Halfling (haa-fluhng)

Generous, passive, and quiet. Words that many Aolaran residents would use to describe halflings. Honest, compassionate, and kind. Words that halflings would use to describe themselves. Halflings have existed peacefully in the shadow of louder races for thousands of years. Their true species name is actually hin, but are more commonly referred to as mild-folk and halflings due to their gentler nature and short stature. A warm bed, strong community, and generous meal are the goals of most halflings. They are driven by a desire to help others, enjoy home comforts, and share stories of their life with the next generation around a crackling fireplace.

Practical People

Halflings exist all over the planet, usually in places of safety and natural serenity. Many live in remote, self-sufficient agricultural communities looking to avoid to noise of urban society. However, they can also be found amongst the bustle of a sprawling city, contributing to its success with their optimistic attitude and passionate work ethic. Some halfling communities even choose a nomadic lifestyle. Travelling along open roads towards the distant horizon in search of new lands, discoveries, and peoples to meet. Whether they are tilling fields, managing a business, or floating on a raft downstream, peace, family, food, and home is at the heart of all halflings.

Although beauty is ever present in Aolara, halflings do also live in a world full of death and danger. To survive, they have learned to take advantage of their smaller size, perfecting the art of remaining hidden in plain sight. By avoiding notice they avoid causing offense, and prevent themselves from becoming tangled in another's war, or ending up in the belly of a beast. Standing at only 3 feet tall and weighing between 40 and 45 pounds, halflings appear harmless to taller folk, and have managed to survive in the shadows of empires and on the edge of political conflict.

Halflings’ skin ranges from tan to pale with a ruddy cast, and their hair is usually reddish brown or sandy brown and wavy. They commonly have brown or hazel coloured eyes, except for river halflings who are more likely to have beautiful iris' of speckled green and blue. Halfling men often grow long sideburns and tough, short beards. Many older halflings proudly sport oversized, elaborate moustaches that they are usually overly fond of. They are famous for their oversized and extremely hairy feet that have toughened over time, allowing them to traverse the world shoeless with little to no discomfort. They like to wear simple, comfortable, and practical clothes, favouring bright colours. However, halfling practicality also extends beyond their clothing. They are concerned with basic needs and simple pleasures and have little use for ostentation.

Kind-Hearted Curiosity

At their core, halflings are naturally cheerful and humble people. They cherish the bonds of family, friends, and community above all else, many of them shunning the more human desires for gold and glory. Even the adventurers and explorers among them usually venture into the wide world in search of friendship, wanderlust, and discovery. They love to experience new places, sample exotic foods and spices, and try on unique styles of clothing.

Blending In

Halflings are adept at fitting into a community of humans, dwarves, or elves, making themselves valuable and welcome. The combination of their inherent stealth and their unassuming nature helps halflings to avoid unwanted attention. Halflings work readily with others, and they are loyal to their friends, whether halfling or otherwise. They can display remarkable ferocity when their friends or families are threatened. Their hard work and loyal outlook offer them abundant rewards and significant respect from other races in their community.

Pastures of Plenty

Most halflings live in small, peaceful communities with large farms and well-kept groves. They have never had a desire to build immense kingdoms of their own or hold much land beyond their quiet little pastures. They typically don’t recognise any sort of halfling nobility or royalty, instead looking to the eldest amongst them for guidance. The oldest and therefore wisest in a community takes on the title of enaka tam lur, meaning teacher to all. Halflings hold ties with one another that ascends generations, and is arguably stronger than the mightiest of empires.

The Darker Half

In the eyes of most, halflings are a caring and considerate people. They are often stereotyped as placid, easy-going, and harmless. But that is not always the case. As with any group, there are the good and the bad. Some halflings failed to find, or never had, a cosy place to call home. Others were caught up in bleak, devastating wars between other races; and some just chose the wrong path. A halfling's size and innate ability to go unseen can be quite the desirable trait. There are those who join gangs, guilds, and crime syndicates, using their natural stealth to act as lookouts, wind up as thieves, and is the worse cases, become assassins and murderers for hire. Halflings are quiet, quick, and efficient at any task they put their mind to.

Halfling Traits

Ability Score Increase

When determining your character’s ability scores, you can increase one ability score of your choice by 2, or you can increase two ability scores of your choice by 1.

Age

A halfling reaches adulthood at the age of 20 and generally lives into the middle of their second century.

Size

Halflings average about 3 feet tall and weigh about 40 pounds. Your size is Small.

Speed

Your base walking speed is 25 feet.

Lucky

When you roll a 1 on the d20 for an attack roll, ability check, or saving throw, you can reroll the die and must use the new roll.

Brave

You have advantage on saving throws against being frightened.

Halfling Nimbleness

You can move through the space of any creature that is of a size larger than yours.

Languages

You can speak, read, and write Common, Halfling, and one other language of your choice.

The Halfling language isn’t secret, but halflings are loath to share it with others. They write very little, so they don’t have a rich body of literature. Their oral tradition, however, is very strong. Almost all halflings speak Common to converse with the people in whose lands they dwell or through which they are travelling.

Halfling Subraces

Lightfoot Halfling

Lightfoots are the smallest, and speediest of all the halflings. They are sharp-witted and able to improvise in tense situations. Lightfoots are experts at hiding in plain site, and are even capable of using other people as cover. To spot a lightfoot halfling in the middle of a crowded town square is near impossible. Lightfoot halflings can be found all over, and enjoy life on the open road. Most halfling communities, such as Kradle's Feast in Laelosia are made up of lightfoot and stout halfling families. The two clans mesh well together and make up the majority of halfling life on Aolara. Lightfoot halflings are naturals when it comes to thievery in large urban settings.

