Halfling Most halflings are about 3' tall and weigh 60 to 70 pounds. They are generally plump, with round, broad, and often florid faces. They have curly hair atop their heads and on the tops of their typically bare feet. The average life expectancy of a halfling is 150 years.

Halflings are a sturdy and industrious people, generally quiet and peaceful. They enjoy all the creature comforts, and while not overly ambitious, they are friendly and open. Their homes are well-furnished burrows, and most of their work is done out in the sunshine. Halflings get along with the others races, including humans, and they can be found in practically any civilization.

The standard halfling subraces are: hairfoot, stout, and tallfellow. Halfling characters can be of the following classes: cleric, fighter, or thief. The raceÆs multi-class options are limited to fighter/thief.

Players who choose halflings for their characters have 35 character points to spend on racial abilities. These points can be spent to customize a halfling from the general skill list below, or they can be used to purchase a subraceÆs skill package. Only 5 points can be retained for use later in the character creation process.

Hairfoot Halflings

Character point cost: 30

The most common halfling, hairfoots prefer rural settings. They are a practical people, and there are many bakers, millers, farmers, and innkeepers in their society. Averaging 3' tall, hairfoots are stockier than their cousins. Their complexions run from pale peach to ruddy to dark brown, and their eyes are usually black or dark brown. Their hair can be blond, brown, red, black, and shades in betweenùthough with few exceptions it is always curly. Hairfoots are distinguished from other halflings by their lack of facial hair.

Most hairfoots are lawful good, though player characters can be of any alignment.

Languages: Hairfoots can begin with any four halfling, human, or elf dialects.

HairfootsÆ Special Abilities

Attack bonus	Stealth
Saving throw bonuses

Hairfoot Racial Penalties

None.

Stout Halflings

Character point cost: 35

Stouts are not as common as hairfoots, and they tend to be stockier. As a result, they also tend to be stronger. Stouts usually live apart from human societies, choosing instead to live near dwarves. There may be some dwarven blood somewhere in the stoutsÆ ancient past.

Ruddy in complexion, stouts vividly blush when pleased or embarrassed. Their hair tends to be light, and their eyes usually are blue, gray, or green. They favor practical, sturdy clothes, such as well-cured leather. They are the most industrious of all halflings, and are even comfortable around bodies of water and boats.

Most stouts are lawful good, though players can choose any alignment for their characters.

Languages: Stouts can begin with any six halfling, human, or dwarven dialects.

Stout Racial Abilities

Attack bonus	Saving throw bonuses
Infravision, 60'	Stealth
Mining detection abilities

Stout Racial Penalties

Stouts suffer a û1 penalty on reaction rolls from elves because of the halflingsÆ friendship with dwarves.

Tallfellow Halflings

Character point cost: 35

These halflings are the tallest and slimmest of their kind, averaging a little over 4' tall. Their favorite locale is temperate woodlands. As such, they often live nearer to elves than humans.

They usually wear their hair long, sometimes covered with small caps. And they tend to wear clothes of greens and tans to help them blend into the woods. Tallfellows are the best carpenters, and they often live in spacious above-ground wooden houses. When they need to travel, tallfellows prefer riding small ponies to walking.

Most tallfellows are lawful good, but player characters can be of any alignment.

Languages: Tallfellows begin with the following languages: common, halfling, elf, gnome, centaur and dryad.

Tallfellow Racial Abilities

Attack bonus	Secret Doors
Hide	Stealth
Saving throw bonuses

Tallfellow Racial Penalties

Tallfellows suffer a û2 reaction roll penalty vs. dwarves, due to the halflingsÆ friendship with elves.

Halfling Abilities A character with leftover character points may select additional racial abilities after taking one of the standard subrace packages. Or, if the player wishes to create his own customized halfling character, he can pick and choose from the list of halfling abilities listed below. Abilities cost either 5 or 10 character points; refer to the descriptions below.

╖ Aim bonus (10): +1 to the halflingÆs Aim subability score.

╖ Attack bonus (5): +1 attack bonus with hurled weapons and slings.

╖ Balance bonus (10): +1 to the Balance subability. This allows the character to have up to a difference of 5 in the Dexterity subability scores.

╖ Detect evil (5): Halflings are very perceptive. Once a day a halfling with this ability can detect evil in creatures or individuals. This ability does not function on items or locations.

╖ Detect secret doors (5): The halfling can detect secret and concealed doors, as an elf

╖ Hide (10): the ability to hide in woods with a chance equal to a thief of the same levelÆs hide in shadows ability.

╖ Health bonus (10): +1 to the halflingÆs Health subability score.

╖ Infravision (5): Infravision with a 30' range, which indicates some stout blood in the characterÆs lineage.

╖ Mining Detection Abilities (5): A character with this skill is familiar with mining, tunneling and stonework. By concentrating for one round the character can:

Determine approximate direction underground, 1û3 on 1d6.

Detect any grade or slope in the passage they are passing through, 1û3 on 1d4.

╖ Reaction bonus (5): +1 to reaction rolls due to other racesÆ acceptance of halflings.

╖ Saving Throw Bonuses (10): Halflings have a high resistance to magical spells and poison. This natural block grants halfling characters a bonus to all saving throws vs. magical wands, staves, rods, and spells, and applies vs. any poisonous or toxic substances. This bonus is determined by the characterÆs Constitution/Health score. For every 3 1/2 points of Health, the character receives a +1 bonus. These bonuses are summarized below. Halflingsùunlike dwarves and gnomesùare not hindered when using magical items.

	Score	Bonus
	4û6	+1
	7û10	+2
	11û13	+3
	14û17	+4
	18û20	+5

╖ Stealth (10): Like elves, halflings gain a bonus to surprise opponents, but only if the halfling is not wearing metal armor. The halfling can move so quietly that opponents suffer a û4 penalty to their surprise rolls. If the halfling must open a door or move aside some other obstruction, this penalty is reduced to û2.

╖ Taunt (5): Once a day the halfling can taunt someone, as per the 1st level wizard spell.

(See also Monstrous Manual and PlayerÆs Handbook)

Table of Contents