling silliness would have to be made.

Some may like silly Halflings. Halflings as presented in the PHB and Mordenkainen's aren't silly, though. People who like silly Halflings can change them to be that way.

1. Perhaps many designers just don't like halflings and don't want to put the work into making the fit in the fantasy in the same way as dwarves and elves

They did put in the same work. More actually, since it's harder to make a race with a different flavor than to take the lazy way out and just make more of the same. Halflings also do in fact fit into the fantasy D&D setting just fine

1. Maybe due to the pushback of fancy, wuxia, and anime like actions, there is a fear of how halflings as realistic warriors would be protrayed. They are only 3 foot tall. Halfling combat could easily look like Yoda wielding his lightsaber. I'm fine with it but I could easily see other not liking it

Or maybe, Halflings don't need to be more of the same and are just fine to us as they are. If you want to change them to be more warlike, go for it, just don't expect us to side with you if you say that they need to be changed and/or aren't integrated.