Halflings
As a halfling, maybe you have an adventurous streak, rare among your kind, but remarkable when it manifests. Does the idea of the typical placid halfling life seem tedious or dull? You may want something more. Compared with larger, clumsier races, halflings have a reputation for professional stealth and common sense. Most adventuring groups are quick to see the value of halfling hero! Many halfling adventurers specialize in missile weapons, precision attacks, and scouting, preferring classes such as rogue, ranger, and fighter.
Details
Introduction: Long have halflings labored for their neighbors and overlords as serfs and peasants. Historically, halflings made up the bulk of the sphinx empire, as the lowest class of laborer. More recently, after that empire fell, halflings have made freeholds and crofts, sometimes ruling themselves in villages and shires, other times living under the protection of a lord of some other race. Halflings are known as hard workers with clever hands, talented in a bucolic sort of way. However, some families of halflings are known for their curiosity, fearlessness, and good luck.
Appearance: Halflings are the shortest race of demi-humans, ranging from two and a half to three and a half feet tall. They usually dress in homespun clothes, plain for everyday wear, embroidered and colorful for celebrations (of which there are many in halfling custom). They tend to be slow, sturdy, even dumpy; but they are also quiet, clever, and accurate. One reknowned sage has described them as "fattish in the stomach, shortish in the leg. A round, jovial face; ears only slightly pointed and 'elvish'; hair short and curling (brown). The feet from the ankles down, covered with brown hairy fur."
Society: Halflings respect tradition, good food (and plenty of it), and simple comforts. They like things to be orderly and predictable, the same day by day, year by year, living on farms and in small villages. They tend to follow the words of their elders, and elect mayors as needed when they rule themselves. Halflings are known for their love of round doors and windows, then they often dwell in hillside tunnels, which can be simple and humble or extensive and luxurious. Most halflings are lawful good.
Rules
Character Creation: Apply the following adjustments to every halfling player character.
- Ability Score Adjustment: Choose: +2 Dexterity or +1 each to Dexterity and Charisma.
- Saving Throw Bonuses: +2 on Fortitude and Reflex saving throws.
- Extra Hit Points: +4.
- Skill Bonuses: +3 to Escape Artist, Sleight of Hand, Tumble, and Use Rope skills. You are proficient in these skills.
- Size: Small.
- Move: 20 feet.
- Vision: Normal Vision.
- Languages: Common and Halfling. Bonus Languages: Dwarf, Elf, Gnome, Kobold, and Liontaur.
- Special: Three Kinds - There are three halfling subraces, who mostly live (and marry) together. Pick one subrace to represent the strongest part of your lineage:
- Tallfellows - Keen-Eyed - When you make Spot checks, the DC modifier for distance is +1 per 50 feet instead of +1 per 10 feet. When you pass within 10 ft of a secret door, the game master will roll a secret search check to see if you detect it. When making surprise checks to be aware of others at the start of an encounter, you make all rolls at +2. Tallfellows have slightly more pointed ears and range from three to four feet in height.
- Hairfoots - Sneaky - You gain a +2 on Stealth skill checks, and you are proficient with Stealth. Hairfoots tend to be a little shorter and are more graceful than other halflings.
- Stouts - Practical - Valuing hard work and common sense, you gain a +2 bonus on any one Craft or Profession skill, as well as on Sense Motive checks and saves against illusions. Some Stouts grow short beards; other halflings can't. - Weakness: Aquaphobia - You, like all halflings, are nervous around large bodies of water. You have a -5 penalty on all swim checks, as well as a -1 on attacks, armor class, saves, and skills when you are swimming or on a boat.
Tyro Tier (character level 3): Select one of these three powers:
- Power: Favored Class (Rogue) - Your levels as a rogue do not count against you when determining experience point penalties for multiclassing.
- Power: Stubborn - You are remarkable for your resistance to mental influence. You gain a +2 bonus on Will saves.
- Power: Good Aim - You gain a +1 to hit with slings, staff slings, darts, and thrown stones, and you are proficient with these weapons. Treat thrown stones as darts that do nonlethal bludgeoning damage and cost zero gp.
Adventurer Tier (character level 8): Select one of these three powers*:
- Power: Quick - You are faster than most other halflings. Your base speed is 25, and you gain a +1 racial bonus to initiative.
- Power: Lucky - Whenever you spend lionheart points, roll a d6. On a 1, you get all the spent points back.
- Power: Fearless - You suffer no ill effects when you are shaken, you are affected when frightened as if you were shaken, and when panicked as if you were frightened.
Hero Tier (character level 13): Select one of these two powers*:
- Power: Underfoot - You have trained hard to effectively fight opponents that are bigger than you. You gain a +2 dodge bonus to AC against these foes.
- Power: Burglar - You suffer no penalty to stealth checks when hustling, and you can use stealth while running with only a -5 penalty. You may attempt to pickpocket a foe in combat even if the foe is aware of you. You gain a +4 bonus on climb checks to scale buildings, walls, and other crafted structures.
Legend Tier (character level 18): Select one of these two powers*:
- Power: Indomitable - You are able to resist mental influences and extremes of stress. You are immune to compulsion effects, and you gain a +5 bonus against all saving throws that result in fatigue and exhaustion.
- Power: Trouble the Counsels of the Great - Your humble origins and great deeds have surprised and delighted those who expect little from folk such as halflings. All humans and demi-humans have an initial attitude towards you of helpful, and you are known and loved in just about every land. (This power is not available to known villain characters.)
* Or select a lower tier power that you have not chosen before.