Halflings
A bold and capricious folk with an affinity for living things.
Basic Information
Anatomy
Halflings are close to human in appearance, but on a smaller scale. The main difference is their tails, which are similar to a lion's tail.
Growth Rate & Stages
Halflings grow a bit more slowly than other folk, and are fully developed around age 30.
Behaviour
Halflings are not fearless, but they do have a certain determination and tend to take on challenges that would daunt others.
Additional Information
Geographic Origin and Distribution
Halflings are found throughout the world, but they originate from several regions of Estier. The Old Regime's valleys have some ancient halfling ruins, and the east side of the Shield Mountains is also an ancestral home for this folk.
Civilization and Culture
Naming Traditions
Halflings take their names from nature, and don't go in for elaborate or lengthy names. New parents will generally name their children after a family member, and if that gets confusing, some nickname will be found. In one village you could meet Young Larkin, Old Larkin, Nosey, and Sprout - all given the name Larkin.
Major Organizations
Many powerful halfling families were part of the Evil Empire, but are now reduced to petty nobles or destroyed. These great houses included the Slates, the Darkmantles, the Hawthornes, and the Barrows.
Major Language Groups and Dialects
The Halfling language is closely related to Common for two reasons: First, halfling farmers and artisans trade with all kinds of people and share their words. And second, halflings of the Empire controlled large portions of the world for thousands of years.
Common Customs, Traditions and Rituals
Many halflings worship Sheela Peryroyl, their patron. The Evil Empire, however, did not venerate any deities, and halflings of that region and time period followed the imperial cult.
History
Created by Sheela Peryroyl in the Founding Era, halflings quickly adapted to the world around them. While their pastoral life and comfortable homes were common throughout Estier, the halflings of the northern lands became as harsh as the winters they struggled against.
Average Height
3 ft
Average Weight
40 lb
Body Tint, Colouring and Marking
Just like the other folk of Tephra, halflings come in different shades. Their hair tends to be somewhere between red and dark brown, while their skin is usually light to dark tan in color.
+2 Dexterity, -2 Strength. Halflings are usually agile, but lack the powerful build of larger folk.
Small: As a Small creature, halflings gain a +1 size bonus to Armor Class, a +1 size bonus on attack rolls, and a +4 size bonus on Hide checks, but they use smaller weapons than humans use, and their lifting and carrying limits are three-quarters of those of a Medium character.
Base land speed of 20 feet.
+2 racial bonus on Balance, Bluff, Jump, and Move Silently checks. These are mainly due to the halfling's expressive tail.
+1 racial bonus on saving throws, and an additional +2 morale bonus on saves against fear.
+1 racial bonus on attack rolls with thrown weapons and slings.
Languages: Halflings automatically know one Common language and one language relevant to their upbringing. For bonus languages, they may choose Shoalsali, Dwarven, Eastern Orcish, or Goblin.
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