Racial Templates: Halflings

Racial Templates: Halflings

Halflings in D&D traditionally were used more often for sneaky rogue-ish characters, but if you read their lore (for example, in Races of the Wild) you'll see that they can fit almost any archetype. The most significant difference between D&D halflings and GURPS halflings is their strength. While in D&D they are twice shorter than a human, but had only a -2 penalty to Strength, in GURPS a person with SM-2 usually has ST 5-6 and the same amount of HP, which is a serious problem to martial halfling characters. Keeping that in mind, in GURPS halflings would make much better wizards than warriors, and even though they will be adept at stealth, they won't be able to deal a lot of damage with their low ST. Perhaps using Knowing Your Own Strength will help with that a bit. To be honest, most, if not all halfling subraces are very bland.

LIGHTFOOT HALFLING [-14] (Player’s Handbook, page 19)

Attributes: ST-5 [-50]; DX+1 [20].

Secondary Characteristics: SM -2; Basic Move -1 [-5]; Per +1 [5].

Advantages: Extended Lifespan 1 [2]; Fearlessness 2 [4]; Silence 2 [10].

Features: Early Maturation 1.

The most common halflings. Weak, agile, fearless.

TALLFELLOW [16] (Monster Manual, page 150)

Attributes: ST-2 [-20]; DX+1 [20].

Secondary Characteristics: SM -1; Basic Move -1 [-5], Per +1 [5].

Advantages: Extended Lifespan 1 [2]; Fearlessness 2 [4]; Silence 2 [10].

Features: Early Maturation 1.

Looks like there is a trend for every major race to have subraces in Monster Manual that never get expanded upon. The tallfellows are bigger and stronger than lightfoot halflings, and can detect secret doors.

DEEP HALFLING [-4] (Monster Manual, page 150)

Attributes: ST-5 [-50]; DX+1 [20].

Secondary Characteristics: SM -2; Basic Move -1 [-5], Per +1 [5].

Advantages: Extended Lifespan 1 [2]; Fearlessness 2 [4]; Infravision [10]; Silence 2 [10].

Features: Early Maturation 1.

Continuation of the trend described above! Halflings with infravision.

SHOAL HALFLING [10] (Stormwrack, page 45)

Attributes: ST-5 [-50]; DX+1 [20].

Secondary Characteristics: SM -2; Basic Move -1 [-5].

Advantages: Amphibious [10]; Doesn’t Breathe (Gills, -50%) [10]; Extended Lifespan 1 [2]; Fearlessness 1 [2]; Pressure Support 1 [5]; Silence 2 [10]; Speak Underwater [5].

Perks: Limited Camouflage (Sand) [1].

Features: Early Maturation 1.

For some reason this subrace have seen quite a lot of play in my D&D and GURPS games. They were pearl thieves operating a mechanical apparatus once and diabolical cultists another time.

JERREN [-19] (Book of Vile Darkness, page 13)

Attributes: ST-5 [-50]; DX+1 [20].

Secondary Characteristics: SM -2; Basic Move -1 [-5], Per +1 [5].

Advantages: Extended Lifespan 1 [2]; Fearlessness 2 [4]; Silence 2 [10].

Disadvantages: Callous [-5].

Features: Early Maturation 1.

Edgy and dark halflings that do not like being called halflings.

GLIMMERSKIN HALFLING [4] (Dragon Magic, page 9)

Attributes: ST-5 [-50]; DX+1 [20].

Secondary Characteristics: SM -2; Basic Move -1 [-5]; Per +1 [5].

Advantages: Extended Lifespan 1 [2]; Fearlessness 2 [4]; Healer 1 [10]; Luck (Active, -40%; Game Time, +0%; Magical, -10%) [8]; Silence 2 [10].

Features: Early Maturation 1.

Gold dragon blood grants them supernatural luck! And an additional talent.

TUNDRA HALFLING [-13] (Frostburn, page 36)

Attributes: ST-5 [-50]; DX+1 [20].

Secondary Characteristics: SM -2; Basic Move -1 [-5]; Per +1 [5].

