Yet another halfling

General ACKS Forums House Rules
1

Because shut up, Halflings are cool as hell.

Thanks to DrPete for suggesting changes that I have subsequently made to it.

Playing a Halfling

At first level any human, non-Arcane character may choose to instead play a Halfling, a tiny relative of Dwarves and Humans. In doing so they must sacrifice two proficiency slots to purchase the following proficiency.

Halfling: The character is a halfling, a tiny relative of humans and dwarves. His lifespan is half again as long as members of his race, and he enjoys a +2 bonus to AC against creatures of man size or larger. Additionally, halflings, like Dwarves, are Hardy People so the target value for their saves vs. Blast/Breath are reduced by 3, and the target values of all other saves are reduced by 4. However, halflings are very small in size and are subject to the following additional restrictions:

The maximum weight a halfling can carry is equal to 15 stone, plus his strength adjustment.
A halfling cannnot use longbows, arbalests, or melee weapons that require two hands to use, and never uses the increased damage value for using battle axes, flails, maces, warhammers, spears, or swords two-handed.
A Halfling does not automatically gain the Adventuring proficiency.
2

I like the idea of making halfling a proficiency rather than a race, sort of an elven bloodline type option… Halflings are then a subrace of men or something.

I propose making it a general proficiency available to human non arcane classes, worth two slots, as the drawbacks don’t cover the approximately 4 custom powers of it. Characters without an intelligence bonus may not take adventuring, and thus can’t search for secret doors, make camp, sharpen weapons, etc. Appropriate for the non adventuresome halfling

3

That’s… interesting thinking. I’d kind of like to tweak it to only cost one proficiency though, for symmetrical reasons. I’ll work on a second draft of it.

4

Actually, disregard, I like the way you think and I’ll change it like you’ve said.

5

Whilst no fan of halflings, I admire the cleverness of the game mechanics here.

6

Another slight change I would suggest… instead of a straight +2, I think it should function like Blade dancing… Starts out soso, but gets better as they do. Stackable with swashbuckling or blade dancing, but not both. The super dodgy halfling with plate armor is kind of silly.

I would let the halfling, at any point start dropping general proficiencies, one per level, until he had 4 general slots and could take adventuring, like normal men., so lose one at 3, lose one at 4, and lose one at 5, but gain adventuring, instead of something else.

7

I also like the idea of treating the race as a proficiency.

However, I think that it is pretty severe to take two proficiency slots and also taking the adventuring proficiency. Unless the halfling has an intelligence bonus, s/he will have no proficiency slots at first level.

I think removing the adventuring proficiency is a nice touch, though. Maybe have the halfling race cost just one proficiency slot (like all other proficiencies) and also remove the automatic adventuring proficiency, for a total net cost of two proficiencies.

If that still doesn’t seem balanced, then tack on another racial disadvantage. Maybe a level limit?

But let the poor halfling take at least one normal proficiency at first level!

8

There is a subtle point which was part of that that was not mentioned explicitly, that I probably should have. The adventuring proficiency is worth 4 general proficiencies, so…

This halfling proficiency costs 2, but “normal” adventurers get one plus adventuring. To take the 2 point proficiency, you give up adventuring for a total of 5 proficiencies at first level. Two go to halfling and you have 3 general proficiencies left over, which should compensate for the loss of adventuring.

I would have these drop away as the halfling advances, so 3 at level 1, 3 at lvl 2, 2 at level 3, 1 at level 4, adventuring at level 5. This is a slightly modified version of how normal men do this when brought into the adventuring life, and gives them the can’t go home again feeling.

9

Is it explicitly stated somewhere in the books that the Adventuring Proficiency is worth 4 normal proficiencies? It certainly makes sense with normal men beginning with 6 General Proficiencies.

10

I meant 4 proficiencies, gah no edit button. However thinking about it, with PCs starting with adventuring + 1 GP +1 CP, maybe adventuring would be worth 2 slots? Or maybe PCs are just better :smiley:

11

“The new 1st level character retains any general proficiencies he already knew. When he advances to 2nd, 3rd, and 4th level, he must remove one of these pre-existing general proficiencies (representing erosion of skills over time). When he reaches 4th level, he acquires the Adventuring proficiency”

Ah that is more explicit! Searching the PDF helped

12

Right as it is making the replies too small I’ll start a new stack.

I believe that Adventuring is equal to 3 normal proficiencies. A 0 level character that becomes 1st level keeps his 4 general proficiencies and gain a class proficiency. He loses 1 GP at 2nd, another at 3rd and a final (3rd proficiency) at 4th; thus retaining 1 GP. In addition he has his CP and the Adventuring Proficiency at 4th. The same as any ‘starting a 1st’ PC.

So I would give the Halfling PC 2 proficiencies at 1st level. A standard PC has 4 proficiencies ‘points’ (3 for adventuring + 1 of choice); take away the cost of 2 for being a Halfling. The halfling would lose one of those Proficiencies at 3rd level and the other at 5th, gaining the Adventuring Proficiency then. Thus would always be 2 Proficiencies behind other PCs, the cost of being a Halfling.

13

Hrm. Perhaps.

I’ve also, more recently, given a little thought to just using a variation on the b/x Hobbit class at Strange Magic, though I might ditch a couple of the harsher restrictions on it.

14

Well that was working on the assumption that being a Halfling should cost 2 proficiencies. I must say I haven’t checked!

Still post up your next try, always interesting.

15

Here is my take on the Halfling. I used the Player’s Companion as a guideline, as well as the rules posted by Alex for how to come up with XP values for a custom race.

Halfling
4 Halfling + Thief 4 1,100
3 Halfling + Thief 3 900
2 Halfling + Thief 2 700 XP
1 Halfling + Thief 1 500 XP
0 Halfling 300 XP

Halfling 0: AC bonus vs. large or larger (level 1, 7 and 13, Accuracy, Difficult to Spot, Hardy People, Initiative, Speak Halfling and 1 other language

Cannot use large weapons and must use medium weapons two-handed, without a shield.

Halfling Burglar HD 0, Ftr 1b 500 XP, Halfling 3 900XP = 1,400 XP Level 13
+10,000 per level after 8th. Thief abilities progress exactly like the Thief class. Hide in Shadows stacks, so add 30% to dungeon hiding and 90% to outdoor hiding, maximum 95%. Add any negative circumstantial modifiers first.

Next was the Halfling Scout. The idea was to make it as close to the BX Halfling as possible. I played with the AC bonus to make it like the Blade Dancer’s.

Halfling Scout HD 1 500 XP, Ftr 2 1,000 XP, Halfling 1 500 XP = 2,000 XP Level 13
+20,000 per level after 8th.
The build allows for three Thief skills. I chose Climbing, Find Traps (but not remove them) and trading one out for Precise Shot.

I am working on a Halfling Seer, and considering a combination of Arcane and Divine powers.

16

Neat. A more typical D&D halfling than mine, which was meant to be strongly hobbity.

17

Thanks. I was going for the B/X Halfling, of course. But I can see why you’d go for a Baggins; they can’t all be Tooks.