Halflings

[Maecius]

The fantastic Races of Faerûn, a joint effort overseen by Eric L. Boyd, Matt Forbeck, and James Jacobs, opens with the following:

Faerûn is home to hundreds of intelligent peoples, divided into thousands of tribes, clans, nations, and ethnicities. Some of these races are monstrous predators armed with terrible powers and some are bloodthirsty marauders who terrorize more civilized folk, but most are good-hearted folk who wish to live in peace in whatever manner they find most prosperous and fulfilling. This great diversity in physical nature, magical talent, beliefs, and values creates an incredible patchwork of cultures that spans the entire continent, a tapestry so complex and wondrous that no one mortal can hope to ever comprehend it in its entirety. (Page 3)

In BALDUR'S GATE: THE SWORD COAST CHRONICLES we try to accurately reflect the setting's wonderful diversity of races by allowing players to select from a vast number of character races (24 to be exact). Because not everyone who plays here has access to the same amount of information, this thread, its subsequent posts, and its related threads, exist to give you a solid introduction to the races that you can elect to play:

Below, we cover halflings. In similar threads, we look at dwarves (gold, gray, and shield), elves (from drow to wood elf), gnomes (deep and rock), half-orcs, humans, planetouched, and gray orcs. It is our hope that the information provided here will allow you to make the most of your roleplaying experience.

[Maecius]

HALFLINGS

There are three major subraces of halfling dwelling in Faerûn: "the lightfoot halflings, the rare ghostwise halflings, and the strongheart halflings of Luiren in the south." (FRCS, 16) (1) Halflings can be described as "resourceful and quick, perfectly at home among the sprawling human lands or living apart in their own settled communities." (FRCS, 16)

The halflings's name for their race is hin, "although most accept 'halfling' with a shrug and a smile." (FRCS, 16)

Of the three Faerûnian halfling subraces, the two that players can elect to play in BG:TSCC are lightfoot halfling and strongheart halfling.

From left to right: a ghostwise, strongheart, and lightfoot halfling.

(1) FRCS: Forgotten Realms Campaign Setting.

[Maecius]

LIGHTFOOT HALFLINGS

Regions: Any human region, Luiren, Lightfoot Halfling.

Lightfoot halflings are the most common halfling, and are the subrace most people mean when they refer to a "halfling." Lightfoot halflings are more likely to worship nonhalfling deities than any other halfling subrace, and are also "the most likely to give in to their desire to wander." (FRCS, 17)

APPEARANCE:

Halflings stand about 3 feet tall and usually weigh between 30 and 35 pounds. Their skin is ruddy, and their hair is black and straight. They have brown or black eyes. Halfling men often have long sideburns, but beards are rare among them and mustaches are almost unseen. They like to wear simple, comfortable, and practical clothes. A halfling reaches adulthood at the age of 20 and generally lives into the middle of his or her second century. (PHB, 19) (2)

PERSONALITY:

Halflings prefer trouble to boredom. They are notoriously curious. Relying on their ability to survive or escape danger, they demonstrate a daring that many larger people can't match. [...]

Halflings enjoy wealth and the pleasures it can bring, and they spend gold as quickly as they acquire it. Halflings are also famous collectors. While more orthodox halflings may collect weapons, books, or jewelry, some collect such objects as the hides of wild beasts -- or even the beasts themselves. Wealthy halflings sometimes commission adventurers to retrieve exotic items to complete their collections. (PHB, 19)

OUTLOOK: The average lightfoot halfling's worldview is as follows:

Lightfoot halflings may be the most common of all the subraces, but their behavior is also the most varied. It's impossible to describe the "typical" lightfoot halfling because, much like humans, the race embodies individuals that are the absolute antithesis of one another. This diversity of behavior is mirrored in a diversity of outlooks: Some halflings adopt views and beliefs about the world that are very close or even identical to whatever human community they happen to dwell in, while others retain distinctive points of view that separate them from other races and groups (including other halflings). It's not uncommon to meet halflings who, because they spend the greater part of their lives roaming from place to place, have outlooks that are amalgams of those from multiple cultures and environments.

