Halfling
Halflings are thought to have gone extinct during the Century of Cataclysm. However, rumors persist and most people know someone who knows someone who has seen a halfling.
Cherished and guided by gods who value life, home, and hearth, halflings gravitate toward bucolic havens where family and community help shape their lives. That said, many halflings possess a brave and adventurous spirit that leads them on journeys of discovery, affording them the chance to explore a bigger world and make new friends along the way. Their size—similar to that of a human child—helps them pass through crowds unnoticed and slip through tight spaces.
Anyone who has spent time around halflings, particularly halfling adventurers, has likely witnessed the storied "luck of the halflings" in action. When a halfling is in mortal danger, an unseen force seems to intervene on the halfling's behalf. Many halflings believe in the power of luck, and they attribute their unusual gift to one or more of their benevolent gods, including Yondalla, Brandobaris, and Charmalaine. The same gift might contribute to their robust life spans (about 150 years).
Halfling communities come in all varieties. For every sequestered shire tucked away in an unspoiled part of the world, there's a crime syndicate like the Boromar Clan in the Eberron setting or a territorial mob of halflings like those in the Dark Sun setting.
Halflings who prefer to live underground are sometimes called strongheart halflings or stouts. Nomadic halflings, as well as those who live among humans and other tall folk, are sometimes called lightfoot halflings or tallfellows.
Basic Information
Anatomy
Creature Type: Humanoid
Size: Small (about 2-3 feet tall)
Speed: 30 feet
The diminutive halflings survive in a world full of larger creatures by avoiding notice or, barring that, avoiding offense. Standing about 3 feet tall, they appear relatively harmless and so have managed to survive for centuries in the shadow of empires and on the edges of wars and political strife. They are inclined to be stout, weighing between 40 and 45 pounds.
Halflings' skin ranges from tan to pale with a ruddy cast, and their hair is usually brown or sandy brown and wavy. They have brown or hazel eyes. Halfling men often sport long sideburns, but beards are rare among them and mustaches even more so. They like to wear simple, comfortable, and practical clothes, favoring bright colors.
Halfling practicality extends beyond their clothing. They're concerned with basic needs and simple pleasures and have little use for ostentation. Even the wealthiest of halflings keep their treasures locked in a cellar rather than on display for all to see. They have a knack for finding the most straightforward solution to a problem, and have little patience for dithering.
Growth Rate & Stages
A halfling reaches adulthood at the age of 20 and generally lives into the middle of his or her second century.
Ecology and Habitats
Most halflings live in small, peaceful communities with large farms and well-kept groves. They rarely build kingdoms of their own or even hold much land beyond their quiet shires. They typically don't recognize any sort of halfling nobility or royalty, instead looking to family elders to guide them. Families preserve their traditional ways despite the rise and fall of empires.
Many halflings live among other races, where the halflings' hard work and loyal outlook offer them abundant rewards and creature comforts. Some halfling communities travel as a way of life, driving wagons or guiding boats from place to place and maintaining no permanent home.
Behaviour
Halflings are an affable and cheerful people. They cherish the bonds of family and friendship as well as the comforts of hearth and home, harboring few dreams of gold or glory. Even adventurers among them usually venture into the world for reasons of community, friendship, wanderlust, or curiosity. They love discovering new things, even simple things, such as an exotic food or an unfamiliar style of clothing.
Halflings are easily moved to pity and hate to see any living thing suffer. They are generous, happily sharing what they have even in lean times.
Halflings are adept at fitting into a community of humans, dwarves, or elves, making themselves valuable and welcome. The combination of their inherent stealth and their unassuming nature helps halflings to avoid unwanted attention.
Halflings work readily with others, and they are loyal to their friends, whether halfling or otherwise. They can display remarkable ferocity when their friends, families, or communities are threatened.
Additional Information
Perception and Sensory Capabilities
Brave. You have Advantage on saving throws you make to avoid or end the Frightened condition.
Halfling Nimbleness. You can move through the space of any creature that is a size larger than you, but you can't stop in the same space.
Luck. When you roll a 1 on the d20 of a D20 Test, you can reroll the die, and you must use the new roll.
Naturally Stealthy. You can take the Hide action even when you are obscured only by a creature that is at least one size larger than you.