Halfling

In a dangerous world, halflings seem to have an innate knack for avoiding trouble. Whether it is due to their affable dispositions, nonthreatening demeanor and pastoral isolation, or uncanny ability to blend into a crowd, Halflings seem to be followed by a lucky streak which protects them from the worst of the world.

Basic Information

Anatomy

Halflings are bipedal humanoid mammals, typically weighing between forty and forty five pounds and standing around three feet tall. Halflings are inclined to be stout or even portly. Halfling feet tend to be proportionally larger than their human counterparts, and often feature a thick layer of fur on their tops, and although many halflings prefer to wear shoes, the soles of halfling feet are thicker and mean many Halflings are entirely comfortable walking barefoot.

Biological Traits

Halflings a

Growth Rate & Stages

Halflings mature at the same rate as humans, reaching maturity around the age of twenty, though halflings tend to only first settle down and establish their own households until around their first half-century. Halflings tend to enter middle age around their first century, and can live well-into the middle of their second century.

Ecology and Habitats

Halflings can be found all over the world, but tend to have relatively little impact on their environment, and although halflings aren't reclusive by nature, they are adept at finding out-of-the-way places to settle in peace, and it can take a combination of luck and persistence for an ordinary uninformed traveler to even find such a place. While halflings certainly alter the landscape and cultivate the land intentionally, their touch tends to be more subtle than that of humans and less formal, blurring the line between nature and civilization.  While humans typically plant neat, organized fields of single crops, halflings plant mixed gardens which are carefully landscaped to conform to the terrain. Halfling orchards feature various fruit trees and vines interplanted to harvest throughout the year, and halflings carefully cultivate the herbs, wildflowers, and vegetables and graze livestock on the meadows which form their roofs. 
As a result, halfling communities tend to blend into their surroundings and are easy to overlook. Halflings frequently build their homes directly into hillsides or nestled into quiet woodlands, and are generally content to nurture their gardens and live peaceful, pastoral lives, rarely building (and seldom requiring) the enormous cities or holdfasts the other races are wont to do. Halflings architecture is comfortable and unimposing, and tends to coexist within the environment rather than fundamentally change the environment around it or bend it to the will of civilization. 
Ironically, the inside of halflings homes tend to focus on all the creature comforts and amenities of civilization. Halfling's homes often feature well-stocked pantries and storerooms, warm sheets and soft beds, pleasant art and dishware, calming studies and music rooms, and often many additional and homemade amenities unique to specific halfling's taste.

Dietary Needs and Habits

A halfling's diet is similar to that of a human, both in scope and size, and humans are often amazed at the sheer amount halflings can manage to consume despite their diminutive size. Halflings tend to eat more frequently than humans, interspersing many small snacks or even meals in-between the typical three meal schedule. In a single day, halflings might make time for breakfast, second breakfast, brunch, luncheon, afternoon tea and cakes, dinner, supper, and a midnight snack or two. To support such a variety of meals, halfling larders are always well stocked with a dazzling assortment of foods, drinks, and treats, making halfling hospitality almost legendary. 
Halflings have a thriving food culture, and halfling recipes are widely respected and are passed down through generations. While halflings consume a typical assortment of meats, fruits, vegetables, cheeses, and starches, halflings are particularly fond of sweets. Honey, pastries, fruit jellies, cakes, and frosting all feature prominently in halfling diets.

Additional Information

Social Structure

Most halflings live in small, peaceful communities with large farms and well-kept groves, orchards, and pastures.

Facial characteristics

Halflings have round, almost chubby or childlike faces. They can be most easily distinguished from gnomes by their ear shape, as halflings' ears are rounded rather than pointed. Halflings often wear their hair loose and unkempt, and have a tendency to sport longer than-average sideburns, but facial hair is rare, even amongst males.

Perception and Sensory Capabilities

Halflings have similar sensory capabilities to those of humans, and the two races are alike in most respects other than size. Halflings struggle to see in dim light or darkness, just as humans do. A halflings two most refined senses tend to be their smell and taste, and while each halfling considers themselves something of a food and drink connoisseur and in touch with their palette, their ability to taste and smell isn't so much superior to humans as it is better practiced. 
Halflings do not possess any noteworthy inherent magical abilities, though like humans, halflings display a similar ability to master studied magic, to wield divine magic, and to develop innate magical abilities, though halflings tend to have less inclination to refine and hone their abilities to perfection. 
Despite this, halflings do seem possessed of a special predilection to avoid the worst of fate's disadvantages. Perhaps a result of their unassuming stature and outlook, sheer oversight, or some divine blessing from their goddess, halflings seem to have an uncanny ability to avoid trouble and a lucky streak which protects them.

