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"Yes! We'll be done by tea time at this rate! Our small forms are finally advantageous as we slip past the bars of gates and invade the big folk from the inside!" The halfling soldier.
"Living with a toddler, I look at him and think 'you know if I gave this kid a sword, that would be terrifying..." Jim Davis: expert DM and parental advice.
I really like the idea of the fearless halflings. Not in the bravery sense, like the Hobbits of old, but just a halfling who realized everything could kill them pretty easily. So to them, the hulking goliath barbarian is no more threatening than the shop owner across the street. Just completely unfazed by feats of strength, nonplussed by intimidation tactics, unmoved by a dragon's roar, etc. Something here can kill me in an instant? Eh, it's just another Tuesday...
Not everything is equally threatening but everything is so highly threatening that it doesn't even matter anymore. When everything has a 95% chance of killing you are you really going to give that much more of a shit about something with a 98% chance of doing it?
Halflings are by far my favorite race. All of the characters I want to make seem to start as a halfling. Halfling thieves, bards, barbarians, and of course my main man. Thomas Shortwick, draconic sorcerer
Joshua Richardson I'm in my first campaign ever and that's exactly what I am. My character runs around the battlefield, slapping my team on the ass casting cure wounds and shield of faith. I also pop out from between our fighters legs yelling "surprise mother fucker" while swinging with my mace. I didn't know how much I needed this game in my life lol.
I think you guys forgot about the Took Clan from the original Hobbit and LoTR, They live in the Shire with the quiet and pastoral folk, but they're considered "not respectable" because they went off on adventures, Bilbo had a Took mother and whenever he does something adventurous and bold the narrator talks about "his Tookish side". The adventuring halfling has never been their societal norm and I don't know about the stealing from allies, but they've always been there. I also blame Tolkien for the human halfling homogeneity, Bree is apparently full of hobbits.
Awwwww! Not one mention of Dark Sun's Halfling... 2ed Complete book of halflings said it best: Halfling rangers are rarely ever seen. Not that they don't exist, you just never see them"
super agree with the first point about them just being there in Faerun for no reason (but then again lots of things in Faerun don’t make sense) Eberron halfling tho. that’s where it’s at
For me, when I think halfling I think of my monk. A may be tiny but I have a 20 strength and you're still getting punched to death. He was specifically a dragonhunter. He could run as fast as they flew and launch himself up to face them in air XD
I was wondering, when comparing the crit damage of two-handing a longsword 2D10 (2-20) to a greatsword 3D6 (3-18), why wouldn't the greatsword damage be 4D6 (4-24)? I thought a critical hit caused you to double all damage dice that would normally be rolled for that hit, like sneak attack for rogues.
2H Longsword = 1d10 Greatsword = 2d6 Critical hit = roll all damage dice again I think they were thinking crits add one die of weapon damage (so 2d10 vs 3d6) but that's not correct. It'd be 2d10 vs 4d6.
I like how they did it in fifth edition, the way they made them very community focused kind of gives that hobbit feel without making them just a race of people who never wants to leave their damn home.
I didn't know that you lived in VT! I live in New Hampshire! I moved back from Dallas last year. I've been playing D&D for about 5 or 6 months now, and I just want to tell you that what you guys are doing is amazing. As soon as I started playing I got into your videos and I watched all of them and this is the highlight of my Wednesday. So thank you for doing this. If you're ever in the Keene NH area, don't be afraid to gimme a shout.
I think a lot of people do it with the Paladin class also, as you can easily summon a "mount" when they invariably die in battle (mastiffs have low hp). Also, pick up a Lance. You'll get a heavy hitting weapon with +5 reach that only needs one hand while mounted (can have shield or second weapon in offhand, theoretically TWO LANCES lol), but when off the mount you need two hands. Either way, a melee halfling is so much fun. I went Dex, two weapon fighting, stout halfling. Criminal background, and I actually pumped Con first, I now have more HP at level 7 than anyone else in our party. I have fun Dex proficiencies for stealth, sleight of hand, thieves tool kit and decent Charisma for some intimidation/deception to boot. I'm a rogeulike fighter in utility, who happens to be a tank and a whirlwind of rapier pokes.
Think it took me months to realise that 5E halflings' most common alignment was Lawful Good. It just seemed so jarring to the image I had of halflings, as wandering tricksters & rogues, when they are all about community and sticking together. I mean, it kinda makes sense in hindsight, but still caught me off-guard.
My headcannon/home brew concept for Hobbits is that they are agricultural based small hippies who sell EXCELLENT and HIGH QUALITY fruits and vegetables to any allied humanoids, Halflings at a young age leave to get their adventure itch scratched, then, upon returning settle down and become proper halflings, it'd be a sort of coming-of-age thing.