Advantages: Extended Lifespan 1 [2]; Fearlessness 2 [4]; Outdoorsman 1 [10]; Temperature Tolerance 1 (Cold) [1].

Features: Early Maturation 1.

Here comes the first of the environmental subraces. Nothing interesting.

AQUATIC HALFLING [1] (Unearthed Arcana, page 8)

Attributes: ST-5 [-50]; DX+1 [20].

Secondary Characteristics: SM -2; Basic Move -1 [-5]; Per +1 [5].

Advantages: Amphibious [10]; Extended Lifespan 1 [2]; Fearlessness 2 [4]; Night Vision 5 [5]; Pressure Support 1 [5]; Speak Underwater [5].

Features: Doesn’t Breathe (Gills); Early Maturation 1.

Another one.

ARCTIC HALFLING [-8] (Unearthed Arcana, page 10)

Attributes: ST-4 [-40]; DX+1 [20].

Secondary Characteristics: SM -2; Basic Move -1 [-5]; Per +1 [5].

Advantages: Extended Lifespan 1 [2]; Fearlessness 2 [4]; Silence 1 [5]; Temperature Tolerance 1 (Cold) [1].

Features: Early Maturation 1.

Another one.

DESERT HALFLING [-11] (Unearthed Arcana, page 12)

Attributes: ST-5 [-50]; DX+1 [20].

Secondary Characteristics: SM -2; Basic Move -1 [-5]; Per +1 [5].

Advantages: Extended Lifespan 1 [2]; Silence 2 [10]; Temperature Tolerance 2 (Hot) [2]; Terrain Adaptation (Sand) [5].

Features: Early Maturation 1.

And another one.

JUNGLE HALFLING [-13] (Unearthed Arcana, page 15)

Attributes: ST-5 [-50]; DX+1 [20].

Secondary Characteristics: SM -2; Basic Move -1 [-5]; Per +1 [5].

Advantages: Extended Lifespan 1 [2]; Resistant to Poison (+3) [5]; Silence 2 [10].

Features: Early Maturation 1.

And yet another one.

WATER HALFLING [-1] (Unearthed Arcana, page 18)

Attributes: ST-5 [-50]; DX+1 [20]; HT+1 [10].

Secondary Characteristics: SM -2; Basic Move -1 [-5]; Per +1 [5].

Advantages: Doesn’t Eat or Drink (Water Only, -50%) [5]; Extended Lifespan 1 [2]; Fearlessness 2 [4]; Silence 2 [10].

Disadvantages: Susceptible to Fire Spells (-3) [-3].

Perks: Scales [1].

Features: Early Maturation 1.

And the elemental subrace.

GHOSTWISE HALFLING [-5] (Races of Faerun, page 74)

Attributes: ST-5 [-50]; DX+1 [20].

Secondary Characteristics: SM -2; Basic Move -1 [-5], Per +1 [5].

Advantages: Extended Lifespan 1 [2]; Fearlessness 2 [4]; Silence 2 [10]; Subsonic Speech (Magical, -10%) [9].

Features: Early Maturation 1.

This is a setting-specific subrace with... magical subsonic speech. Weird, but at least interesting.

STRONGHEART HALFLING [-16] (Races of Faerun, page 78)

Attributes: ST-5 [-50]; DX+1 [20].

Secondary Characteristics: SM -2; Basic Move -1 [-5], Per +1 [5].

Advantages: Extended Lifespan 1 [2]; Fearlessness 1 [2]; Silence 2 [10].

Features: Early Maturation 1.

Minmaxers liked this setting-specific subrace quite a lot, but they are not much different from the lightfoot halflings in GURPS.

WILD HALFLING [-10] (Dragon Magazine #119)

Attributes: ST-5 [-50]; DX+1 [20].

Secondary Characteristics: SM -2; Basic Move -1 [-5]; Per +1 [5].

Advantages: Acute Taste and Smell 2 [4]; Extended Lifespan 1 [2]; Fearlessness 2 [4]; Stalker 1 [5]; Terrain Adaptation (Undergrowth) [5].

Features: Early Maturation 1.

And here's something a little bit more interesting. Wild isolationist halflings with acute senses of taste and smell.