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Switch to Forum Live View A serious discourse on the return to glory
1 year ago  ::  Jan 12, 2012 - 7:17AM #1
Divine_Bobhead
Date Joined: Jun 17, 2003
Posts: 93

As the anticipation begins for the new iteration of D&D and we start the process of evaluating what things from the past editions should return I think we need to turn our backward gaze to a subject long neglected and worthy of discussion and a triumphant return.


 I speak of course, of fat Halfings.


 The past two editions have brought us anorexic super-model halfings with nary a sign of beer or cheese in sight. These emaciated spritely little imps are far closer to the Kender of Krynn, than their true hobbit antecedents and while I appreciate the Kender, if we are looking to the heart of what is D&D we need look no further than the jolly, plump, shoeless Halflings of old.


 So I am putting out a call here to all right thinking individuals who have felt that certain hollowness in the past few editions, a lacking and have scoured the past tomes seeking to find what it was that was missing, unable to put their finger on what was causing that empty longing. It wasn’t the changing rules, no, no daily power or encounter ability was causing that short, round empty feeling inside. Its time has come, let us restore to the Halfings their rightful identity.


 Let us raise our voices and proclaim: “No more will we have wash-board ab Halflings!”


 Let us demand they cast off the shoes of oppression!


 Let us demand that the creators of the new edition give these Halflings a sandwich and a mug of beer!


 The path is clear, the way back to D&D’s heart is through the Halfling's stomach.


 Thank you all  and a personal thank you to SurlyCleric who reminded me of what was missing in my life and put me on this path to halfling restoration.

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1 year ago  ::  Jan 12, 2012 - 7:19AM #2
frothsof
Date Joined: Jun 4, 2010
Posts: 10,490
hear hear
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1 year ago  ::  Jan 12, 2012 - 7:19AM #3
Scottevil912
Date Joined: Oct 12, 2005
Posts: 1,630
+1 

Granted I have my haflings still the chubby little guys they are in my games, but I'd be happy with an official switch back..

Everquest still has chubby halflings, so I can't imagine there being a strong legal reason not to.
Welcome to ZomboniLand - My D&D Blog http://zomboniland.blogspot.com/
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1 year ago  ::  Jan 12, 2012 - 8:11AM #4
Divine_Bobhead
Date Joined: Jun 17, 2003
Posts: 93

Jan 12, 2012 -- 7:19AM, Scottevil912 wrote:

+1 

Granted I have my haflings still the chubby little guys they are in my games, but I'd be happy with an official switch back..

Everquest still has chubby halflings, so I can't imagine there being a strong legal reason not to.


I think for the most part the chubby, more hobbit like halflings are the more immediately recognizable. The move to the thinner, kender-like halflings never made any sense to me. I always assumed it was motivated by a desire to have them be someting more recognizably WOTC's property and less Tolkien inspired, but that could be the conspiracy theorist in me.

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1 year ago  ::  Jan 12, 2012 - 8:14AM #5
Austinwulf
Date Joined: Aug 5, 2008
Posts: 578
I never liked the old halflings.  Not sure why.  Maybe I'm just a bad person.  Maybe its Bass and Rankin's fault.  Dunno.
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1 year ago  ::  Jan 12, 2012 - 8:23AM #6
Divine_Bobhead
Date Joined: Jun 17, 2003
Posts: 93

Jan 12, 2012 -- 8:14AM, Austinwulf wrote:

I never liked the old halflings.  Not sure why.  Maybe I'm just a bad person.  Maybe its Bass and Rankin's fault.  Dunno.


I think my issue is that certain races I find to be synonymous with particular settings. The warforged for example are Eberron, the Mules always make me think Dark Sun and Kender make me think Dragonlance. I think those races should stay within the setting where they were launched. It helps build a unique identity for not only the race but the setting. The move toward more kender-ish halflings diminished that needlessly. The old-school halflings while derivative were no more than the elves or the dwarves and I found them to be a core part of what I envisioned when I thought of D&D.

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1 year ago  ::  Jan 12, 2012 - 8:27AM #7
Austinwulf
Date Joined: Aug 5, 2008
Posts: 578
Not fond of kender either.  Or gnomes.  Oddly I'm okay with goblins and kobolds.
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1 year ago  ::  Jan 12, 2012 - 8:38AM #8
Divine_Bobhead
Date Joined: Jun 17, 2003
Posts: 93
I have a player who loves gnomes, but has an issue with the schizophrenic way they are presented. One edition they're tricksters and illusionsts, the next they're tinkers, now they're far more Fey then they've been before. It's very frustrating, that's a race that just can't seem to find a cultural idenity.

We have Goblins in our homebrew world that are used as a PC race. I'm a big fan of goblins.
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1 year ago  ::  Jan 12, 2012 - 8:45AM #9
Mapachitly
Date Joined: Jan 11, 2012
Posts: 152
I think people love gnomes because they're as close to fat halflings as the game allows.
Wanna play Frodo or Samwise? Well, a kinder ain't gonna cut it.

Never been fond of halflings-as-kinder myself. 

So, yes. Bring back the fat halfling. 
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1 year ago  ::  Jan 12, 2012 - 9:33AM #10
Azafuse
Date Joined: Jan 11, 2012
Posts: 42
IMHO fat and sneaky don't get along too much. ^_^


Anyway,  I agree with the fact that the halfling's distinguishing feature has always been "barefootness": I've always liked and I still like that.

So no ponytails or boots for them.
I do solemnly swear that I will support and defend the Kingdom of Blackmoor against all enemies, foreign and domestic.
That I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same.
That I take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion.
And that I will well and faithfully discharge the duties of the office upon which I am about to enter.
So help me Odir.
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