Design & Development: Halflings

[PnP News Bot]

Check out this new article Wizards of the Coast posted recently:

Design & Development: Halflings

Rivers and streams crisscross the world, and upon these waterways, the nomadic halflings quietly do the same. Learn more about the 4th Edition version of this race, whose talents (and charms) run toward sneakiness and craftiness.

[rabkala]

Bigger halflings? Maybe they should be three-quarterlings now?

[Farcaster]

Pre-teen human sized, huh? So, that's what? 4-5 foot? That doesn't feel right.

[fmitchell]

Not that "halflings" are Hobbits anymore, by legal decree, but I'd expect them to be about the same size as real "little people" (aka dwarfs or midgets) from our world: a yard or meter tall, give or take, with proportionally stocky builds.

Four feet sounds like a stretch (ha!), and five feet practically makes them elves.

[Mulsiphix]

Halfings should be between 3 and 4 feet tall. Anything bigger than this gets dangerously close to humans and elves. What was wrong with their old size?

[Farcaster]

What was wrong with their old size?

Not sure. Maybe DA can shed some light on it since he read the 4e Races and Classes propaganda... err preview book.

[fmitchell]

Halfings should be between 3 and 4 feet tall. Anything bigger than this gets dangerously close to humans and elves. What was wrong with their old size?

I guess the improbability of anything the size and weight of a toddler actually being able to damage big folks.

Or else, Halflings are the new Gnomes.

[Farcaster]

Hey now! My 2.5 year old has executed the occasional sneak attack or baby-coup-de-gras head butt, and it was plenty painful. And, he's only 26 pounds! I think that a four year old with the reflexes, coordination and musculature of an adult wielding a short sword could do plenty of damage to 'big folk'.

[Mulsiphix]

I have to agree with Farcaster on this one. My toddlers are some of the most destructive little kids I've ever seen. They break and destroy any toy, book, food item, or "stuffed" animal/pillow I give them. Both play very aggressively with each other. Put the life experience, determination, mindset, and hormone cocktail of an adult in a child's body, and you've got some serious problems. If they were an opponent that is.

[rabkala]

The nearly fearless comment also worries me... Fear the Kenderization!

[tesral]

Halfings should be between 3 and 4 feet tall. Anything bigger than this gets dangerously close to humans and elves. What was wrong with their old size?

Editor's disease I would suspect. R. A. Heinlein had a particularly poor view of the editing class. In Stranger in a Strange Land Jubal Hardshaw declares "Editors always think it tastes better after they piss in it." I suspect that is the case here. Change for the sake of saying they changed something. Halflings have been 3-4 feet tall for 35 years. I don't see why it needs changing now.

[InfoStorm]

Remember: Just because Wizards of the Coast may be legally prevented from having Tolkein-like hobbits in their publications, doesn't mean you you can't have them in your game.

I have them in mine, "Uses 100% halfling statistics, but they like staying put in their shires."

[Mulsiphix]

Wish I lived in the Shire . I could do without the huge hairy feet but the Shire would be bliss.

[tesral]

Remember: Just because Wizards of the Coast may be legally prevented from having Tolkein-like hobbits in their publications, doesn't mean you you can't have them in your game.

I have them in mine, "Uses 100% halfling statistics, but they like staying put in their shires."

That's right. The way I do them as well. They have particual area where they are found and they are found viturally no where else. Nice stay and home types.

Wish I lived in the Shire . I could do without the huge hairy feet but the Shire would be bliss.

Yea the feet thing. It would save on shoes. I'm a person comfortable in my habits.

[rabkala]

Hairy feet is kind of sexy.