Halflings

"No, Lieutenant, we do not need to call reinforcements. We outnumber them seven to one, our scouts have already poisoned their water supply, and the cavalry regiment we requested some weeks ago has already arrived. Stop being so superstitious. Besides, General Ranik will have my hide if I-"

— Final Words of Cirethian Commander Miran

  Known by some as the Children of Bolgarung, the halflings of Aedeva are renowned for their ability to enter a battle trance that renders their eyes a solid white. Little is known about the halflings outside their forest home save for the legends of their combat prowess and straightforward nature.   Most halflings interact with the outside world only through the druidic diplomats known as The Circle, and halflings who leave their forest rarely do so without a specific purpose. Though small, they are a highly driven folk, and often enjoy combat for its own sake. First and foremost, the halflings are a warrior people, and war is a game they are very good at winning.   This is not to say that they do nothing but fight. Some halflings use their trance to become powerful seers, or use their skills to end wars quickly, before much bloodshed can occur. Halfling mercenaries sell at a high price, as the mere presence of a halfling of the white eye can dissuade all but the most determined bandits.  

Culture

  Tribalistic and proud, halflings have a fearsome reputation and are not afraid to use it. Little is known about their culture within the forest, but to outsiders they often come across as arrogant and brutish. They follow strange customs that seem superstitious, and hold to a deep reverence for nature, especially for storms.   Halflings also have a strong sense of honor, and will not hesitate to initiate a duel over a perceived slight. Despite their generally uproarious demeanor, halflings command a large amount of respect from outside folks. This trend is particularly strong among warriors.  

Magic

  Natural magic is well accepted within halfling society. When first entering a town, they often seek out the local druid or ranger before the mayor or town guard. They enjoy the company of such naturally oriented people, and place far more weight in the advice of a druid than the same of a wizard or lord.   Many halflings learn some amount of natural magic over the course of their lives, whether from their own clan's wise men or from the druids of The Circle. Those who choose to follow a divine path usually end up in service of Bolgarung, and become powerful manipulators of weather's wrath.   Some halflings might choose to study the arcane forms of magic instead, but these are few and far between. Arcane magic is largely seen as unnecessary in halfling culture. The time spent learning precise hand gestures and vocal cues could just as easily be spent learning how to fight or call storms. Still, halfling wizards who master their battle trance can be a terror to behold.  

Religion

  Nearly all halflings serve Bolgarung, who is believed to be the source of their famous white eyes. Even the less religiously inclined halflings tend to pay homage to the storm god, if for no other reason than familiarity of habit.   Though innately connected to one of the gods of nature, halflings do not share the same kinship with nature that can be seen in elves or gnomes. Instead, they view nature as something to be revered and respected; themselves as nature's wardens and tenders. For this reason, halfling druids abound within Aedeva, particularly in regions suffering from invasive species or intense storms. During seasons of intense hurricanes, many cities will spend large amounts of gold to hire halfling druids to protect the city from the storm's power, or to call that power down upon their enemies (though the halflings will never fight against each other).  

Adventurers

  Isolationist and loyal by nature, halflings never leave the forest without a reason. Usually that reason involves a mission given to them by their tribe's elders. These missions vary widely, from defending cities from oncoming storms, to serving as elite mercenaries in times of war, to earning money and honor for their people.   Of course, not all halflings leave the forest on a mission. Some are overtaken by wanderlust and a desire to see the outside world. Others who narrowly escape execution for one crime or another might find themselves thrust into a life of adventuring. Still others deviate from their people's beliefs, abandoning their mission to serve another cause.   And of course, not all halflings are from the White Forest. Though the halflings of the white eye are by far the most famous (or infamous), small tribes of halflings not related to the white eye can be found throughout Aedeva.   While on adventures, halflings are seen by most other adventurers as a serious boon. Only the most foolhardy of bandits would dare attack a caravan that contains a white eye halfling. And to this day not a single halfling of the white eye has been enslaved by the elves. Only a few have ever been caught by snatchers, and all of them either escaped, or killed themselves to avoid enslavement. There is also some speculation that their ties with Bolgarung might counteract the elves' strange mind-controlling magic, but testing this theory is all but impossible.  