Civilization and Culture

Naming Traditions

Halflings typically carry a given name, a family name, and occasionally a nickname, as halflings place strong value on reputation within the community. Family names are often nicknames that stuck so tenaciously they have been passed down through the generations, or names which refer to a plot of family land.
Male Names: Alton, Ander, Cade, Corrin, Eldon, Errich, Finnan, Garret, Lindal, Lyle, Merric, Milo, Osborn, Perrin, Reed, Roscoe, Wellby
Female Names: Andre, Bree, Callie, Cora, Euphemia, Ellywick, Jilian, Kithri, Lavinia, Lidda, Merla, Nedda, Paela, Portia, Seraphina, Shaena, Trym, Vani, Verna
Family Names: Bakersfriend, Brightbraid, Brushgather, Goodbarrel, Greenbottle, High-Hill, Hilltopple, Leagallow, Rumblebelly, Tealeaf, Thorngage, Tosscobble, Underbough, Warmkettle

Major Organizations

Halflings are generally peaceful and content, and as a result don't have any interest in founding continent-spanning kingdoms or councils of powerful mages, and don't even hold much land beyond their quiet shires. Halfling's are reticent to recognize any formal system of status or authority amongst them, seeing no reason for such things amongst neighbors, and prefer to conduct their business through democratic meetings or town councils, or informal gatherings of respected elders. The most prominent halfling organizations, aside from the relatively informal priesthoods of the various halfling deities, are not world spanning martial orders or even powerful merchant guilds, but instead tend to be local associations of tradespeople, such as a societies of pie bakers or wine tasters. 
This lack of prominent geopolitical organizations featuring halfling leadership also acts as a sort of blessing for halflings, as for the most part halfling villages are of little tactical value and don't tend to be coveted (or indeed even noticed) by evil wizards or dark forces.
As a result of their hardworking and amicable attitude, and loyal disposition, halflings are adept at fitting into communities of other goodfolk like humans, elves, or dwarves, and many cities or large towns likely feature a small community of halflings already, living in unobtrusive peace with the other people around them.

Beauty Ideals

Halflings seem content to seek the beauty of today. They tend to live their lives in satisfaction with what the  world has to offer; fresh air, green gras, and rich soil, growing all they need and taking pleasure in the food, music, art and comfort they can produce. A popular halfling parable is that 'the past is a story that can only be retold, not changed, and the future doesn't yet exist, so it can't be experienced. Only by living in the moment can one appreciate the wonder of being alive." Halflings have found a way to turn idleness into an art form, and every halfling has a favorite spot for doing nothing- in the nestled in a comfy nook in the shade of a large stone, on the fringe of a sun-dappled meadow, or fishing high in a riverside tree. When they're not dozing off and dreaming of chasing butterflies, halflings spend their time on simple creative activities, such as whittling a pipe from a branch, braiding yarn into fine tapestries, or composing music on a hand-me-down mandolin.

Gender Ideals

Halfling culture is generally egalitarian between genders. Both halfling men and women are expected to work and contribute to the village or community, and while many trades or roles within the village tend to be associated with one gender or another, halfling pragmatism means that typically a job is done by whomever is best suited to doing it. Both halfling men and women are expected to participate in housework and childcare.

Courtship Ideals

Halflings marry for love, and their courtship is generally oriented around fulfilling romantic ideals. Unlike humans, halflings almost never marry for political or economic reasons, nor are halfling marriages typically arranged by family. Halflings may self-select among partners, choosing only those of respectable families and with good reputations, but halflings are formally completely unrestricted in their choice of partners, and as halfling societies are generally less stratified than their human counterparts, matches between those of even the highest and lowest social classes are not uncommon or stigmatized. 
To humans, halfling courtship can appear somewhat innocent and idyllic and seems chaste by comparison. Since halflings typically grow up in small communities and don't tend to leave, most know each other from their childhoods and have some preexisting relationships with prospective partners. As halflings mature, so to do these relationships, and halflings may begin to develop subtle mutual crushes and begin working up the courage to overcome the initial awkwardness of broaching such feelings to one another. Many halfling holiday traditions are subtly designed and choreographed to help bring such halfling pairs together and to overcome halfling's angst and nerves. These include group dances which gradually split participants into pairs and swaps individuals around, team drinking games in which partners must serve one another or drink with arms entwined, or ritual gift giving, all designed to help halflings work up the courage to confess how they really feel. Often, a halfling's first love will be their only love, and many halfling couples begin as childhood sweethearts who meet through such events. After this point, relationships between halflings turn into a bit of a romantic whirlwind, often featuring gifts of flowers or baked goods, acts of service such as mending a shirt, cooking a meal, or helping with chores, and bonding experiences such as picnics, stargazing, or a trip out on the water before halflings literally "tie the knot" in marriage. Halflings are typically monogamous and generally expect a partner to be one chosen for life, so such relationships are not undertaken lightly and without some certainty the feelings are mutual and the match is strong.

