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

[Levistus's_Leviathan]

Indeed, I would extend this to say that we have gnomes to represent what elves mostly were in non-Tolkien traditions. So really both halflings and gnomes are his fault.

A lot of D&D is his fault.

 

[Hriston]

lol no.

That is why they are in the earliest version of dnd.

It doesn't explain their longevity in the game. That is quite simply explained by the fact that people enjoy playing them, and like the fiction of being an underdog in a small frame and overcoming that, and various other fictions that are well suited to these races.

That wasn't the question. This thread is in the general D&D forum, so the question isn't "why are they still in D&D after 46 years?" The question is "why are they in the game at all?" Also, it isn't "why are they in the game as PCs?" It's just "why do we have them?" This is why.

Also, there are plenty of races that people would enjoy playing that aren't in the game, so I'm not sure that's such a good reason for why these particular races are in the game.

 

[Charlaquin]

You know, this thread is just ticking me off.

We have gnomes and halflings in the game for same dang reason we have elves, aarakocra, humans and goliaths: Because you can tell make a character that is one of them, and have fun doing so. That should be the beginning, middle, end, and after credits scene of the discussion.

I get what you mean, but I do think there’s value in analyzing the narrative role a race fills in a setting. Yes, the fact that people can make characters with them is reason enough for them to exist in the game, but it’s a worthwhile exercise to examine what it is about a race that makes people want to make characters with them.

 

[Benjamin Olson]

You know, this thread is just ticking me off.

We have gnomes and halflings in the game for same dang reason we have elves, aarakocra, humans and goliaths: Because you can tell make a character that is one of them, and have fun doing so. That should be the beginning, middle, end, and after credits scene of the discussion.

Well I clicked on the thread thinking the question was "why don't we just have one of these similar races or the other" rather than "what right do these two particular races have to exist in the game". To the extent the thread has been about differentiating these races I've found it interesting, and to the extent it is about the history of the game I've found it interesting, but to the extent it is just about whether halflings or gnomes somehow justify themselves I very much agree with you.

 

[bedir than]

representation is an odd concept for me as I have been told since I was 14 I was supposed to identify with I had nothing in common with nor any character to be honest so the concept does not really make sense to me. tell a lie I could get one but he was nuts and honestly should not have been chosen for the task.

If you didn't identify with a character or groups of characters that's not an indictment on representation or your own identity. That's an indictment on the characters and character groups to which you've been exposed.

 

[Stormonu]

As an aside, I've renamed halflings to "hillenfaey" (or hillfey) for my homebrew world. These are the short(ish) write-ups:

Hillenfaey​

Spoiler

Hillenfaey, sometimes colloquially called halflings, are small humanoids who dwell in hilly areas and rolling plains. They are hardy and generally courageous fellows, but prone towards mischief to outsiders.

Physical Traits​

Hillenfaey tends toward being slightly portly, with the general height and frame of an 8-year-old human child. Height averages 3’ 6” to 3’ 9” for both males and females. Weight averages 30-45 lbs for males, with females about 5 lbs. lighter.

Hillenfaey tend to have dark brown skins, ranging from a walnut to a deep umber color, though there have been some clans with lighter or even darker skin tones encountered. Hillenfaey hair tends to be curly and deep brown to reddish in color. Extremely light skinned hillenfaey may have sandy blonde hair. The eyes of hillenfaey tend to be brown or green, though light-complexion hillenfaey have been encountered with slate blue eyes.

Hillenfaey males can grow beards, though they grow only along the chin line and tend to curl upwards. For this reason, few hillenfaey wear beards that are longer than an inch or so.

Culture​

Hillenfaey live in small communities burrowed into the sides of hills or built as rounded mounds protruding from the ground. While there are many hillenfaey-only communities, hillenfaey are generally gregarious enough that they often build their homes on the outskirts of human communities and willingly trade with human society.

Hillenfaey are gregarious, but rarely stray far from the creature comforts of home. They enjoy the benefits of civilization in good food, drinks, stories and pleasantly decorated surface burrows. Though they can be industrious, they prefer to trade for goods than craft their own. They can be mischievous at times, especially towards those larger than themselves who believe that their size somehow makes them superior.

Gnome​

Spoiler

Gnomes are small, prankish humanoids who are the offspring of ancient unions between elves and dwarves. They possess the carefree nature of elves and the dwarven fondness of treasure and skills at crafting.

Physical Traits​

Gnomes are generally thin and wiry like short elves, though some clans tend toward a portly frame like their dwarven ancestors. Average height is 2’ 6” to 3’ 2”, with females being a mere half-inch shorter than males. Average weight is about 25-30 lbs.

Gnomes generally have ruddy skin, with their most prominent feature being their oversized nose. Gnomes generally have either white or earth-colored hair and eye color tends to be slate blue, gray or brown.

Male gnomes can grow beards and are often as proud of them as dwarves.

Culture​

Gnomes are known for their hard work and skill at craftsmanship that rivals that of the dwarves, but they are equally capable of frolicking and enjoying themselves as much as any elf. Gnome workshops are often filled with the whimsical as well as the functional, often alive with contraptions and experimental clockwork gadgets that can be found nowhere else.

Gnomes generally live in clans isolated from other races; their small size tends to make their homes unsuitable for larger individuals to maneuver through comfortably. They are also prone to pranks and practical jokes that few outside of the their own kind tend to appreciate after long.

 

[Charlaquin]

I like the name Hillenfae!

 

[Minigiant]

In my campaign, at least a certain portion of halflings would say "Ooooh, Caves of Dooooommm!!! I wonder what's in there, I bet it's just a scary name to keep tourists out let's go find out!"

Curiosity killed the cat, but halflings are lucky and small enough to hide behind the barbarian.

If you want it to make sense, you can always do the rebellious teen thing. No matter how green the grass is, someone will always get tired of green and want to check out the wide world. They may not care about riches and fame, but they can be curious about what's over the next hill.

That'swhat3e and 4e did.
They moved halflings from a race of psudeo-hobbit farmers to a race of acrobatic thrill seekers.

5e dialed it back.

 

[Levistus's_Leviathan]

My world's halflings call themselves "Hilfeng".

Gnomes just go by gnomes, but "gnome" in Gnomish in my world go by "Nom", which also means "The People".

 

[Michael Linke]

And rightfully so! They’re a very important piece of the modern fantasy canon.

At the time they were featured in exactly one author's works. I'd argue they didn't become part of modern fantasy canon until much later, possibly with some help from their inclusion in the original D&D. Warhammer originated as a way to play Wargames with the models Citadel produced for RPGs. Would they have bothered to make halflings if those weren't called for in D&D? Take away D&D and Warhammer halflings, and would many other popular RPGs have bothered to include them just for the sake of emulating Tolkien?