I just started curse of strahd as a halfling oath of ancients paladin and you guys gave me a lot of food for thought! Ser Strong Nogglust is a pious warrior of the light!
Haha that ending. You guys aren't the only d&d talks channel I watch, but you may be my favourite. Aside from having interesting things to say, you have good chemistry with each other, are respectful to each other and just really comfortable. Your whole package deal makes your videos relaxing and entertaining as well as informative and thought-provoking.
Another fantastic show. You guys inspired me too play Tuffnot my take on the half barbarian. I've got a bunch of other great ideas. Consistently the best D&D changed on RU-vid.
Williow, awesome movie. Mass polymorph, "Pigs, your all pigs" Our first game I got my brother to play, he rolled up a Kinder and we spent hours getting the characters tools up and ready to go. Within 10 min they were captured, knocked out, taken deep in the Undermountain, and about to be sold as slaves. They organized a frantic escape as the slavers and guards were busy dealing with multiple Beholders that had wandered into the slave auction. Anyway Kinders were awesome and a pain.
Piratecat's story hour had a great halfling wizard named Agar - he either came from or had spent time in the Far Realm and had levels in a Cthulu-esque presitge class. Like a really friendly tiny mad scientist type, but with tentacles popping out of his and his familiar's bodies at odd moments.
I played a Kender cleric in our Dragonlance Campaign. She viewed other peoples pockets as unused storage space so I was always putting random trinkets in peoples pockets, colorful rocks, bright feathers or a particularly shiny button. I had a lot of fun with it, also gave up a lot of excess coin to other party members that way.
Dont forget that Bountiful Luck feat for that halfling wizard. I had the same build idea, except my guy enjoyed basically giving the middle finger to fate.
Most of my roleplaying interactions with halflings throughout the years have shown them to be energetic, happy, eccentric, and most importantly, when it's go time, Ultra Fucking Violent. I wouldn't have it any other way.
I started laughing at the part about taking people's knees off, I have a player in my group who is playing a halfling warlock who screams KNEECAPS as he charges in to battle.
One of my players is running a halfling lore bard/awakened mystic in my storm kings thunder campaign. He is an absolute terror against giants. He can’t take a hit but he’s so good at disabling Giants because they have terrible wisdom saves. He’s been the character that the rest of the party rallies behind.
I actually got an idea for a Halfling Druid from you guys. Back during your druid class video, I really liked the idea of a druid naturalist who studies animals. I added a monk level for unarmored defense for both utility and her backstory growing up in a monastery. But she is basically Nigel Thornberry but a small Halfling woman.
I'm playing a halfling divination wizard. Taking the Bountiful Luck, Lucky, and Second Chance Feat has made the character such a unique challenge for my DM; because none of his rolls are set in stone. Super fun and my friends have really reconsidered halflings.
I make Gnomes absolutely small compared to the Halflings. Gnomes are treated the same as Humans, Elves, Orcs and Dwarves. They are a pure race. Gnomes are too small to procreate with anything bigger than them. I denote subspecies as sort of based on where that member of the race is found.
I've always pictured gnomes as smaller than halflings too. A halfling might average 3 to 3-1/2 feet and top out at four for one of the subraces, but a gnome at 3-feet tall would be considered tall (again, depending on subrace).
in a manner i like the origin story for the kender but not the kender themselves. perhaps a proto group like humans got split into the dwarves and gnomes and then a subrace formed over time to become halflings.
I have been playing a halfling wizard exactly as described by Jim for the past five weeks. He is basically a short, young Gandalf the Grey, with some quirks of Sherlock Holmes. He had is a Transmutationist, and loves smoking pipes.
Funny you mention the halfling Napoleon idea, one of my BBEG is a Halfing in the campaign I’m running right now. It’s called the city of the nine realms and it’s founder has been living of the lives of the inhabitants through a spell called hex of ages where she takes half the years they’re meant to live and gives it to herself.
Wendell O'Malley- A soldier thrown out of the local Legion, stumbling upon a magical shapeshifting cap/hood/hat/circlet, etc. that instills a drive to become a thief. Basically a mild twist on the "halfling thief" archetype.
Hah, the talk of an ape mount and "Master to its Blaster" brings me back to a super fun Halfling I played way back. He wasn't a Beastmaster or anything, but he did a similar setup... with my buddy's Half-Orc character for a mount instead of an ape! They were Mikey the Halfling and Mickey the Half-Orc, and were specifically built to work together like that. Mike was entirely built around support, with absolutely zero offensive capability of his own, all of his abilities were based around beefing up Mic and giving him stuff like free attacks and movements. Mickey was a fighter/rogue who hit like a friggin' mac-truck just on his own, but with Mikey's help he blasted his way around the battlefield like a god damn freight train!