The aspect of the lightfoot outlook that most nonhalflings notice, however, is that they are the hin subrace that is most likely to wander out of an innate desire. It is not unknown for individual lightfoot halflings or even entire families to decide that, after living in the same place for decades, they want to move on to someplace else. Some learned folk speculate that the lightfoot hin experience a habitual need to see many different places and enjoy a variety of experiences. Other sages and loremasters wonder if the lightfoot penchant for the semi-nomadic lifestyle is socialized behavior, learned from centuries of practice. These scholars theorize that the lightfoot hin who left Luiren because of the Ghostwar massacres were unable to find a new homeland that suited them as well, so they wandered. After so many hundreds of years of wandering, the behavior is now natural to the lightfoot hin, or so this school of thought holds. Whatever the case, there's no denying that many lightfoot halflings seem determined to see a great deal of Faerûn and have many interesting experiences during their lifetimes. (RoF, 77) (3)

SOCIETY: It can be difficult to describe lightfoot society, as "lightfoots can be divided into three groups: those who live among humans, those who live among other lightfoots, and those who wander from place to place." (RoF, 77) Some lightfoot halflings go their entire lives in one village or town, "sometimes as part of a human community, and sometimes in a settlement populated almost entirely by halflings." (RoF, 77) And others are forever on the move, never settling down in one place for too long.

RELIGION:

The diversity evident in the lightfoot halflings' outlook and society is also reflected in their religious beliefs. Of all the hin subraces, the lightfoot are the most likely to worship deities other than those belonging to Yondalla's Children. In addition to the deity they most favor, many lightfoot households -- particularly those that prefer life on the road to a more settled existence -- often venerate a household patron, often inspired by some matriarch or patriarch of the family's history.

Brandobaris, the Master of Stealth, is much beloved by the lightfoot hin for his realistic and good-humored view of life. Brandobaris is a common patron deity of those halflings who trust their luck to see them through as they wander from place to place.

The worship of Cyrrollalee, the Hearthkeeper, is wildly popular among lightfoot halflings born within the last two generations. Her message of the ascendance of the halfling race to a station of respect and power in Faerûn has fallen on receptive ears. The ranks of her clergy have swelled with the number of lightfoot hin seeking to spread her message and contribute to the search for a new lightfoot homeland.

Yondalla's faith is popular with the lightfoot halflings, both those who wander and those who prefer to settle in more permanent communities. Recently there has been some tension between her clergy and those serving Cyyrollalee: Yondalla is not at all certain that this younger deity's call for a halfling homeland is wise. (RoF, 78)

RELATIONS WITH OTHER RACES: Lightfoot halflings get along well with nearly all races, except for the evil races of the Underdark and the orcish and goblinoid races. They tend to fit in well with whatever society they are currently living with; and few people even notice the halflings after a while, which is, more often than not, exactly what the halfling wants.

PLAYING A LIGHTFOOT HALFLING: Although no one can tell you how to design your character, here are some tips for getting started:

As befits their name, lightfoot halflings often take classes that work well for wanderers, such as rogue and bard. Lightfoot halflings often pick up an impressive array of skills during their travels, and with their small size and low strength, they need the advantages of stealth and cleverness. (RoF, 77)

(2) PHB: Dungeons & Dragons Player's Handbook (3.5 Editon).
(3) RoF: Races of Faerûn.

[Maecius]

STRONGHEART HALFLINGS

Regions: Luiren, Strongheart Halfling.

Strongheart halflings are, "like the ghostwise and lightfoot hin, native to Luiren." (RoF, 78) Unlike the ghostwise and lightfoot hin, the stronghearts decided to remain in their homeland after the events of the Hin Ghostwar: "The legacy of Chand, the strongheart war chieftain who galvanized his tribe against the threat of the feral ghostwise, lives on today in a nation that both reinforces and defies many of the expectations nonhalflings have of this race."

