Halflings ('Swords of Kos Fantasy Campaign Setting' Race)
Halfllings are one of the races that appears in Skirmisher's "Swords of Kos Fantasy Campaign Setting" and the entry for them in it appears here. It is fairly conventional, primarily because our milieu has been deliberately designed to serve as what Gary Gygax used to refer to as a "traditional fantasy campaign setting" and to be compatible with materials designed for use with one.
Halfllings are one of the races that appears in Skirmisher Publishing's Swords of Kos Fantasy Campaign Setting and the description for them in it appears here. Our treatment of them is fairly conventional in many ways, primarily because our milieu has been deliberately designed to serve as what my friend Gary Gygax used to refer to as a "traditional fantasy campaign setting" and to be compatible with adventures and other materials designed for use with one. We do, however, allude to some of the aberration that we associated with this race and discussed on our "d-Infinity Live!" episode "Let's Play Halflings." This illustration is a detail from a larger piece by artist T-Jacques.
Halflings are, as their name suggests, demihumans who stand about three feet tall and weigh on average about 35 pounds and who tend to live about twice as long as Humans and who relish creature comforts of all sorts. Because of their small statures they cannot cover ground as quickly as Human-sized folk. Most have brown or black eyes and hair but little facial or body hair which, combined with their diminutive statures and longevity, gives them a childlike appearance, something many of them cultivate to their advantage. Their resemblance to children is sometimes double-edged, however, and some members of other races find Halflings to be somewhat unsavory and to be prejudiced against them on this account; some that become adopted by Human families are even taken for fairies or the like because of their apparent agelessness.
Lightfoot Halflings are the most common variety but there are two other notable subraces: Tallfellows, which have Elven blood and traits and tend to be about four feet tall on average, and Stouts, which have Dwarven blood and traits that include darkvision and tend to be about two-and-a-half feet tall on average.
Halflings are not martial folk and only rarely initiate any sort of violence. When they must defend themselves, however, they are skilled with slings and hurled weapons like rocks, daggers, and handaxes and try to keep at a distance from foes and to use cover, concealment, and stealth to keep out of sight of them. They generally use the most simple, practical, and comfortable garb and equipment possible.
Halflings have their own spoken tongue but no affiliated alphabet, meaning that they must use the script of another language if they wish to write; most Halflings using the local Human language for these purposes, while Tallfellows use Elven script and Stouts use Dwarven script. Likewise, most Halflings speak one or more additional languages, the prevailing local Human tongue being most common among Lightfeet and Elven and Dwarven prevailing among Tallfellows and Stouts, respectively; Gnome, Goblin, and Orc are also well represented. They have keen senses of hearing; are adept at climbing, jumping, hiding, and moving quietly; and are somewhat more resistant than Humans to all inimical effects, especially fear-based ones.
