2025 Character Creation Challenge Day 17
You can read more about the challenge here and here.
And we come to hobbits—or halflings how they are called after TSR was forced to rename them—the last non-human race option available to players in the original Dungeons & Dragons little brown booklets. Let's see what they are capable of.
Men & Magic, p. 8:
Halflings: Should any player wish to be one, he will be limited to the Fighting-Men class as a halfling. Halflings cannot progress beyond the 4th level (Hero), but they will have magic-resistance equal to dwarves (add four levels for saving throws), and they will have deadly accuracy with missiles as detailed in CHAINMAIL.
OK, let's open Chainmail. What, there are no halflings there! Just joking, they are there as hobbits.
Chainmail, p. 29:
HOBBITS: These little chaps have small place in the wargame, but you may want them for recreation of certain battles. Remember that they are able to blend into the background and so make excellent scouts. They can fire a stone as far as an archer shoots, and because of their well known accuracy, for every two Hobbits firing count three on the Missile Fire table.
Chainmail, p. 39:
Hobbits are listed as Law.
Chainmail, p. 43:
SPECIAL ABILITY A – The ability to become invisible (Hobbits only in brush or woods)
Back to Men & Magic. On p. 9:
Halflings are listed as Law.
Underworld & Wilderness Adventures, pp. 8–9:
Secret passages will be located on the roll of a 1 or a 2 (on a six-sided die) by men, dwarves or halflings. ... When characters come to a door they may “listen” to detect any sound within. Note “Undead” never make any sound. A roll of 1 for humans, and 1 or 2 for Elves, Dwarves, or halflings will detect sound within if there is any to be heard. ...
Unlike dwarves and elves, halflings do not get a write up in Monsters & Treasure.
Summing up, halflings have the following abilities and limitations:
- Class: Fighting-Man up to Hero (4th level).
- Alignment: Law.
- Languages: Halfling, Alignment, Common (20%).
- Detect sound on 1–2 on d6.
- Ability to become invisible in brush or woods.
- High magic resistance, add four levels when rolling saving throws.
- Can fire stone as far as an archer shoots and with with deadly accuracy. (Greyhawk clarification: +3 to-hit with sling.)
And tomorrow comes the pinnacle of character creation: five hobbit Heroes!
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