Halfling (Half-ling)
Short in stature and big in courage, halflings are easy-going and curious. Both opportunistic and optimistic by nature, a hafling is always on the lookout for the next bit of fun. Resembling tiny Humans, halflings are often found wandering behind larger races, making a living in their shadows.
Basic Information
Anatomy
In nearly all senses, a halflings appears similar to a human, simply smaller in stature. The only notable difference is a halflings feet, which always seem a bit too large for their bodies. They often grow a large amount of hair on their feet, and their soles are much more rugged than humans, allowing them to walk around barefooted.
Genetics and Reproduction
Reproducing in similar ways to humans, a halflings pregnancy usually lasts just under a year.
Growth Rate & Stages
Halflings grown similarly to humans, but at a slightly slower pace, reaching adulthood at 20 years of age.
Dietary Needs and Habits
Halflings are well known for their eating habits, having high metabolism rates and consuming large quantities of food despite their size.
Biological Cycle
A halflings smaller size means that they are often more affected by the cold, and thus become less active in winter months.
Additional Information
Social Structure
Halflings rarely form large scale socities, instead forming simple and small family communities. They often will live and adapt to the societies of other nearby races.
Uses, Products & Exploitation
Many races view halflings as valuable slaves, mostly due to a lack of organized opposition and the ease of breaking the halflings spirit with threats of pain and violence. Many halflings are pressed into a life of thievery by others due to their small statures and quick movements, and thus have a bad reputation of sticky fingers.
Facial characteristics
The best way to tell a halflings apart from a human child is their facial features, as an adult halfling often retains more defined facial characteristics.
Geographic Origin and Distribution
Halflings can be found spread throughout the Nine Realms. Many halflings are found in or adjacent to human settlements.
Average Intelligence
Halflings are charming and witty creatures, and are easily able to integrate and socialize with all types of groups.
Perception and Sensory Capabilities
Halflings have keen ears and an excellent sense of hearing.
Civilization and Culture
Major Organizations
Many halflings don't join large-scale organizations, instead preferring to remain in smaller communities and work with more local businesses. A halflings natural talents often leads them to be recruited by the local thieves guild or other criminal elements of a city. While the halflings resent this common association, the promise of coin and the thrill of the job is often a offer they cannot refuse easily.
Beauty Ideals
Halflings share most traditional beauty ideals with the humans of the area, but often are more free spirited and flexible when it comes to adapting to new ideas or the beauty standards of other races.
Gender Ideals
Like humanity, halfling society is varied by location and personal creeds. Halfling ideals are generally more flexible then their larger cousins. Due to the societal perception of a halflings sneakiness, as well as their penchant to be targeted by slavers, some halfling communities enforce very strict rules. While not always gender based, these rules often help enforce whatever gender barriers already exist in the society.
Courtship Ideals
Halflings often attempt to set up friends and family with each others, often going through convoluted plans to attempt to make sure that the dates go well.
Relationship Ideals
Halflings form strong bonds of friendship, and friendship and loyalty often mean everything to a halfling.
Average Technological Level
Halflings often share in the technology of the surrounding people, but tend to be less industrious then humans or Gnomes. They are content to enjoy what they have and leave the innovation to others, but will at times work hard on creating a new item if it will spark joy into their community.
Major Language Groups and Dialects
Haflings speak Halfling and the Common dialect of their realm. Many halflings can also be found speaking Dwarven, Elven, Gnommish, or Goblin as well.
Common Etiquette Rules
Insinuating that a halfling is somehow involved in criminal activity is incredibly insulting (no matter how obvious said activity may be), and is likely to make the offender the next target of a crime.
Common Dress Code
Halflings usually share similar dress codes to the humans of their area or realm, although on a smaller scale. Most halflings despise wearing any type of footwear, preferring to leave their feet unrestricted when possible. Many halflings become entertainers of some kind, and thus often have a flashy and overly garish outfit.
Culture and Cultural Heritage
Many young halflings are nomadic, leaving home when they reach adulthood to sate their ever growing wanderlust. For most halflings, this need for constant excitement and adventure fades and the halfling then turns its attention to finding a place to settle down and make a living.
Common Customs, Traditions and Rituals
Halflings love to celebrate birthdays, often throwing large, extravagant, and rambunctious parties in which they invite everybody they know.
Common Taboos
The betrayal of a friend is the worst crime one can commit as a halfling, and a halfling constantly strives to not disappoint the many friends the make.
Common Myths and Legends
Most halflings worship a member of the halfling pantheon, with Central Materan halflings mostly worshiping Mip, the leader of the pantheon and the god of joy and fun. They can also often be found worshiping gods relating to stealth, freedom, and food.
Interspecies Relations and Assumptions
A halfling's tendency for sneakiness and stealth has led them with a stereotype of being thieves, leading many others to be distrustful of them. They get along well with Gnomes, as both share a love of fun and adventure, but a gnome's obsessions are often too off-putting for a halfling.
