Halflings are a small race of humanoids, not known for being adventuresome. Frankly, most are not suited either physically or psychologically for the rigors of the adventuring life. Those few that are suitable, however, are among the hardest of any race to kill.
Halfling 0 (100 XP): While tougher than their non-adventuring kin, this halfling is not nearly as tough as others. While they are hardy people and difficult to spot, they are also under-sized and child-like.
Halfling 1 (600 XP): Physically tougher than the halfling 0, this selection adds HD 1 to any selection of traits.
Halfling 2 (700 XP): Both sneakier and tougher than previous selections, the more advanced halfling is naturally stealthy and hard to kill.
Halfling 3 (1200 XP): Becoming frustratingly hard to kill, the halfling now adds HD 2 to any selection of traits.
Halfling 4 (1300 XP): Bigger and bulkier than other halflings, very nearly reaching the size of gnomes, these giants among halflings have become known (seriously among the halflings, jokingly among all other races) as halfling titans.
Under-sized: Characters with under-sized cannot use two-handed weapons or armor heavier than chain. They also cannot trade these options away. If a level of Fighting with Unrestricted armor or weapons is selected, they replace the Unrestricted category with Broad armor or Broad weapons (defaulting to all one-handed melee weapons and all missile weapons). They do not gain bonus proficiencies for these reductions or pay XP costs for them, but may trade down further. Under-sized is a custom drawback. If selected, a character may select 1 additional custom power.
Child-like: A child-like character suffers -2 to loyalty and morale from any non-halfling henchman, but gains +2 to loyalty and morale from any halfling henchman. This does not affect their reaction rolls (this is a modified Inhumanity).
Hard to kill: This is a re-named Savage Resilience.
Halfling titan: Remove the Undersized malus from the race/class.
Halfling Bounder:
Prime Requisite: STR
Requirements: DEX 9, CON 9
Hit Dice: 1d10
Maximum Level: 11
The Halfling Bounder is a combination of law enforcement and border patrol for halfling settlements. They also serve as a sort of ad-hoc militia on the rare cases when halflings choose to fight rather than flee from danger. Unlike most warriors, they prefer to fight in rough terrain, where their ability to hide serves them well against the larger and stronger humanoid races.
Bounders hit an unarmored foe with an attack throw of 10+ at 1st level, and advance in attack throws and saving throws as a fighter, by two points every three levels of experience. They increase their base damage roll from successful missile attacks by +1 at 1st level and by an additional +1 at 3rd, 6th, and 9th level. They do not gain a damage bonus to melee attacks.
Bounders learned methods long ago of striking their desired target at range, even if it is engaged with another target, and all of them are precise shots. They're also quite adept at ending up behind opponents with their acrobatic fighting style. They're renowned among halflings for both their attunement to nature and their heroic spirits. In the wilderness they patrol, they are both difficult to spot and naturally stealthy, and are famed for being both hardy people and hard to kill. However, being under-sized puts them at a disadvantage against a foe who does get close to them, and their child-like appearance and nature makes larger beings less willing to follow them.
At 9th level, a Bounder becomes known as a Shire-reeve, and can establish a Bounder Post to protect a borderlands or wilderness region. 2d6 1st-level Bounders will join the Shire-reeve to patrol the territory.
Proficiencies: Alertness, Ambushing, Bargaining, Beast Friendship, Blind Fighting, Cat Burglary, Climbing, Combat Reflexes, Combat Trickery (disarm, incapacitate), Command, Contortionism, Eavesdropping, Fighting Style, Passing Without Trace, Precise Shooting, Running, Skirmishing, Skulking, Sniping, Survival, Swashbuckling, Vermin-Slaying, Weapon Finesse, Weapon Focus
Class breakdown: Halfling 3 (1200 XP), HD 1 (500 XP), Fighting 2 (1000 XP), Thievery 1 (200 XP), 1 tradeoff (melee damage) (150 XP) = 3050 XP to 2nd level. 4 custom powers: Acrobatics, Attunement to Nature, Heroic Spirit, Precise Shot. Since this only uses 3.5 custom powers, suggest reducing XP to 2nd level to 3000 to make math easier. Saves are identical to Vaultguard. Stronghold uses Thievery 1 for its basis, since the followers made more sense to me than the castle from Fighting 2.