Halflings
The diminutive halfling has become as archetypical a character in heroic fantasy as the stalwart knight in shining armor or the robed wizard fumbling with his spellbooks. Perhaps it is because, in stature and appearance, halflings is so unheroic that they have won their way into our hearts and our adventuring consciousness.
Of course, for most halflings, the life of adventure seems a slightly mad choice of lifestyle--a road one takes out of dire necessity or because of profound misfortune. Sometimes simple eccentricity or mental imbalance is attributed as the reason for a friend or relative's leaving his or her hearth behind, with the townsfolk quietly clucking their tongues and sympathetically agreeing that the adventurer was "never quite right in the head, that one."
The halfling race, by and large, cherishes a pastoral existence full of comfort. As a people, they are remarkably lacking in ambition, content to dwell in a snug, well-furnished burrow, enjoying a pipe of rich tobacco and a filling, multi-course meal at dinner. The typical halfling would look askance at the meager trail fare of the average party of adventurers. Our well-padded Stout or Tallfellow, likewise, would be horrified by the rude, chill, and drafty sleeping accomodations available on a rocky forest floor or in the sheltered recesses of dim caverns and dungeons!
Yet, for a wide variety of reasons, a few members of this quiet race do choose to embark on the path of danger, adventure, and possible wealth. Indeed, it is the latter consideration that brings many halflings onto the adventure road--the comforts of life that make living so enjoyable are not always cheap or easily attained! Also, halflings all have a strong sense of duty, and a just cause in the name of a friend will often pry a reluctant halfling from his or her burrow when nothing else would.
Despite their short stature, halflings who choose the life of adventure can be splendid assets to a party. For one thing, the generally cheerful outlook of halflings, together with their ability to make friends with members of a wide variety of different races, can be powerful, if intangible, assets to the group's morale. Faithful and trustworthy to their friends, one of the Small Folk can often provide a focal point of trust and even leadership within a party of much larger characters.
On the more practical side, halflings' nimble fingers are famed for a dexterity that is the envy of many a human thief--and don't make the mistake of confusing small size with physical frailty or weakness. Though they admittedly weigh much less than most of their likely opponents, halflings have found that their speed and their wits are more than ample replacements for brute size. An unaggressive race, halflings have never been known to war with others of their kind, and they resort to organized warfare against other races only in cases of dire need. At such times, their tactics lean toward ambuscade and the use of screening terrain, rather than frontal clashes where the greater weight of any opponent's troops would likely prove decisive; given the choice, they would rather drive a foe away than slaughter it.
The small size of the halfling has proven to be a lifesaver on more than one occasion. Indeed, a party consisting entirely of halflings can investigate dens, caverns, and burrows where humans, elves, and dwarves would be fatally constricted by space.
Halfling society, too, is a flexible and forgiving structure, easily capable of allowing individuality and freedom. A halfling who leaves his or her home in search of fortune and fame will almost certainly be sure of a warm welcome on that perhaps distant day when he or she at last returns. At the very least, such a traveler is likely to return with interesting stories . . . But to all halflings, travelers and homebodies alike, there is something compelling and desirable about the solid stone hearth of his or her own burrow. Even the most well-traveled halflings are likely to eventually return to the place of their birth when they are ready to settle down and remember.
Halflings are short, generally plump people, very much like small humans. Their faces are round and broad and often quite florid. Their hair is typically curly and the tops of their feet are covered with coarse hair. They prefer not to wear shoes whenever possible. Their typical life expectancy is approximately 150 years.
Halflings are sturdy and industrious, generally quiet and peaceful. Overall they prefer the comforts of home to dangerous adventuring. They enjoy good living, rough humor, and homespun stories. In fact, they can be a trifle boring at times. Halflings are not forward, but they are observant and conversational if in friendly company. Halflings see wealth only as a means of gaining creature comforts, which they love. Though they are not overly brave or ambitious, they are generally honest and hard working when there is need.
Halfling homes are well-furnished burrows, although most of their work is done on the surface. Elves generally like them in a patronizing sort of way. Dwarves cheerfully tolerate them, thinking halflings somewhat soft and harmless. Gnomes, although they drink more and eat less, like halflings best, feeling them kindred spirits. Because halflings are more open and outgoing than any of these other three, they get along with other races far better.
Average Height & Weight
| Height (Inch) | Weight (lbs) | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Base* | Mod. | Base* | Mod. | 32/30 | 2d8 | 52/48 | 5d4 |
*Females tend to be lighter and shorter than males. Thus, the base numbers for height and weight are divided into male/female values. Note that the modifier still allows for a broad range in each category.
