Halflings (Half-Dwarves)
Requirements: DEX 9, CON 9Prime Requisite: STR and DEX
Hit Dice: d6
Maximum Level: 12
Hill Dwarves (sometimes known as Gnomes) have a reputation for being reclusive, but are in many ways more gregarious than their Mountain-dwelling cousins. This, in combination with their relative proximity with Humans, has resulted in not a few unions between Hill Dwarves and Humans of smaller stature. The result of these pairings is a Half-Dwarf, more commonly known as a Halfling.
Like their Human progenitors, Halflings have a wide range of appearances, though they are rarely able to grow a beard of any significant length. They usually average from about 3 to 4 feet and weigh in at 60 to 100 pounds. Due to this short height, Halflings cannot use two-handed weapons or longbows. However, they can use any other weapon or armor. They must have at least 13 in one or the other prime requisite in order to get the +5% to experience. They must also have a STR and DEX of 13 to get the +10% bonus.
Due to their unusual background, they are used to existing on the fringes of both human and dwarven society. At character creation, a player chooses three Thief abilities that the Halfling character can use. Additionally, Halflings have an uncanny ability to disappear into their surroundings. Using any kind of cover, they hide on a 1-4 on a d6. They also have keen coordination which gives them a +1 to hit with missile weapons.
Halflings use the same saving throws as Dwarves, sharing the hardiness of that side of their ancestry. They also fight as a Dwarf. Further, a Halfling character will speak the common tongue, dwarvish, halfling, gnomish, goblin, and kobold.
Reaching 9th Level: When a Halfling reaches level 9, he has the option of creating a stronghold, which can be either above or below ground. The stronghold will attract Dwarves and Halflings from far and wide. A Halfling ruler is able to hire Dwarven and Halfling soldiers or mercenaries, but may only hire members of other races for other tasks, such as human alchemists or elves for spell casting.
Level Progression
1…0
2…1900
3…3800
4…7600
5…15,200
6…30,400
7…60,000
8…120,000
9…250,000
10…380,000
11…510,000
12…640,000
You know, when I was looking at running an AD&D campaign (a few months back), I had the thought of re-skinning gnomes as the descendants of dwarf-halfling pairings. This was not based on any particular lore, just the thought that there was some middle space between the idyllic space between dwarves and halflings that gnomes could easily seem to occupy.
ReplyDeleteAt the moment, however, I feel that I want fewer experiments in cross-breeding species. I'm allowing half-elves only because of how I'm defining elves.
This one is really for that part of me that wants to play the Halfling fighter on Jeff Dee's cover of T1: the Village of Hommlet. Without the above take I don't think I could ever bring myself to get over the whole Hobbit thing...
DeleteFor myself, I have always been of the opinion that half-elves and half-orcs can pass as humans. Thus, from a particular POV, they are actually not "demi-humans." Rather, they are humans with unusual backgrounds.
Perhaps this is the reason they are referred to as “semi-humans” in AD&D.
DeleteDee always did well with making halflings “heroic.” I always liked his illustration in the B/X expert set (in the PC chapter).
Of course, my FAVORITE half lung fighter has always been the one featured in the 1E DMG vignettes 170-173)...I think those are Sutherland. Just look at those lunges!
Ugh...”favorite HALFLING fighter.” Darn auto-correct...’half lung’ indeed!
Delete:) You realize "half lung" fighter has to be a thing now...
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