Relationship Ideals

Halflings aspire to be kind, polite, and respectful to all, and expect those around them to act reciprocally towards them, while also believing firmly that each individual should be free to pursue happiness for themselves so long as they don't bother anyone else. Halflings make for loyal friends and value cooperativeness and decency. They cherish the bonds of family and friendship more than almost anything else (except, perhaps, the comforts of home), and feel an exceptionally strong sense of community. To a halfling, appearance doesn't matter; what counts is a creature's fundamental character, and this belief means halflings build strong and firm bonds with many other races once a halfling is convinced of their good intentions, and halflings are even capable of displaying remarkable acts of ferocity, bravery, and self-sacrifice when their friends, families, or communities are threatened.

Average Technological Level

Halflings are at much the same technological level as the other goodfolk, though most of halflings' technical curiosity is devoted towards culinary advancements or tends to revolve around enhancing the comforts of a halfling's home in some way. A halfling might take great pride in designing a special oven for their home which also heats a water tank, giving them hot water for bathing or heating the floors of their home through a series of pipes, in designing an especially comfortable chair which can recline using a series of levers and is lined with the softest furs, or in composing a beautiful painting. Halflings might spend years perfecting a recipe or cultivating just the right strain of fruit, vegetable, or herb to suit a dish, and halflings consider such achievements just as praiseworthy as humans might consider the founder of an important kingdom or the victor of a great battle.

Major Language Groups and Dialects

Halflings speak a melodic language of their own in private, but tend to consider it rude to speak in anything other than common in mixed company, generally defaulting to common, even in writing which they anticipate being shared beyond the halfling community, and therefore despite a rich musical and oral tradition, halflings don't possess a rich body of literature in their native tongue and don't actually have an alphabet of their own, typically using human or elvish alphabets to write as close an approximation of halfling phonetics as possible. Halflings have an especially strong tradition of oral histories passed down from elders, and such good stories are considered prized possessions in halfling culture, and indeed a halfling's most prized possession might not necessarily be the most valuable, but those with the best story attached to them.

Common Etiquette Rules

Halflings place enormous importance on hospitality, obeying a strict set of unspoken rules revolving around maintaining one's respectability within the community.  Halflings will almost always offer their guests something to eat along with a cup of tea, and will go to great inconveniences to please and appease guests, even if they'd really rather not, and are oftentimes at a loss for what to do and rather put off when guest's don't recognize or adhere to the subtle social cues and informal rules that govern halfling social interactions, especially house calls. Despite this, halflings have a well-earned reputation of being excellent hosts and neighbors, and as being polite and affable towards all other folk, believing that doing so invites such treatment in return, and that failure to do so invites bad luck, ridicule, and a dreaded loss of respectability.Halflings' natural politeness and affability gives them a reputation for innocence, but this openness doesn't extend all the way to naïveté, and behind a halfling's polite demeanor is a strong sense of self-preservation and natural wariness towards the new and unexpected, especially when something feels disingenuous.

Common Dress Code

Halflings tend to dress in unassuming and pragmatic clothing, favoring simple and comfortable clothes and favor bright colors. Halflings prefer not to wear extravagant jewelry or carry much material wealth with them, believing that doing so is both gaudy and invites trouble, and have little use for ostentation regardless. Even the wealthier halflings keep their fine jewelry or treasures locked away rather than wearing them, preferring to only bring them out for special occasions or when sharing stories with guests.

