Halflings
Blackmoor’s halfling races have a long and storied past. They are kind friends and stalwart allies of all good beings. When Uther Andahar revolted against the Thonian Emperor the halflings of Booh fought alongside him against the Emperor’s forces. Many halfl ings aided in the fight against the Thonian Emperor’s forces at the Battle of Root River, contributing to the Thonians’ defeat and the subsequent declaration of Andahar as King of Blackmoor.
Halflings are generally liked, though orcs and men subjugate some halfl ings in southern Blackmoor. A sizeable group of halfl ing-like beings escaped during the Afridhi invasion and refused to allow themselves to be dominated ever again. They named themselves “ Docrae,” which means “fighter” in their language. Unlike other halflings, the Docrae are a defensive and untrusting people who mostly keep to themselves.
HalflingsHalflings are the most welcome of visitors throughout Blackmoor. They bring stories and goods to trade and are free from other races’ mistrust. Halflings are uniquely able to obtain secret information, a trait which has made them important friends in dangerous lands.
Personality: Halflings are kind and friendly folk who love to tell stories and eat. They are known throughout the land for their ability to entertain. While they are friendly, they are also skilled traders and drive hard bargains, using their natural charisma to influence their dealings with others. Halflings are industrious and quickly adapt to the customs of the lands in which they settle.
Physical Description: Halflings stand 3 to 3 1/2 feet tall and weigh in at a portly 50 to 75 pounds. Halflings have dark hair and eyes. They wear practical and unassuming clothing to prevent provocation from those who would think to take advantage of their diminutive stature.
Halflings live long lives, reaching maturity at 45 and becoming elders at 175. Alignment: Halflings are good-natured and rejoice in peace. They are good, law-abiding residents. Those halflings who lean toward chaos are usually failures in the merchant trade or have mischief to spread.
Relations: Halflings are welcome in all of Blackmoor’s lands, and their shops can be found in every major town. Halflings are known for their ability to obtain items and information. Docrae, while friendly to halflings, think that they are naive and too trusting.
Halfling Lands: Halflings call no single place their home; instead they find themselves guests in the lands of others. The largest halfling settlements are found in Booh and Ramshead. Halflings have opened shops and inns on the War Road and welcome guests of all types. Halflings also make their homes in human cities.
Halfling Culture: Halflings raise their families wherever they can earn their keep. Family is a strong tie inhalfling communities, though the dwarven clan concept does not fi nd a home within halfling society. Halflings are fond of cooking and have developed such an affinity for the craft that they are often sought as chefs by humanoid nobles. Halflings tend to seek out their own fortunes and focus their wealth and successes on their immediate families.
"Sit with me for a while, young sprouts,while these coals soothe my aged bones." "Your bones aren't old, Grandmother!"piped up the youngest of the brood—Kepli, a tiny cherub not two feet tall. He glared at his mother's mother's mother, as if challenging the venerable halfling to dispute her scion's faith."Oh, you're right about that, Little Kep—/ could still dance a step or two! Why, I remember the night of the Twenty Year Festival, a dozen years back..."
"Tell us, Grandmother—please!" implored a chorus of voices. But instead, the oldster held up her hand and shook her white head, hair tied in a neat bun at the back of her neck. Ample jowls jostled amiably as she chuckled at the youngsters' enthusiasm. "Another time, sprouts... you'll hear about that, all right. But tonight, you'll have a different tale."
The old halfling settled into her soft chair, adjusting her well-padded form amid the worn cushions, pulling back the comforter on her left, where she faced the fire. "You see, the story I'll tell you now is one I had from my own grandmother, when I was not much older than Pedderee here." She ruffled the coppery curls of a beaming little girl. Pedderee turned proudly to her siblings and cousins, but their attention remained riveted on the seated figure of the matriarch.
"And it's my true hope," she continued, "that when one of you sits in this chair here— many, many years from now—you'll remember, and share it with your own little sprouts." "We will, Grandmother! We promise!" Eyes wide, faces serious, the young halflings pledged their attention. They already understood that, tonight, it was no ordinary story they would hear.
