Halflings are clever, capable opportunists. Short in stature and stout in heart, halflings are always on the move, at home in any land but calling none their own. Since halflings rarely put down roots, they tend to know a great deal about the world and its peoples. This knowledge never seems to make them world-weary or jaded, however; their innate curiosity and optimism lets them see each day as a new opportunity. Indeed, it a rare halfling who can pass up an opportunity, regardless of the danger it may hold.The majority of halflings live in caravans that travel about the countryside, camping here and there for varying amounts of time before moving on. When a halfling caravan camps in or near a community of other humanoids, the halflings take care to make their stay as beneficial as possible to the settled people. Able-bodied adults hire themselves out as temporary laborers, working at any job from building to farming. They also offer a variety of services to any town near their encampment, working as cobblers, tinkers, peddlers, brewers, weavers, or whatever kind of crafters the town may lack at that time. Such arrangements typically last only a few weeks before the halflings pick up their camp and move on, though camps lasting a few years or longer are not entirely uncommon.
Occasionally, older halflings, or those burdened by excessive wealth, will settle in among another race, typically humans. These halflings serve as touchstones to caravans passing through the area, spreading news and gossip, storing treasures too bulky or valuable to carry on the road, or providing secure hiding places for halflings that have run afoul of the local authorities.
Personality: Halflings are known for their gregarious nature and open, friendly attitude toward strangers. Unless he or she presents an obvious danger, a traveler of any race approaching a halfling camp or settlement can expect a hearty welcome and an invitation to share fire, food, and ale. Such impromptu meetings are usually replete with stories, songs, and merriment. Reflecting on the conversation later, however, a stranger may come to realize that the halflings said almost nothing of importance about themselves. In fact, almost anyone who has extended contact with halflings has a nagging sense that they are holding something back.
Halflings have developed content-free conversation to a fine art. Although they speak openly and readily with strangers about most topics, they artfully turn aside questions from outsiders about their clans, homes, families, and other personal matters. Such secrecy has developed in part to prevent disgruntled victims of halfling thefts or cons from tracking down specific halflings.
Though they are not adverse to working hard to earn their keep, many halflings honestly believe that the world owes them a living. So long as they are not caught and no one is harmed, halflings see nothing wrong with appropriating the property of others or cheating their customers. This free and easy attitude toward others’ belongings, along with the fact that one’s victims may easily be miles away come morning, tends to imbue just a trace of larceny in most halflings.
Physical Description: Halflings stand about 3 feet tall and weight 30 to 35 pounds. Females are slightly shorter than males, but no less strong. Their bodies are well proportioned, though their heads are somewhat elongated compared with those of humans. Most halflings have ruddy skin, dark eyes, and straight black hair, though lighter shades of hair are not unknown. Males often wear sideburns, though they rarely grow mustaches or beards. Single females prefer to wear their hair long, often braided or styled in some distinctive way, while married women prefer to wear their hair in small buns. Halflings reach adulthood about age 20, and they typically live about 90 years, though some can live almost 100 years.
Relations: Halflings have a mixed relationship with most races, due to their not entirely undeserved reputation for being thieves and con artists. Nevertheless, halflings take great care to ensure that at least some of their transactions are real and honest, ensuring that at least some customers actually profit from their dealings with them. Thankfully, the halflings’ innate charm and willingness to help others often compensates for their somewhat larcenous activities, causing other races to regard them with a mixture of doubt, exasperation, and bemusement. A town damaged by floods or storms may welcome the aid of a halfling caravan while rebuilding, then become cold toward the halflings when the crisis is over. The halflings understand such shifts in attitude and move along when it is clear they are no longer wanted, taking care not to burn their bridges or give a town an actual cause to hate their kind.
Alignment: Halflings are most often chaotic good. Their nomadic lifestyle, combined with their willingness to bend (or break) the rules, tends to ensure that most halflings are either chaotic or neutral. Their wanderlust and mischievousness, however, is tempered by a genuine concern for the well-being of others, and few halflings are outright evil.
Religion: Most halflings pay homage to both Branddalla and Illidair, the Goddess of Travel and Families and the God of Thievery and Mischief. This worship tends to be somewhat segregated between genders, with the majority of males paying homage to Illidair and the majority of females worshiping Branddalla. Most halflings are raised in families extolling the virtues of both deities, which can be somewhat confusing to young halflings. Eventually, however, a halfling typically feels a calling towards one deity or the other, and no prejudice exists for a halfling who chooses one deity over the other.
Language: Halflings speak their own language, Lanarn. Halflings write very little in their own language, so unlike many other races, they do not have a wide body of written work. The halfling oral tradition is very strong, however, and many bards learn the language simply to pick up the various stories and songs shared around halfling campfires. It is also interesting to note that Lanarn is used as a basis for most forms of Thieves’ Cant, ensuring that a proficient speaker can pick up the general idea of most underworld banter.
Names: A halfling has a given name, a family name, and possibly a nickname or two. It would seem that family names are nothing more than nicknames that stuck so well they have been passed down through the generations. Halfling names have no real rhyme or reason, but most are borrowed from other races simple because the parents like the sound of the name.
Adventures: Part of the reason halflings spend their lives on the road is their unflagging curiosity. They simply must see what’s around the next bend – and the next, and the next, and the next. Though halflings do not act stupidly when danger threatens them, they exhibit little fear of death or the unknown. Death is just the next great adventure, and the unknown is just as likely to contain fabulous riches as grave dangers. In a way, halflings are natural adventurers.
Halfling (Migdalia) Racial Traits
* -2 Strength, +2 Dexterity. Halflings are quick, agile, and skilled with ranged weapons, but are not as strong as other races.* Small size. As a Small creature, a halfling gains a +1 size bonus to Armor Class, a +1 size bonus on attack rolls, and a +4 size bonus on Hide checks, but he uses smaller weapons that humans use, and his lifting and carrying limits are three-quarters those of a Medium creature.
* Halfling base land speed is 20 feet.
* +1 racial bonus on attack rolls with thrown weapons or slings. Halflings grow up playing a number of games involving thrown objects, and often continue such training well into adulthood.
* +1 racial bonus on all saving throws. Halflings are exceedingly lucky.
* +2 morale bonus on saving throws against fear. Halflings are courageous and difficult to scare. This bonus stacks with the halflings’ +1 bonus on saving throws in general.
* +2 racial bonus on Knowledge (geography) checks, and to any two Knowledge (local) checks of their choice. The halfling is considered to be trained in these skills. Halflings travel extensively, and frequently learn many useful things about the lands they pass through.
* +2 racial bonus on Gather Information and Diplomacy checks. Halflings get along naturally well with all types of people.
* Automatic Languages: Lanarn, any one language.
* Bonus Languages: Alranian, Draconic, Dwarven, Elven, Gnomish, Goblin, Impara, Mohdrin, Thieves' Cant, Travek, and Vur.
* Favored Class: Rogue.
Back to Migdalia Races
Migdalia Home