Stats

• Ability Score Increase: Your Dexterity score increases by 2.
• Age: A halfling reaches adulthood at the age of 14 and can live upwards of 120 years, but many have their lives cut short by the dangers of the White Forest or mercenary life.
• Alignment: Most halflings tend toward Lawful, with a culture that is steeped in tradition and martial training. They also tend to have a fondness for geneologies and storytelling.
• Size: Halflings are generally between 2.5 ft. and 3.5 ft. tall and weigh about 40 pounds, and their size category is Small.
• Speed: Your base walking speed is 25 feet.
• White Eye Trance: you can use your bonus action to enter a mystical battle trance, during which your eyes glow solid white. This trance lasts for a number of rounds equal to your level, and you cannot use it again until you complete a short or long rest. The exact effects of the trance vary based on the tribe that you were born to (see below).
• Brave: You have advantage on saving throws against being frightened.
• Nimble: You can move through the space of any creature that is of a size larger than yours.
• Languages: You can speak, read, and write Common, Halfling, and the language specific to your tribe.

 

Tribal Subrace

Each tribe of halflings has a unique relationship with the Great Bear which decides the effects of their trances, and their culture.   

Wolf Tribe

Wolf Companion: at first level you gain a wolf companion and you are proficient in Wisdom (Handle Animal) when it pertains to your wolf companion. With GM approval, you can use the optional Animal Companion class for your wolf. Your bond with the wolf is strong, unique, and lifelong. If your wolf dies, you have disadvantage on all checks for one week as you grieve the loss. Once lost, there is no way to replace this bond.   Wolf Trance: your White Eye Trance grants you power to hunt your foes. While your trance is active, you can use your bonus action to mark a foe within 60ft that you can see, causing you to see them as a glowing, white beacon. When you make an attack roll against your marked target, you add double your proficiency to the attack roll.   At 5th level, your trance highlights weak points in your marked targets. When you hit with an attack against your marked enemy, you roll an additional damage die of your weapon type. (So for a shortsword you would roll 2d6, for a greatsword 4d6, and for a greataxe 2d12). These dice are doubled as normal on a critical hit.   At 10th level, your trance allows you to see through your enemies' attempts at stealth. Your marked target does not benefit from concealment against you.   At 15th level, your trance guides your blows to deal incredibly deadly blows. Your attacks against your marked target are a critical hit on a 19 or 20 (or 18 to 20 if you already crit on a 19).   At 20th level, your trance allows you to strike seemingly impossible blows. Your attacks against your marked target ignore partial cover, and can even strike at enemies who have full cover. Full cover does not obstruct your vision of your marked target, and you can use your attack action to make a single attack against your marked target, even if they have full cover. When you make this attack, you can choose to guide your attack around their cover, or attempt to plunge through their cover. If you choose to attack around their cover, you make the attack roll with disadvantage. If you choose to attack through their cover, you make the attack roll as normal, but the target gets a bonus to their AC based on the material of their cover. There are examples below.   If this attack hits, roll damage as normal, including all bonuses from your trance.  

Full Cover Material AC Bonuses

Wood: +2
Metal: +4
Stone: +6
Adamantine: +8    

Tiger Tribe

Tiger's Spirit: Starting at first level, you have been trained to strike with the ferocity of a tiger's claws. Your unarmed attacks do an additional 1d4 Slashing damage.   Tiger Trance: your White Eye Trance grants you the grace and strength of a tiger. While your trance is active, you gain a climb speed equal to your base speed, and you have advantage on Stealth checks. In addition, whenever you succeed a Grapple check you can deal your unarmed strike damage to the grappled creature.   At 5th level, your trance allows you to pounce upon your opponents. While your trance is active, your jump distance is doubled. If you jump at least 10ft as part of a melee attack action, you can attempt to Grapple the target as part of the attack action. If the target is unaware of you before you pounce, they have disadvantage on their Athletics or Acrobatics roll to avoid being grappled.   At 10th level, your trance allows you to blend into shadows. When you are lightly obscured by shadows or foliage, are Heavily Obscured to creatures that are more than 5ft away from you.   At 15th level, your trance empowers your grapples. When an enemy who is grappled by you fails a Grapple check against you, they become Restrained, and cannot speak or make noise.   At 20th level, your trance allows you to rend your enemies like a tiger. When you damage an enemy who is Grappled by you, they take additional damage equal to your level. In addition, when you successfully Grapple an opponent, you can use your Bonus Action to move up to half your speed, dragging them with you.