My very first D&D character was my halfling Druid in 3.5. There's definitely nostalgia involved but I still love halflings as a race. I'm working on a halfling monk who's a cook. This is a great source for ideas of how to incorporate more halflings in my world as a DM though. Also Pruitt was so proud of his "big feat/feet" pun!
In my setting, halflings are heavily based on the Aiel and the Fremen. They live in the desert, are believed to be few in number and survive as nomadic raiders, but in fact have large communities living together in their sietch. They're masters of desert survival, rich as hell, have tons of water. They're ferocious combatants, and have a zeal born of powerful tradition, honour, and religious belief.
Great show! I think Frodo was a Fallohide or at least mostly so. Fallohides are the more Elvish Hobbits just as Stoors are seemingly more Dwarvish. I love this channel and noticed Jim on Nerdarchy today which was nice to see--keep up the great work!
My personal favorite halfling beasmaster companion is the pterodactyl. It's ridiculous because you just see this little man flying around the sky on the back of a dinosaur. It's beautiful.
I think you might have been thinking of the militiristic halflings from Tales of Maj'Eyal who created the first great Empire by military force and magical mad science. They loved to enslave and experiment on humans, orcs, and other sentients . They also committed the first act of mass necromancy in history, and are pretty much responsible for most of the settings woes.
You guys should do an episode or a series of episodes based on adventure environments, like coastal, forest, arctic, etc. Did you guys do that? I don’t remember. Anyway I love your work Web Dm!
New player here, love the idea of making a Halfling that has known another PC for the most of their lives and they've been friends for so long they sort of "went with the flow" and before they knew it BAM! now they're adventuring and trying to steal the loot from a dragon's lair, why? because they don't get scared easily and "their friend would be lonely without them around and we can't have that now can we?"
I joined back with my mates and am playing a halfling barbarian in a exploration of multiple islands using fancy boats and such and am ready to charge in and just be the little crazy halfling when we start doing combat
One of the players in my current campaign is playing a Halfling Wizard. Magic Missile focused, she enjoys raining evocations down on our enemies. Winds up being the artillery for the Meatshield-y party. Plays her as a very lore and research-focused, sort of "Student of the Arcane" wizard.
Speaking of a Fateweaver Halfling, I played a Lightfoot Halfling with Lucky who was an Arcane Trickster for Reliable Talent and Bard for Jack of All Trades. Never rolling less than a 10 on Skills and adding at least half Prof bonus and many with Double and tons of Inspiration and Cutting Words.
Jim Davis! I created your "luck halfling" character and I love him! His name is Fluke Foresight and his "spellbook" is a deck of cards. He stopped a charging adult dragon by casting Hypnotic Pattern on it and forcing a roll of 1 on the saving throw (Portent). So much fun!
One of the best Halflings I have played is a Stout Halfling Barbarian using Bear totem for the half damage. He was Boscoe the Monster Hunter and had a big dog called Roscoe. They ended up being called the Boscoe and Roscoe Show. The whole party was actually afraid that if something went wrong the rest of the party would not be unable to bring him down.
I actually rolled a Sorcerer version of the Halfling Jim was talking about, started him about two months ago. aiming for 6 levels of Wild Magic Sorcerer for the Bend Luck Feature, 3 levels Bard for College of Lore, and 2 Levels Wizard for the School of Divination. Our DM let us start with a Feat so I chose Lucky, first ability score increase Bountiful Luck from Xanathar's. I asked my DM if Leprechauns existed in his world, so I based that as the reason for his wild magic "Gram gram had a fling with a Leprechaun. It left it's mark."
I've had a character idea kicking around in my head of a halfling transmuter wizard named Mouse. She used to literally be a mouse picking around through a wizard's tower when, being caught by the wizard, was greater polymorphed into a halfling and made to clean up his mess. The wizard, taking a liking to his new servant, decides to keep her as an apprentice. Her inspiration for adventure would be to go out and find her master after he leaves the tower on an errand, but doesn't return.
Halflings in my world are generally wanderers. Gypsy folk living in moving caravan villages, circus folk and carnies, sailors ( the knucklefoots for example are a prestigious pirate clan) . There is one village, filled with waterways and floating islands that they can rearrange with some small effort, that use boats to move about freely so that they can sink invading forces when they feel threatened. There is another that lives almost entirely in the trees of the great forest, stringing walkways hundreds of feet up that can also be changed at their whim to protect themselves. But regardless any village of halflings you can find is there because they found a place they were welcomed long enough to settle down and make a bargain with a nearby settlement to remain under their protection.