Table: Halfling - Hit Dice: D8; Class Skills: Climb, Craft, Handle Animal, Profession, Ride; Skill Ranks Per Level: 2 + Intelligence modifier per level; Weapon Proficiency: Simple, plus slings and any weapon with "halfling" in its name; Armor Proficiency: Light
| Level | BAB | Fort | Reflex | Will | Abilities |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | +0 | +0 | +2 | +0 | Fearless, Halfling Luck, Keen Senses, Sure Footed |
| 2nd | +1 | +0 | +3 | +0 | Innocent Disguise, Luck Halfling |
| 3rd | +2 | +1 | +3 | +1 | Easy Integration, Nimble Dodger |
| 4th | +3 | +1 | +4 | +1 | Sling Warrior, +1 Dexterity, +1 Charisma |
| 5th | +3 | +1 | +4 | +1 | Master of Stealth |
Random Starting Ages
| Adulthood | Intuitive1 | Self-Taught2 | Trained3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20 years | +2d4 years (22 - 28) | +3d8 years (23 - 44) | +4d6 years (24 - 44) |
Random Height and Weight
| Gender | Base Height | Height Modifier | Base Weight | Weight Modifer |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Male | 2 ft. 8 in. | +2d4 in. (2 ft. 10 in. - 3 ft. 4 in.) | 30 lbs. | +(2d4 lbs.) (32 - 38 lbs.) |
| Female | 2 ft. 6 in. | +2d4 in. (2 ft. 8 in. - 3 ft. 2 in.) | 25 lbs. | +(2d4 lbs.) (27. - 33 lbs.) |
Halfling Aging Table
| Middle Age (-1 to Str, Dex and Con, +1 to Int, Wis, and Cha) | Old (-2 to Str, Dex and Con, +2 to Int, Wis, and Cha) | Venerable (-3 to Str, Dex and Con, +2 to Int, Wis, and Cha) | Maximum Age (GM secretly decides maximum age) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 50 years | 75 years | 100 years | 100 + 5d20 years (105 - 200 years) |
Random Halfling Homelands
| % Rolled | Homeland | Trait Gained |
|---|---|---|
| 01-50 | Halfling Settlement | Well-Informed |
| 51-80 | Human Settlement | Child of the Streets |
| 81-95 | Traveling Band or Caravan | Friend in Every Town |
| 96-00 | Unusual Homeland | (Roll on Unusual Homeland table) |
Random Halfling Families
| % Rolled | Parental Status |
|---|---|
| 01-70 | Both of your parents are alive |
| 71-80 | Only Father is alive |
| 81-90 | Only Mother is alive |
| 91-00 | Both of your parents are dead. |
| % Rolled | # of Siblings |
|---|---|
| 01-30 | 1d2 siblings |
| 31-90 | 1d4+1 siblings |
| 91-00 | No siblings |
Genetic Descendants
Lifespan
105 - 200 years
Average Height
Male halflimgs average between 2'10" and 3'4", while females average between 2'8" and 3'2".
Average Weight
Male halflings average between 32 - 38 lbs, while females average between 27 - 33 lbs.
Average Physique
Halflings lack large muscles, and often struggle with physical tasks.
Body Tint, Colouring and Marking
Most halflings share the body coloration that is common to the humans of their Realm of area, but do tend towards slightly lighter shades.
Related Organizations
Halfling
Type
Humanoid (Halfling)
Ability Score Modifier
+2 Dexterity, +2 Charisma, -2 Strength; Halflings are nimble and strong-willed, but lack the strength of other races.
Size
small
Speed
Halflings have a base speed of 20 feet .
Language
A halfling begins play speaking Common and Halfling. A halfling with a high Intelligence score can pick from any of the following languages: Dwarven, Elven, Gnome, or Goblin.
- Materil: A Central Materan halfling can be tied to any of the Materils, although the racial variants are tied to the Materil of their realm. Central Materan halflings tend towards Shadowbringers or Loveteachers
- Fearless: Halflings gain a +2 racial bonus on saving throws against fear. This bonus increases by 1 for every four hit dice the halfling possesses beyond the 1st. This racial bonus stacks with the bonus gained from Halfling Luck.
- Halfling Luck: Halflings gain a +1 racial bonus on all saving throws. This bonus increases by 1 for every four hit dice the halfling possesses beyond the first.
- Keen Senses: Halflings gain a +2 racial bonus on Perception checks. This bonus increases by 1 for every two hit dice the halfling possesses beyond the first.
- Sure-Footed: Halflings gain a +2 racial bonus on Acrobatics and Climb checks. This bonus increases by 1 for every two hit dice the halfling possesses beyond the first.
- Innocent Disguise: Starting at 2nd racial level, a halfling can easily pass itself off as a human child. They gain a +1 bonus on Bluff and Disguise checks to pass as a human child, and a +1 bonus on Stealth checks. This bonus increases by one for every three hit dice the halfling possesses beyond the 2nd.
- Lucky Halfling: Starting at 2nd racial level, any ally adjacent to the halfling gains a +1 luck bonus on saving throws. This bonus increases by 1 for every five hit dice the halfling possesses beyond the 2nd.
- Easy Integration: Starting at 3rd racial level, a halfling can use its social skills to integrate with other groups. Once per day, they can take a 20 on any Charisma based skill check to interact with a group that can understand them. If a group can’t understand the halfling, the Halfling can make a DC 15 Linguistics check with a +1 bonus. This bonus increases by +1 for every 3 hit dice the halfling has beyond the 3rd. A success means that the group relatively understands that halflings base points, and the halfling can make skill checks and interact with that group despite not sharing a language.
- Nimble Dodger: At 3rd racial level, a halfling gains Dodge as a bonus feat. If they already had Dodge as a bonus feat, they instead gain Mobility as a bonus feat. The bonuses from those feats increases by 1 for every 5 hit dice the halfling has beyond the 3rd.
- Sling Warrior: Starting at 4th racial level, a halfling gains a +1 bonus on attack rolls with a sling and a bonus on damage rolls with a sling equal to their Dexterity modifier.
- Master of Stealth: At 5th racial level, a halfling gains skill unlocks for the Stealth skill. He treats his total hit die as the number of ranks he is considered to have in Stealth for the purpose of benefiting for the skill unlocks. If the halfling gains skill unlocks from another feature, they add their ranks in Stealth and their total hit die together for the purpose of determining the effects of the skill unlock.
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