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Jan 27, 2013 -- 9:00PM, The_Jester wrote:

Different species means you can get away with shifting the proportions a little and not having and intelligence penalty.

Err, I'm saying if you don't shift the proportions at all, and you don't need an intelligence penalty.  Dolphins are (probably) smarter than blue whales, despite having much smaller brains.  Humans are (probably) smarter than elephants, despite having much smaller brains.  In other words, brain size is positively correlated with intelligence within the same species, but a lot less so between different species.

Magic is a way to make the world special. It's not a crutch to justify silliness or bad science. When evoking "magic" there should be a reason, the magic should have a purpose and not just justifying quirks of the mechanics, laziness, or mistakes. 

That was a joke.  :P

Jan 27, 2013 -- 10:35PM, Garthanos wrote:

Brain size... pixie around the size of a peanut ... intelligence atleast moderate if not high .. forget your science for this one dudes, fantasy rules.

To be fair, Pixies avert that problem because they're inherently magical creatures. Halflings, on the other hand, are completely mundane creatures, just like Humans, so they have to make a bit more sense.

Jan 27, 2013 -- 11:00PM, CVB wrote:

And having them built like toddlers is how you deal with it?

I've yet to see any answer that's both as good, makes as much sense, and fits the Halfling's theme so well.

Remember 3.x's 'small weapon' debacle?

What debacle?

Jan 27, 2013 -- 11:16PM, anjelika wrote:

...I have to ask...do you actually play halflings?

I've only played one, a Rogue, but I enjoyed her immensely. In fact, I've included her as a prominent NPC in games that I've DMed for other groups, and she's always a hit.

I'm having a lot of trouble imagining someone who enjoys playing proper halflings thinking that making them into (effectively) toddlers is a great way to fit their theme. Not saying it isn't possible of course.

Let's watch how we use that word. We don't want to get into any "No True Scotsman" arguments.

Jan 27, 2013 -- 11:23PM, anjelika wrote:

Wasn't the angle I was taking, meant more like 'a halfling as a serious character' instead of an intentional joke character was all.

Oh, she's a serious character. She has a tragic, revenge-driven back-story with a bit of a grim resolution, and she's so charismatic and politically calculating that she took over 98% of seafaring pirate organizations on the planet and turned them around into a single recognized oceanic nation, now the wealthiest nation on her planet due to their ludicrous profits from trade. There's very little silly about her.