Culture and Cultural Heritage

Halflings live in tight-knit, family groups in small peaceful communities. They typically don't recognize any sort of nobility or royalty, instead looking to family elders to guide them and holding to subtle and informal social hierarchies based upon the amorphous concept of "respectability." One of the central aspects of this respectability is how well a halfling upholds tradition and preserves halfling's customs and reputation, and while this shows itself through halfling's well-deserved reputation for lovers of comfort, family, and amicability, there is more to halfling culture than meets the eye. 
The oldest members of a halfling community aren't authority figures in the traditional sense, but rather exercise authority and influence because their words are heeded through the stories they tell, and halfling's tend to derive their status in the community from how many exciting and valuable stories they accumulate, and how well they can tell them. The best leaders' tales deliver practical knowledge within the framework of a mythic saga or folksy parables. An elder doesn't simply tell the community "we must prepare for a goblin attack." Instead, that advice is delivered in a story about how the village drove off a goblin invasion long ago, which entertain the villagers, while also intuitively teaching them what to do thought a common cultural zeitgeist and binding the community closer together through such common narratives. These sorts of tales might be told, retold, and embellished at gatherings in which an elder holds court, or when several tale-tellers try to outdo one another by passing on their experiences. Halflings believe everything has a store, and while most halfling's possessions are quite so exotic, everyday objects that play a significant role in a particular exciting or important story (such as "the rolling pin that Aunt Hattie used to chase away a bugbear," or "a mask that stopped an ogre from eating Farmer Keller's billy goat), might be among a halfling's most prized possessions and feature prominently in an elder's cautionary tales. Some of the most frequently told tales concern the origin of a halfling clan's name, which generally emerge because in the distant past a halfling matriarch or patriarch preformed a memorable feat or displayed an amazing skill that led to a name that stuck. Clans with such evocative names as the Hogtrotters, Fishskippers, or Hilltopples all have stories to tell about how they came to be, and a halfling elder can often spin a yarn which causes listeners to howl with laughter, long for home, sit on the edges of their seats, choke up with emotion, or grin from ear to ear. 
As a result of halfling's general contentedness and preference to stay close to the comforts of family and home, halflings rarely venture far from home or take up life as adventurers (and doings so can potentially scandalize one's reputation within the community if they fail to return with a suitably good story), and thus halflings can seem somewhat naturally innocent and sheltered, knowing little about it save the traditional practices of their communities and the stories they've heard about the wider world, and thus face even grave danger with optimism and wonder. This mindset accounts for what other races might characterize as a surprising degree of courage from halflings, as a halfling about to enter the unknown doesn't feel fear so much as wonderment and a sense of optimistic discovery, believing they'll have a good story to tell when it's all over and only grasping the true gravity of the danger they were in after the fact. Whether a situation requires a soft-footed rogue slipping into a dragon's den, or a single local militiamen repelling an orc attack by simply refusing to yield, halfling's surprise larger folk again and again with their unflappable nature.

Common Customs, Traditions and Rituals

Halflings are surprisingly superstitious, and carry a number of traditions which they believe help to protect them and shield them from the worst of the world, while failing to properly heed them invites catastrophe. These superstitions can vary by village, family, or even individual, and are sometimes tied to the origins of a halfling clan's name. Halflings might wear woven flowers into their caps to protect against evil faeries, bury a single smooth riverstone in their garden to guarantee a bountiful harvest, always hold their breath when walking by a fairy circle and refuse to enter the center of one, or always bake an extra pastry and leave it on the windowsill for Brandobaris.  
Halflings frequently gather in large community celebrations, often during specific lunar events, clan birthdays or milestones, or harvest celebrations, and these gatherings generally feature  raucous celebration, excellent food, lively music and dance, and no shortage of storytelling. Clan elders frequently compete to tell the best story at such events and outshine one another, engaging in increasingly outlandish embellishments and exaggerations until finally one storyteller's narrative collapses under the weight of their own bluster. Despite this, such events tend to have a jovial and playful atmosphere, and even if all might agree that "old man Barrelbottom's story about the troll was particularly funny, if especially outlandish,  this year," they'll concede that he still had a point and the children should listen carefully to learn something from him.

Common Taboos

Halflings tend to share most of the common taboos with the goodfolk, while also holding community members to higher standards.  Halflings tend to believe in social conformity and value the traditions and norms of the community, and individuals who readily flaunt such traditions or fail to act respectably may find themselves isolated, as might halflings which seem too excitable or eager to leave the community. Turning one's back on the community is the greatest taboo in halfling culture, and the idea of severing all links to family, friends, and the village is anathema and unthinkable to most halflings. Halflings are also firmly governed by common halfling etiquette centered around the idea of respectability, and halflings are loathe to commit any major faux-pas amongst company. Especially in their age, halflings who grow too concerned with material comforts and forego personal relationships might become dour, curmudgeonly, standoffish, oversuspicious, or especially blunt in contrast to the normally energetic, polite, and jovial demeanor associated with halflings. Halflings who are considered evil are those who shun such social relationships and fall into true greed or sloth, or are those who break too many oaths and hurt other halflings in their community, and are said to have lost the protection of Yondalla and turn into spiteful and paranoid creatures wracked with misery and despair.

