Halflings (Greyhawk)

Individual halflings often travel extensively, as a people they are rather static. Traveling halflings often feel an urge to return home as they grow to middle age. Halflings enjoy sharing experiences with other people and often involve themselves heavily with humans, living a full life as the sidekick or companion to a human before "retiring" to family life among halflings. Many halfling communities contain such "retired heroes", which can come as a great surprise to anyone who would molest them. Promiscuous (but infertile) with other races, halflings are notoriously faithful among themselves.

Halflings often work as household servants to humans. A halfling can serve a generation in a human family first as a playmate and then as a servant finally move on as the humans die off and the halfling enters middle age. Some humans indenture or enslave halflings to enforce servitude over the generations. This has established an unfortunate tradition of halflings as slaves, a tradition that prevails even in otherwise enlightened societies.

The origin of halflings is not known. Theories range from elf and gnome blood to stunted humans or even planar migrants.

Cultural Traits

Friendly, Outgoing, Accepting.

Real-World Models

Danish (or a parody thereof).

Alignment

The alignment of a halfling determines his attitude to outsiders.

Among themselves, halflings are almost universally behave as if they were lawful good. Halflings welcome strangers, never steal from each other, and form tight-knit communities. Such communities rarely have or need written laws as the mores of society is ingrained into every individual. A halfling among strangers is a completely different matter. Some become hellions and go wild with gleeful abandon, while others remain law-abiding and good tough they often find peculiar laws and edicts confusing and choose to ignore them.

Practices

Gender equality, Inter-species sex, Voyeurism.

Taboos

Bondage, Promiscuity (with other halflings).

Family

Conventional. Family is counted by the burrow, not by lineage; whoever stays home inherits the family name and property.

Magic

Halflings have their share of sorcerers, beguilers, druids, bards, and clerics. Wizards are rare among them, but do exist. Halflings like to make wondrous items and potions; other magics are generally traded for or simply stolen.

Pantheon

Halflings have their own pantheon, little known to bigger folk. It is led by Yondalla, mother of the halflings.

Name	Rank	Alignment	Sphere	Domains
Yondalla	Greater	LG	Halflings, Diplomacy, Safety	Charm, Community (Family), Protection, Travel (trade), Trickery	Halfling, Elder
Arvoreen	Lesser	LG	Defense, Warriors	War, Protection, Courage	Halfling
Brandobaris	Demigod	N	Theives	Trickery, Luck, Travel	Halfling
Cyrrollalee	Lesser	LG	Trust, Protection	Family, Wealth, Protection	Halfling
Sheela Peryroyl	Lesser	N	Agriculture, Weather	Plant, Air, Family	Halfling

Traits

Chef dé Chef (racial): You are famous for your culinary sill. You gain a +2 trait bonus on Profession (Cook) and it is a class skill for you. If you spend an hour preparing a meal and your client spends an hour consuming it, you can use your Profession (Cook) skill as if it was the Diplomacy skill against those who enjoyed your food. If you beat a DC of 20, your clients also benefit as if they had received long term care from the Heal skill.

Childish (racial): You look childish. You ignore size and age modifiers to disguise yourself as a child of a Medium or Large humanoid. If you are masquerading as an elf, half-elf, or human child, you also ignore race modifiers.

Perfect Servant (racial): You get a +4 trait bonus on Profession (servant) and to Disguise checks to pose as a servant.

Providential Passenger (racial) Those who travel for a living understand that your mere presence could make the difference between success and failure once a journey begins, and this gives you an edge when negotiating your fare or other privileges. Improve the starting attitude that ship captains, caravan leaders, and those with similar sorts of responsibilities have toward you by one step. Once per day when a travel companion within 100 ft. fails a Knowledge, Profession, or Survival check related to travel, you can allow them to reroll the check, taking the better result. This is instinctive and not an action.

Well-Informed (racial): You make it a point to know everyone and to be connected to everything around you. You frequent the best taverns, attend all of the right events, and graciously help anyone who needs it. You gain a +2 trait bonus to Diplomacy checks when gathering information and Knowledge (local) checks to know gossip. One of these skills (your choice) is always a class skill for you.

External Links

• Halfling at d20srd.com

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