Well, my son is six and a half years old and I did give him a sword. Since he was 4, I've been teaching him (safely and progressively) how to dodge and counterstrike, how to close the distance and go for takedowns (he does Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and I do both BJJ and boxing). We also have two rubber swords that we play with. I can tell you now that once he gets one of those swords in his hands, I have to take him very seriously! He is fast and adaptable! I can totally imagine an aggressive, trained halfling taking out an adult human warrior with a blade, especially with the advantage of surprise. But there are limits. Halflings wouldn't be able to block hard strikes from humans. Shields and weapons would get knocked from their hands. Little jabs and feints could be blocked and parried, but they would absolutely have to get out of the way of attacks with human body weight behind them. Armor wouldn't matter much either. The halfling would still go flying, even the blow didn't penetrate the armor. And no halfling would knock down a human reliably. They would mostly just bounce right off us if they impacted us, unless our balance was compromised. Finally, a good halfling could get in and cut a human with a sword about as easily as the human could cut the halfling (my son can with me). But mostly on the human's arm. The little guys can do it, but they have to work much harder to get in and reach the vitals of a six foot human (or elf or whatever). But their own vitals are always accessible because of short little arms. And even when halflings would get inside to the belly and throat and such, they couldn't hit as hard as we can, without the weight and strength. Armor would be more effective against the attacks of halflings, even if those attacks were well placed. And, unless attacked in critical areas, the larger human bodies would be substantially better at withstanding more damage for longer periods of time than the little halflings could. It just wouldn't be fair. They could compensate for all these disadvantages somewhat by using spears and they would be wise to do so. But their best bet would always be long range weapons, and tactics They'd have to get really fucking sneaky. So, if I was to run a realistic campaign, I don't know how I could allow halfling fighters. The same goes for gnomes, goblins and kobolds. Even dwarves would have some serious disadvantages to overcome!Halflings in my game would have to be extremely tactical, savvy, sneaky, brutal and clannish to survive at all in a world of humans and other big folk. I'd have to change the rules pretty drastically. Then again, I don't know how humans could go up against ogres and giants, let alone dragons! The DnD rules of how combat really operates between beings of such size disparity just don't make much sense to me. That's why combat sports use weight classes. The weight and reach of the fighter is actually an extremely important factor. But whatever! It's all for fun anyway and that's why it's fantasy and not real life! Rant over! 😂
I've played that halfling diviner bard build (More Bard than wizard tho). Sibil Do-Right was a fun character. I remember putting it in the comments on an older video of yours before it got taken down and reuploaded, so that chain of comments is gone. What a coincidence Jim Davis... Hahahaha anyway, I hope you get to play it soon because telling your DM or another PC "Nope, roll it again." never got old.
A player in my Tomb of Annihilation Meat Grinder campaign is playing a similar concept as Jim's halfling wizard. Human Diviner Wizard 2/Divine Soul Sorcerer with Lucky. The chosen emmisary of an ancient, obscure dwarven luck god. The dice manipulation is super powerful. Walking around with the ability to negate crits, increase initiative, pass or fail saving throws at crucial moments, he's single handedly kept the entire party alive on multiple occasions when variance was not on their side, and could counteract it. Really cool to watch play, seems fun to play.
Playing a Halfling Monk - way of Shadow, and it's a great combo. Stealth master supreme moving around the battlefield with ease. Dex bonus for monk attacks and armor. Monk counteracts the lower speed. Plus it's just cool to try to play up looking completely non-threatening.
My halflings were created as a gift for Bahamut, who saw that many of his dragonborn were tempted by greed and pride, and the halflings with their simple pleasures and hombody nature were meant to 'temper' the pride of dragons. My 'Shire' exists as an enclave in the dragon realm, and a halfling-dragonborn adventuring duo is very common to see. (My players have a halfling wizard and a dragonborn paladin who are an adorable duo!)
My favorite concepts with halflings have always been pairing them with classes that bolster their martial capabilities... You wouldn't expect a halfling to be particularly strong, after all...then a barbarian halfing cleaves an orc's legs off at the knees...or a paladin halfling propelling a gnoll across the room with a thunderous smite...or a halfling monk zooming around, leaping a high-kick to the bottom of a goliath's jaw.
My favorite character I've ever played was a mountain troll ranger. He's the runt of the litter (literally named Runt) and he fights by being sneaky, smart, and savage. Tunnel Fighter style and Gloomstalker conclave feels really thematic for how a small troll would fight. He's 8'2" and 700 lbs, but he's effectively a wilderness rogue. I've never had as much fun in combat, and roleplaying an intelligent "small" troll was really engaging.