History

Halflings are an old race, though their origins are murky, even to themselves, seeming to have existed in a state of perpetual pastoral bliss, ever-present but seemingly unbothered and generally unaffected by the troubles of the world which raged around them. Halflings were content to simply tend their farms and keep to their communities as wars raged and empires rose and fell around them, and while halflings have at various times been exploited or enslaved, such occasions are generally anomalous in a long history of quiet peace and prosperity going all the way back to the age of heroes.

Common Myths and Legends

Halflings have a rich oral tradition filled with myths and legends about almost everything in their lives, from how the constellations got their names or birds learned to fly, to tales about their clan progenitors or the exploits of the various deities honored in the halfling pantheon. Regardless, these myths and stories are almost always utilized to foster some sense of community cohesion and to teach a specific moral or lesson to better prepare the community for interactions with the rest of the world. 
Many of the most prominent of these myths revolve around the halfling pantheon, as unlike Humans, Elves, or Dwarves, halflings tend to see their gods more as extended family or distant ancestors, rather than as divine beings. Halfling gods aren't worshipped the same way other goodfolk might worship their pantheon because halfling gods are viewed more as semi-legendary folk heroes who ascended to divinity, rather than divine beings who descend from their realms to influence the mortal plane. The most present of these figures in Yondalla, who is said to have been a strong and wise leader with a vision for her people, dedicating her life to them and gathering them under her protection as a quiet shepherd. Yondalla is credited with creating the first halfling villages and teaching them to build, plant, harvest, and to escape the notice of the other more bellicose folk of world.  Halfling's credit Yondalla's watchful protection with instilling the joy in their step and their wonder for the world, and it is Yondalla's loving doting which accounts for halflings' legendary luck.  Over time, Yondalla helped guide and elevate the other halfling legendary heroes who were most adept at skills halflings required to survive, and who are now enshrined with her in the halfling pantheon. These include Arvoreen, the crafty warrior, Sheela Peryroyle, a protector of nature and agriculture, Charmalaine, a   Cyrrollalee, the paragon of hospitality and friendship Brandobaris, a dashing trickster and patron of thieves and adventures,  and Urogalan, the loyal shepherd of and guides them through the afterlife.

Interspecies Relations and Assumptions

Dwarves. "Dwarves make loyal friends, and you can count on them to keep their word. But would it hurt them to smile once in a while?" 
Elves. "They're so beautiful! Their faces, their music, their grace and all. It's like they stepped out of a wonderful dream. But there's no telling what's going on behind their smiling faces- surely more than they ever let on."
Humans. "Humans are a lot like us, really. At least, some of them are. Step out of the castles and keeps, go talk to the farmers and herders and you'll find good, solid folk.. Not that there's anything wrong with the baron's and soldiers- you have to admire their conviction. And by protecting their own lands, they protect us as well."

Halfling

ability score increase: Your Dexterity score increases by 2.

age: A halfling reaches adulthood at the age of 20 and generally lives into the middle of his or her second century.

alignment: Most halflings are lawful good. As a rule, they are good-hearted and kind, hate to see others in pain, and have no tolerance for oppression. They are also very orderly and traditional leaning heavily on the support of their community and the comfort of their old ways.

Size: Small

speed: 25 ft.

Languages: You can speak, read, and write Common and Halfling. The Halfling language isn't secret, but halflings are loath to share it with others. They write very little, so they don't have a rich body of literature. Their oral tradition, however, is very strong. Almost all halflings speak Common to converse with the people in whose lands they dwell or through which they are traveling.

sub races:
Lightfoot Halfling
Stout Halfling

race features:
Lucky. When you roll a 1 on the d20 for an attack roll, ability check, or saving throw, you can preroll the die and must use the new roll.
Brave. You have advantage on saving throws against being frightened.
Halfling Nimbleness. You can move through the space of any creature that is of a size larger than yours.

Lifespan

250 years

Average Height

3 feet

Average Weight

40-45 lbs.

Average Physique

Halflings tend to be stout, chubby, or portly- a result of the comfortable lives they seek. Many halflings consider a slight potbelly a symbol of prestige and wealth.

Body Tint, Colouring and Marking

Halfling's skin runs the normal palette of human tones, though they are most typically tan to pale with a ruddy cast, and their hair is typically brown or hazel. Halflings tend to grow small patches of hair on the tops of their feet and toes.

Related Ethnicities

• Lightfoot Halfling
• Stout Halfling