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

[Voadam]

I thought Elves ate sunshine and rainbows.

That's Runequest where they are photosynthetic.

 

[Maxperson]

That's Runequest where they are photosynthetic.

Is that real?

 

[TwoSix]

Is that real?

No, all races in RPGs other than human are made-up.

 

[Voadam]

Is that real?

Yes, in Runequest they are actually plants which is a pretty neat take.

Here are some quotes from the Mongoose Runequest book on Elfs.

Though they appear humanoid in shape, the Aldryami [Elves] are actually moving plants. Upon close viewing an observer can discern the bark that makes up an Aldryami’s skin and the leaves which make up its hair. Because of their plant–like nature Aldryami are actually much closer to their forests than any human would ever realize. They have a ‘life sense’ which allows them to communicate with not only their forests but also their fellows. Besides the elfs, Great Trees, dryads, and ape–like runners are also part of this web of life that lies within every Aldryami wood.

and

An Aldryami’s substantive needs can be entirely fulfilled through natural processes. When an Aldryami is imprisoned in a natural environment which provides access to healthy soil, regular rain, and direct sunlight he can stay fit for years. In order to sustain himself without access to actual ‘food’ an Aldryami becomes increasingly immobile. He sinks root–like tendrils into the ground and tracks the movement of the sun with the leaves atop his head, disallowing more active pursuits. Though such an Aldryami can remain physically fit, after a decade mental defi ciencies tend to set in, most likely due to the Aldryami’s absence from the ‘Song of Seyotel.’

 

[tetrasodium]

You do understand that Halflings have both an area luck AND gods to help hide them, right? Nobody is saying "That's how roads work."

You've got too many levels of plot armor within that inception style reality going on there. Your defending plot armored roads that don't work like roads by using plot armor of gods that apply to halflings without allowing the gods of potential malicious actors. Since this got started with the idea that orcs couldn't figure out a complicated thing like roads by saying "halfling luck AND gods it's FR style orc desire to do bad AND their gods.

 

[Vaalingrade]

You've got too many levels of plot armor within that inception style reality going on there. Your defending plot armored roads that don't work like roads by using plot armor of gods that apply to halflings without allowing the gods of potential malicious actors. Since this got started with the idea that orcs couldn't figure out a complicated thing like roads by saying "halfling luck AND gods it's FR style orc desire to do bad AND their gods.

This war of escalating hypotheticals is required because the world is being presented as a cyclone of teeth and tail slaps punctuated by Vikings sailing 60 miles inland, their longboats smashing mighty oaks beneath their keels, all focused on one thing: delicious halfling buttmeats.

 

[Maxperson]

You've got too many levels of plot armor within that inception style reality going on there. Your defending plot armored roads that don't work like roads by using plot armor of gods that apply to halflings without allowing the gods of potential malicious actors.

The first time it might have been an accident. Now it's a blatant Strawman. Nobody here is saying that the roads don't work like roads. No one.

 

[tetrasodium]

This war of escalating hypotheticals is required because the world is being presented as a cyclone of teeth and tail slaps punctuated by Vikings sailing 60 miles inland, their longboats smashing mighty oaks beneath their keels, all focused on one thing: delicious halfling buttmeats.

I don't agree. If you look way back it started because people pointed out the halfling totally not hobbiton shire didn't make sense for not getting wiped out by monsters or consumed by a more advanced culture simply absorbing them into their territory. plot armor consisting of one sided application of "because the gods" has been used to justify why they don't just get absorbed as happened to peoples once called "subjects of the roman empire", "subjects of the brittish empire" & so on. That plot armor was further extended to declare intelligent creatures couldn't find a town based n smoke from chimneys & even the way roads function. Using "halfling luck" & "the gods" only goes so far to protect the halfling monoculture from the rest of FR's racial monocultures before suspension of disbelief logically asks how this out of place idiosyncrasy is actively causing problems.

 

[Vaalingrade]

I don't agree. If you look way back it started because people pointed out the halfling totally not hobbiton shire didn't make sense for not getting wiped out by monsters or consumed by a more advanced culture simply absorbing them into their territory.

Which is patiently untrue in basleine DnD, so they started inventing this fantastical murder world where even 40K's Chaos demons are like 'dude, chill'.

 

[Maxperson]

I don't agree. If you look way back it started because people pointed out the halfling totally not hobbiton shire didn't make sense for not getting wiped out by monsters or consumed by a more advanced culture simply absorbing them into their territory. plot armor consisting of one sided application of "because the gods" has been used to justify why they don't just get absorbed as happened to peoples once called "subjects of the roman empire", "subjects of the brittish empire" & so on. That plot armor was further extended to declare intelligent creatures couldn't find a town based n smoke from chimneys & even the way roads function. Using "halfling luck" & "the gods" only goes so far to protect the halfling monoculture from the rest of FR's racial monocultures before suspension of disbelief logically asks how this out of place idiosyncrasy is actively causing problems.

I grew up in rural Michigan in a small town of about 400 people, where we all used wood stoves for heat in the winter. From a mile away you couldn't see the town or any smoke from chimneys. You're overestimating how visible simple chimney smoke is. You'd have to be fairly close to the town already and, "Although halflings aren't reclusive by nature, they are adept at finding out-of-the-way places to settle in."