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 bur- row, 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 re- placements 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 home- bodies 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 re- turn to the place of their birth when they are ready to settle down and remember. New Stuff About Halflings The following chapters provide much greater detail on halflings than any previously published rulebook. This information is intended for players who enjoy running halfling PCs and for DMs who wish to create more in- teresting NPCs to employ in their campaigns. The primary halfling character in a typical AD&D campaign is the Hairfoot; this book includes additional detail on not just the Hairfeet but all the halfling subraces—including a nearly unknown variety, the Furchin (hitherto featured only in a single SPELLJAMMER® adventure). Each subrace is differentiated not just by background but by special abilities and characteristics. Halfling society, too, is detailed in all its facets. A variety of halfling character kits are included to allow players to tailor their individual halfling PCs into specialists, each with its own strengths and weaknesses. A typical halfling village, suitable for any AD&D® campaign world, is given in some detail to provide a starting place for an all-halfling campaign, and the Appendix contains several adventure suggestions aimed at halfling PCs. 60 • Introduction mike webb (Order #34055470) Halflings can be found on almost all the worlds inhabited by demihumans and human- kind—and, in at least one case, have settled a world without any human or elven inhabit- ants. Though they resemble their larger hu- man cousins in physical characteristics as well as geographic locale, the halfling race differs significantly in the common tale of its origin. Whereas humans throughout the known worlds have countless legends, tales, and myths to explain their arrival and presence there, halfling cultures all share a common story: the Story of Littleman. Of course, the common tale is inevitably flavored with local custom—for example, the role of the goddess Yondalla varies depending on who's telling the story. Yet its core is always the same: the story of a small person wandering in the midst of chaotic, populous lands, facing a thousand difficulties and triumphing over them all through luck, courage, wits, and persistence. The Story of Littleman "There, Petrilly—be a dear child and fill my teacup. Surely thanks. Oh, and just a wee splash from the bottle to give it some character. Well done, lass." "The story, Grandmother—tell us the story!" Eyes wide, the youngsters waited impatiently until the old halflings tea was properly mixed. She sipped, and smacked her lips, and then began. "Yes... the story of Littleman. But it's not just a story of the first halfling—it's a story of the gods, as well. The gods of the Big Folk and the Bad Folk, humans and goblins, who dwell up in the Seven Heavens and look out over the worlds and watch out for their followers." "And Yondalla, Grandmother? She's there too, isn't she?" "Mercy, child! Where else would she be? All you little ones know she's the great Protector of all halflings. Of course she lives there! In fact, the tale's not just about Littleman, but about Yondalla as well. But in those days, when our story begins, she was not yet our protector. Indeed, back then Yondalla was held by most of her fellows to be an unimportant goddess and was little heeded by the great lords of Human and Elf, Dwarf and Monster. "Not that she was weak, or meek, mind you—quite the contrary. Yondalla was bold and brave, and quick to speak her mind when the gods met together in one of their great councils. But alas, since she had no faithful worshippers, her wise words were often ignored by the other gods, deities who boasted of their multitude of followers like peacocks showing off their pretty tailfeathers. Then, too, there was the matter of her size—gods are like too many people I could mention and are quicker to give respect to the huge and awesome than the small and clever, and Yondalla barely reached to the knee of many of the mightier lords." "But, but, Grandmother... ?" Kepli spoke tentatively. "Yondalla's a mighty goddess— isn't she?" "Aye, Sprout—that she is. But even in those days, many other gods already had the weight of worshipping legions to support them and cause others to listen to their words. Yondalla had none, and thus many of the greater lords ignored her, especially after she was banned from their councils for a time " "But why would they do that to someone as nice as Yondalla?" Petrilly wanted to know. "Simple, lass. She'd often heard various of the gods boast that they were the wisest, or strongest, or most popular deity of them all. One time when all the gods were gathered in council, she asked 'Which of you is the greatest?' Quickly the responses grew heated, and the argument that followed lasted for a long, long time; by the time it was over just about everybody was mad at just about everybody else. And they decided to blame it all on poor Yondalla for bringing it up in the first place— isn't that just like Big Folks? "But it wasn't just that; her questions had gotten her in the soup before, and not listening to the big gods making long speeches and Myths of the Halflings • 61 mike webb (Order #34055470) trying to impress one another was hardly punishment in her mind. I think it was more that she was tired of being ignored. It seemed to her that even those gods and goddesses who were her friends often treated her with condescension, as if her size meant she had no more sense than a child! Humph! "Also, Yondalla is a kind and tolerant goddess. She admires kindness and generosity— not traits that the other gods held in abundance. But