APPEARANCE: Strongheart halflings look very similar to lightfoot halflings, though the disciplined, stern-faced expression of a strongheart warrior is often startling to people more used to seeing the jovial grin of a lightfoot halfling.

PERSONALITY: The stronghearts are orderly and industrious. They build for stability, creating strong communities, and "fiercely defend their homelands against threats that their lightfoot kin would simply flee:" (FRCS, 17)

Northland humans familiar with the easygoing ways of the lightfoot halflings are surprised to learn that some halflings are capable of a warrior tradition and aren't afraid to show a hint of arrogance or confidence in their own abilities or strengths. Strongheart halflings enjoy athletic contests and value exceptional skills of all kinds. (FRCS, 17)

OUTLOOK: The average strongheart halfling's worldview is as follows:

Prior to the Hin Ghostwar, the stronghearts were, like their brethren, mostly a nomadic hunter-gatherer people. During the centuries that followed that terrible conflict, however, the stronghearts gravitated toward a more agrarian-based lifestyle centered around permanent communities. But if the communities were stationary, the stronghearts were not, moving from established community to established community.

This strange duality of nature, consisting of a desire to move about freely with a liking for permanent structures and settlements, has produced some unusual outlooks among the stronghearts of Luiren. Their viewpoint stresses cooperation above all other traits, and the ability to work as a team is the most valued behavior in their land. Cooperation transcends many boundaries in Luiren, and even strangers of whom the locals are suspicious can earn themselves considerable credit and tolerance by demonstrating a willingness to cooperate. (RoF, 78-79)

SOCIETY: The strongheart halflings have established their homeland in Luiren, and numerous, stable towns; and yet, they lead "a unique, semi-nomadic lifestyle, in which businesses, families, and even entire clans can move freely and independently from place to place within Luiren." (RoF, 79)

The combination of wanderlust with the desire for stability has creates a bizarre society in the eyes of many outsiders, who "find it difficult to comprehend how a society can enjoy such seemingly whimsical mobility while retaining any viable structure." (RoF, 79) And yet, "for their part, most of the strongheart hin cannot understand why anyone would want to tie themselves permanently to any one community or structure for their entire lives." (RoF, 79)

RELIGION:

The scrupulous stronghearts of Luiren take care to honor all the deities in the halfling pantheon, but their way of life reflects the influence of certain powers more than others. They do not favor any deities from other pantheons, and they actively discourage halflings from venerating the gods and goddesses of other races.

[...] Arvoreen enjoys the strongest worship from the stronghearts of Luiren. While the Luiren hin venerate all the deities of the halfling pantheon in their turn, they hold the Vigilant Guardian in very high regard. His simple dogma has almost become the de facto motto of the nation: "Vigilance against attack will protect the community. Prepare an active defense, drill continuously, and leave nothing to chance. Put down danger before allowing it a chance to rear its head." Clerics of the Wary Sword are among the nation's foremost religious, political, and military leaders. [...]

Strongheart druids and rangers frequently venerate Sheela Peryroyl, the Green Sister, and they encourage their fellow hin to be mindful of the need to balance their communities' expansion with the need to preserve nature. [...]

Yondalla, the Blessed One, is the most popular halfling deity after Avoreen among the stronghearts. Many of the subrace who dwell in Luiren find the dichotomy of her faith -- do not welcome violence, but defend the home and community fiercely -- to be reflective of the strongheart outlook. [...] (RoF, 79)

PLAYING A STRONGHEART HALFLING: Although no one can tell you how to design your character, here are some tips for getting started:

Stronghearts have relatively more clerics and martial characters (fighters, rangers, and paladins) than their lightfoot cousins, but the skilled rogue is still the most common character class among strongheart adventurers. Strongheart halflings can be tricky, clever warriors or glib negotiators -- or both. (RoF, 79)