Halfling

Halflings appear, upon first sight, to be small, well nourished humans. They share many of the mannerisms and habits of their larger cousins, but a closer look reveals they have large, hairy feet and rather wide eyes displayed the temperament of wily farmers. Halflings are generally an agrarian people, preferring open pastures and lush farmlands to cities or other places crowded with tall folk. They get along well with most peoples, but rarely leave the safety of their homes and communities. Even when they do, it is generally only at the behest of others. Meticulous and prosperous, halflings enjoy good food, relaxation and a quiet life.

### **Description**

Halflings average 3 feet in height and have wide, round eyes and large feet, which are well padded and hairy. Halflings, seldom need to wear shoes except in very cold weather. Long days in the sun give a halfling’s naturally light skin and ruddy brown tan every summer. This, their curly hair and their thick hands all fit their agrarian lifestyle like a well worn frock coat. Most halflings prefer dull colored clothing so they won’t attract attention to themselves, but the wealthy or prideful wear finer, brightly colored clothes to denote their status.

### **Personality**

Halflings are friend and hospitable, yet they prefer their own culture to those of others. They typically eat too much and develop paunches early in life. Indeed, to have a great paunch is considered a sign of good breeding and wealth. Normally, halflings eat often during the day. They start the day by enjoying a breakfast, followed by a brunch and then lunch. This often precedes an afternoon snack of cake and tea, to be followed by supper and then a late dinner. It is said that halflings can keep time by the grumbles and rumbles of a hungry belly. Halflings also work digigently on t heir farms, houses, gardens, fences and other projects pertaining to their needs; “Relaxing requires a lot of work,” many halflings are wont to say.

           Slow to anger, halflings prefer to settle disputes through legal means whenever possible, by appropriate compensation when necessary and through other measures only if unavoidable. A halfling’s desire for quiet and safety carries over to their personal lives, with only the occasional adventurous halfling leaving home to travel the world. A mystery to their brethren, these halfings often find themselves in the most unusual of escapades and adventures. These situations can reveal one of the least known qualities of halflings: a heart as stout as the strongest warrior and courage unflagging to the point of foolhardiness.

### **Relationships**

Halflings are insular, and generally prefer only the company of fellow halflings. Of the other races, halflings prefer humans most of all, for they do much business with them, and they find that human farmers and herdsmen often share similar values. They are also favorably disposed towards gnomes, whose temperament resembles that of a halflings more than any of the other races. Elves fascinate halflings, but they are far too ‘magical’ to be considered respectable. Halflings grudgingly admire dwarves but find them a bit too gruff hard headed and clannish for their personal tastes. Halflings do not relate well to goblins and their kind, whom they passionately dislike.

### **Environment**

Most halflings prefer lush, green lands with fertile soil, abundant water and mild seasons and they strive to dwell in areas far removed from the troubles of the world. Yet, the world is broad, and some must live in proximity to other peoples and the troubles they create. There are halflings who make their homes in the coarser areas of the world, including towns or even cities, though these halflings are rare. Halfling houses tend to be small and made of brick when built above ground, while others live beneath the earth in expansive underground houses built into the tops of hills and underneath large mounds.

#### **Racial Traits and Abilities**

**Fearless:** +2 bonus on all saving throws against fear.

**Hide (Dexterity):** Halflings are practiced at avoiding the prying eyes of others in outdoors settings. A successful check allows a halfling to hide making them almost invisible. If a halfling decides to move while attempting to remain concealed, they can still hid but will suffer a penalty to the check. At up to one half their movement rate, halfling suffer a -5 penalty to the check. At one half their normal movement rate to full speed they suffer a -10 to the check. It is impossible for the halfling to move faster than normal speed while hiding. If the halfling is being observed, even casually the character cannot hide. If the observers are momentarily distracted, however the halfling can attempt to hide. This check however has a -10 penalty because the character has to move quickly into hiding.

**Move Silently (Dexterity):** Being naturally small and dexterous, can move as quietly as a breeze upon a summer morn. With a successful dexterity check, halflings can move silently. They can move up to one-half their normal movement rate with no penalty to this check. For moving at one half of their normal rate up to the character’s full speed, the character suffers a -5 penalty to the check. It’s practically impossible to move silently while running or charging so this type of action incurs a -20 to the check.

**Duskvision:** Can see in starlight and moonlight just as a human can at dusk. They retain the ability to distinguish color and some detail under these conditions though everything is cast in shadows.

**Resistant:** +1 bonus to all constitution saving throws.

**Languages:** Common, Halfling

**Bonus Languages:** Dwarven, Gnome, Elven, Sylvan, Goblinoid.

**Size:** Small

**Movement:** 20 feet.

**Typical Classes:** Fighter, Ranger, Rogue, Cleric, Druid, Bard

**Attribute Modifiers:** +1 Dexterity, -1 Strength

**Ranger Modifier:** +2 Conceal, +2 Move Silent

**Rogue and Assassin Modifier:** +2 Hide, +2 Move Silent

##### **Halfling Starting Ages**

1. **Group 1: Assassin, Barbarian, Cleric, Druid, Fighter, Rogue**
2. **Group 2: Paladin, Ranger, Knight**
3. **Group 3: Bard, Illusionist, Monk, Wizard**

### **Compatibility**

1. Castles and Crusades Generic Halfling.
2. d20/OSR System.