remember, my little ones, Yondalla is also a clever god. She saw the power that followers gave to the other gods, and she determined that she would have followers of her own. Finally, the goddess decided there was nothing for it but to find some worshippers of her own." "Kepli, the fire needs another log—Ah! there's a good lad. "Yondalla left the Seven Heavens and came to the Worlds Below, where she searched for a long time, looking for the perfect worshipper. But it was a long, hard search: most of the folks she came across already had gods of their own. She could have tried to steal away the other gods' worshippers, of course, but that would have meant trouble, and it was never Yondalla's way to stir up trouble when there was an easy way of avoiding it. Other folk had no gods, but watching them Yondalla saw that they were cruel and savage, hurting one another for no reason. She wanted followers she wouldn't have to scold every ten minutes, and decided to continue her search. "I don't know how long she searched—my old grandmother used to say it was 'a day and a year and a year and a day'—but surely it was a long weary time. Then one day she saw Littleman sitting on a riverbank, fishing, and at that moment her search was over." The old matriarch stopped. There was a long, thoughtful pause as her audience considered the story. Unnoticed, Pedderee refilled the venerable halfling's empty cup. Finally Kepli broke the silence: "Grandmother? Where did Littleman come from? What was he doing before Yondalla found him?" "Ah, child, who knows? Remember, this was in the Bad Old Days, before our folk had farms, and villages, and shires of our own. Back then we were scattered like mice when the owls are out. Each family kept to itself and had its own hidden burrow. It was a hard life: sneaking, and hiding, and getting by on gleanings and scraps, always listening for enemies at the door. "But Littleman, he wasn't afraid like the rest. He used to boast there wasn't a monster in the whole forest he couldn't outsmart, and he proved time and again that his quick wits were more than a match for brute strength by leading enemies into trap after trap as they chased him, until finally they'd given up and decided to leave him alone. Thanks to his carrying on so, his folk were safer than they had been in a long day, for none of the Bad Folk wanted to mess with any halfling they came across, in case it turned out to be Littleman. "Yondalla watched Littleman for a long time and decided she liked what she saw. Here was a potential worshipper who was clever, brave, kind-hearted, and full of mischief. Best of all, he was just the right size. So one day she revealed herself to him and made him a bargain: if Littleman would gather all his scattered people into villages and communities, in return for their worship Yondalla would protect them from all their many enemies and give them a life of plenty and peace. "Now, Littleman thought this over and decided it sounded fair, so he said 'Done!' And from that day to this, Yondalla has watched over our folk and guarded our prosperity, and we have been her people." "And Littleman, Grandmother? What became of him?" Pedderee asked. "Why, child, she sent him on his wanderings, to all the worlds where any of the small folk lived," chuckled the white-haired matriarch. "But that's a tale for another night." 62 • Chapter One mike webb (Order #34055470) A General History of the Halfling Race The myth of Littleman is repeated in virtu- ally all halfling cultures of the mortal realms. However, the details of the story differ with every teller. In some versions of the tale, Yon- dalla creates Littleman out of essences she has stolen from the humans, gnomes, dwarves, and elves. In others, she said to have created halflings long before Littleman's time but then left them alone for an age to see how they'd turn out, like a farmer who plants seeds and then leaves them be until the young plants have sprouted. Others give no explanation of how halflings came into the world but simply start with Yondalla's meeting with Littleman. All versions agree, however, that before re- corded history began, halflings were a shy and fugitive people living as hunter-gatherers on the edges of civilization, hiding in isolated burrows from the humanoids and monsters that preyed upon them. The civilized races—elves, humans, dwarves, and gnomes—took little if any notice of them, while to the humanoids they were merely tasty, if elusive, meals. Then, for reasons which these races have never fully understood, the small folk suddenly came out of hiding, gathered together, and created small agricul- tural settlements for themselves across the face of the known worlds (the halflings themselves attribute the impetus to their mythical cultural hero, Littleman, and the goddess Yondalla). At any rate, it is clear that halflings arrived on the scene after humans and well behind the longer- lived dwarves, elves, and gnomes. The halflings seem to have made a point of not competing with the brawnier neighbors, instead selecting regions of lowland or dense thicket which they industriously drained and cleared, forming the pastoral shires inherited by their descendants. Halfling societies have developed among most of the lands that have seen significant human settlement. Sometimes the small folk live among the humans, sharing their cities (though many will be gathered in a well- defined "Halfling Quarter") or farming beside their larger cousins. More often, however, halflings will live in small enclaves on the fringes of human realms. As a rule, halflings do not display the urge to expand their frontiers that so characterizes humanity; they are on the whole an easy-going and unambi- tious people. Once every dozen generations or so some restless halfling will gather a group of like-minded