**Tallfellows ad an addition 1d6 to their height
Halfling Subraces
Three halfling subraces--the Hairfoot, the Stout, and the Tallfellow--are introduced in the Player's Handbook and detailed in MONSTROUS COMPENDIUM® Volume One; additional information on all three is included here. These three subraces exist almost everywhere halflings are found, frequently in mixed communities. Hairfeet are by far the most numerous of these three subraces, making up about 75% of most worlds' halfling population, with Stouts about 15% and Tallfellows only about 10%. Rumor persists that the original stock from which these three derive still exists in remote deep forests, but no sighting has ever been reliably confirmed; if a few rare feral halfling clans do survive in odd corners, these "wild halflings" guard their privacy so carefully as to be virtually undetectable by members of any other race. In most cases, these so-called "wild halflings" are probably Hairfeet, Tallfellows, or Stouts whose homes have been destroyed by war or some other disaster and have reverted to a primitive ancestral lifestyle.
Three other subraces are less common; each originated on a single world and is found primarily only on its home planet. The Kender are native to Krynn and have been featured in numerous DRAGONLANCE® products, including Tales of the Lance and the DRAGONLANCE MC appendix (MC4). Originally found only on Krynn, their insatiable curiosity has led many to stow away aboard spelljamming ships, spreading individuals to many odd places. The information here is for those players and DMs rash enough to allow them into their nonDRAGONLANCE® campaigns--or unfortunate enough to do so before they have a full grasp of the consequences!
The Athasian Halfling from the DARK SUN® campaign world is described in the original DARK SUN boxed set and the DARK SUN MC appendix (MC12); so far as is known, no member of this subrace has ever been encountered anywhere besides Athas itself.
Finally, the extremely rare Furchin {Polar Halflings} have spread beyond their desolate homeworld by spelljamming ships, albeit not by choice, and can now be found on the Rock of Bral and in many other places where spelljammers congregate.
Halfling Age
| Base Age | Variable | Middle Age* | Old Age** | Venerable*** | Max Age Range (base + Variable) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 20 | 3d4 | 50 | 67 | 100 | 100 + 1d100 |
** -2 Str/Dex, -1 Con; +1 Wis
*** -1 Str/Dex/Con; +1 Int/Wis
Available Classes
A halfling character can choose to be a
or a Multi-Class fighter/thief. The halfling must use the rules provided for multi-class characters.Recommended Languages
Through their contact with other races, halfling characters are allowed to choose initial languages from common, halfling, dwarf, elf, gnome, goblin, and orc, in addition to any other languages the DM allows.
The actual number of languages the character knows is limited by the number of Nonweapon Proficiency slots he allots to languages.
Resistances
All halfling characters have a high resistance to magical spells. so for every 3 1/2 points of Constitution score, the character gains a +1 bonus on saving throws vs. wands, staves, rods, and spells. These bonuses are summarized on Table 9 in the Dwarves article. Halflings do not suffer from Magical Malfunctions as do dwarves.
Halflings have a similar resistance to poisons of all sorts, so they gain a Constitution bonus identical to that for saving throws vs. magical attacks when they make saving throws vs. poison (i.e., +1 to +5. depending on Constitution score).
Attack Bonuses
Halflings have a natural talent with slings and thrown weapons. Rock pitching is a favorite sport of many a hauling child. All halflings gain a +1 bonus to their attack rolls when using thrown weapons and slings.
Surprise Bonuses
A halfling can gain a bonus to surprise opponents, but only if the halfling is not in metal armor. Even then, the halfling must either be alone. or with a party comprised only of halflings or elves, or 90 feet or more away from his party to gain this bonus. If he fulfills any of these conditions, he causes a -4 penalty to opponents' surprise rolls. If a door or other screen must be opened, this penalty is reduced to -2.
Infravision
Depending on their lineage, certain halfling characters have infravision. Any halfling character has a 15 percent chance to have normal infravision (this means he is pure Stout), out to 60 feet; failing that chance, there is a 2S percent chance that he has limited infravision (mixed Stout/Tallfellow or Stout / Hairfeets lineage), effective out to 30 feet.
Sloping Passages
Similarly, halflings with any Stoutish blood can note if a passage is an up or down grade with 75 percent accuracy (rolled 1, 2, or 3 on 1d4). They can determine direction half the time (roll a 1, 2, or 3 on 1d6). These abilities function only when the character is concentrating on the desired information to the exclusion of all else, and only if the character is pure or partially Stout.
Dress
Gnomes and halflings dress in a similar fashion, often replacing their trousers with knee-length britches. The gnomes favor more stolid colors - brown breeks, a tan blouse, green boots and belt, with a dark brown jacket or coat. A halfling in the same garb might have a yellow shirt and top off with a cap of green with a bright yellow feather in it. Both races will often wear striped clothing. When hunting or at war, they likewise favor garb of a curiously mottled sort, with greens and browns intermixed.[Complete Book of Gnomes & Halflings]
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