Ability Score Increase

Your Charisma score increases by 1.

Speed

Your walking speed is increased to 30 feet.

Naturally Stealthy

You can attempt to hide even when you are obscured only by a creature that is at least one size larger than you.

Stout Halfling

Stout halflings are steadfast, thoughtful, and industrious. As the name would imply, stouts are hardier than average, with stocky builds and strong, oversized hands. They have some resistance to poison much like the dwarves of Aolara, leading some to believe that stout halflings might share a similar parentage. If not tilling the fields, stout halflings can be found in towns and cities working and owning various establishments. Their inherent grip strength and patience makes them excellent cobblers, smiths, masons, leatherworkers, saddlers, tinkers, and carpenters.

Ability Score Increase

Your Constitution score increases by 1.

Professionalism

You gain proficiency with, and own, one set of artisan's tools. Any ability or skill check you make regarding the profession related to your chosen artisan's tools can be rolled with advantage and your proficiency bonus added.

Stout Resilience

You have advantage on saving throws against poison, and you have resistance against poison damage.

River Halfling

By far the most nomadic of all are the river halflings. Also known as river-fayne, these halflings spend their lives travelling the rivers, lakes, and bays of Aolara. They enjoy a slow-flowing lifestyle, and yearn for nothing but the freedom to roam. They are known for their impressive swimming ability, and master-like skill upon any manner of aquatic vessel. There is something almost elvish about river halflings, with their sharper, pointed ears and symmetrical features. Their skin tones are usually on the lighter side, however normally caked with mud and river weed. Their hair is fairer than other halflings, and their eyes come in handsome shades of green and blue. Even whilst covered in muck and dirt, river halflings have an effortless beauty about them.

River halflings are excitable, talkative, and the life of any party. They are a welcoming group, eager to learn and share with anyone new they meet on their travels. Although it is tough to keep river halflings in one place for longer than a month, they do make excellent fisherman, dockworkers, traders, and sailors, however most prefer fresh to salt water. Their knowledge of a region's waterways is impeccable, making them excellent guides of river-based excursions.

Ability Score Increase

Your Dexterity score increases by 1.

Fisherman's Weapon Training

You have proficiency with the lance, net, spear, and trident.

River Traveller

You have proficiency with water vehicles, and you have advantage on ability checks made to forage or navigate near a natural body of water.

Waterborne

You have a swimming speed equal to your walking speed, and you can hold your breath for twice as long as normal.

Jungle Halfling

Thousands of years ago a group of halflings gave in to their wanderlust and travelled the globe. They eventually settled in the endless jungles and rainforests of Kasar and Lanali before the great continent split into two. Jungle halflings are the smallest halfling family, with lithe, muscular builds perfect for traversing arduous jungle terrain. They have mastered the art of camouflage and are nearly invisible amongst the jungle vegetation. Jungle halflings are extremely rare, their settlements are so isolated that very few have met or even know of their existence. They are extremely skilled at hunting and foraging, and fending off the beasts of the jungle has turned them into formidable warriors. Anyone attempting to traverse the jungles of Chankata, or the sprawling rainforests of Lanali would be extremely lucky to have a jungle halfling as a guide.

Past explorers have spent time shadowing and documenting the lives of some of these halfling communities in Lanali. They speak of territorial wars amongst the tribes for land, food, and game rights. It is rumoured that some halfling tribes were so desperate to be triumphant, that they turned to the forest for help, allowing something bestial into their hearts.

Ability Score Increase

Your Strength score increases by 1.

Jungle Cat

You have a climbing speed of 30 feet.

Hunter's Weapon Training

You have proficiency with the blowgun, net, spear, and whip.

Mask of the Wild

You can attempt to hide even when you are only lightly obscured by foliage, grass, or other natural plants. Additionally you treat any difficult terrain relating to plant life as normal terrain, and have advantage on Wisdom (Survival) checks when in forests, jungles, and rainforests.

Tropical Resilience

You do not gain a level a level of exhaustion when the temperature is at or above 37 degrees Celsius, as you are naturally adapted to hot climates.

Gnomeling

Gnomelings are the rare union between a gnome and a halfling. They maintain the small stature of both gnomes and halflings, but have slightly slimmer builds, and a gentle fey beauty. Their feet are just as hairy, and their ears are almost halflingesque, but with slightly pointed gnomish tips. Gnomelings have a strong connection to nature, maybe even more so than other halfling families. They are usually nomadic, travelling between halfling and gnomish communities. They are seen as spiritual beings, and regularly become a shaman-like figure for the clans they visit. Gnomelings are born with Feywild magic coursing through their veins, courtesy of their gnomish ancestry. They are as hardworking and kind as any other halfling, with a small sprinkling of gnomish mischief on top. Many gnomelings go their entire life never meeting another of their kind. There are no clans made up entirely of gnomelings, but they are always accepted by halflings and gnomes as one of their own.

Ability Score Increase

Your Wisdom score increases by 1.

Darkvision

You can see in dim light within 60 feet of you as if it were bright light, and in darkness as if it were dim light. You discern colours in that darkness only as shades of grey.

Gnomish Ancestry

You can choose one additional trait from one of the gnome subraces. This cannot be another Ability Score Increase.

Halfling

Type - Humanoid
Size - Small
Alignment - N/A
Preferred Terrain - Forests, Hills, Rivers, Jungles
Abilities - Lucky

Click here to return to Races of Aolara

-Lightfoot Halfling

-Stout Halfling

-River Halfling

-Jungle Halfling

-Gnomeling