souls and forge into wilderness to clear new lands, but like their ancestors they will avoid areas already inhabited by others (whether human, demihuman, or humanoid). There is no record of halflings ever invading an area for the purpose of driving its inhabit- ants out and settling there themselves, al- though they are adept at mingling with whatever inhabitants they find already there. Halflings strive to form the most neighborly of societies wherever they live. The race has a gift for getting along with dwarves, elves, hu- mans, and gnomes in all climes and environ- ments. Lack of prejudice is a noted halfling characteristic—one which allows them to wel- come all types of strangers into their com- munities and to mingle comfortably in the cities and towns of larger races. Typically, halflings will cooperate with their neighbors for the defense of a larger area. Thus they gain an alliance with larger troops, and the ally welcomes companies of superb missile troops. The Gods of the Halflings Like the universal story of Littleman, half- lings have a common pantheon which under- goes a great deal of local variation. Community individualism runs rampant among halfling populations; thus, every vil- lage will honor the same gods but probably call them by a different name. Among the halflings of the Moonshae Islands in the Forgotten Realms, for example, Yondalla is known as Perissa and is held to have made Lit- tleman on one of those faerie isles. Those half- lings who live along the Sword Coast to the south of Waterdeep (not terribly far from the Moonshaes) refer to Yondalla as Dallillia and hold that her origins are as the village goddess Myths of the Halflings • 63 mike webb (Order #34055470) of a small woodland community. The half- lings of Lurien far to the south insist in turn that their land is Littleman's original home. And of course each halfling pictures Yondalla as belonging to his or her own subrace (unlike Littleman, who is conceived of as sharing characteristics of all the subraces rather than belonging to any single one). It's important to remember that this distinc- tion extends farther than simply among the subraces. Halfling villages scarcely two dozen miles apart might each have a different name for Yondalla, and the citizens of each might believe that this goddess is a local deity, con- cerned far more with the single village than with the race of halflings as a whole. This reflects an important fact of halfling mentality: the only really important things are those that happen close to home. They're far more interested in worshipping an immediate and beneficent deity—one whose responsibili- ties are to them, and no one else—rather than an abstract goddess who is presumed to over- look the entire race. The remoteness of most hu- man deities bewilders many halflings, as does the deference human worshippers show to their deities. It's not that halflings are irreligious; it's just that while they treat Yondalla and her com- panions with respect, they're far less in awe of her than is the norm between god or goddess and follower. As halflings see it, they have a bargain with the gods: in return for their worship, the gods promised to take care of them. Halfling clerics exist to see that both sides of the bargain are kept—to remind halflings to give the gods their due and to remind the gods that they are responsible for the safety and comfort of their loyal followers. Although this sounds like a cold-blooded business arrangement, it is not: stories of the "Bad Old Days" remind all half- lings of how much they owe Yondalla, and the average halfling feels both gratitude and affec- tion toward her for her gifts. In addition, halflings will worship a vast number of very specialized minor deities, variously called "the small gods" and "the thou- sand home gods." Each house commonly has a protector of its own hearth, often inspired by some matriarch or patriarch in the clan's his- tory. The Homesteader who starts a small community might well be accorded a similar status in later years—that is, his or her spirit might be invoked on matters relating to the health and prosperity of the village. Littleman is widely viewed (by nonhalflings) as a com- posite of a multitude of these forgotten cul- tural heroes into one archetypical figure. Halflings are inclined to see evidence of these small local gods in many aspects of their surroundings. A patron deity of baking might be credited for the way a particularly good batch of bread comes out, for example; if the game is plentiful, the god of the neighboring woods (often pictured as a hare or fox) will be thanked with small offerings. Halflings who fish commonly revere venerable river deni- zens, such as an ancient and battle-scarred trout. In the latter case, a halfling who hooks or nets the great one will almost certainly let him go—you don't see mounted fish or animal heads on the wall of a halfling burrow! A full detailing of the most common half- ling pantheon is detailed in DMGR4, Monster Mythology. The listing here is intended as an introduction, summary, and quick reference. The small folk have a very matriarchal view of religion: all their primary deities are female. The goddesses are all concerned with the most important aspects of halfling life; the male gods are viewed almost as sidekicks, ruling over pe- ripheral (if necessary) aspects of life. The avatar listed for each deity is a tempo- rary incarnation, the form in which that god- dess or god is most likely to be encountered during play. Of course, these avatars are not intended as NPCs to be commonly encoun- tered by the player characters—rather, they can be used as beings of more or less normal appearance but great, almost unlimited, power. Perhaps they appear to offer the PCs
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