Hello everybody! This thread is really illuminating, but I still did not really understand what exactly entails this Halfling trait:
Halfling Nimbleness
You can move through the space of any creature that is of a size larger than yours.
Can anyone explain this with an example? As a DM, How do I apply this in a session?
Thank you and forgive me if this question is silly.
Gianluca
Hi Gianluca! o/
Normally you can only move through a space already occupied by a creature if that creature is allowing you to do so (so a friendly one, like a party member, for example). EDIT: here is the rule on moving in relation to other creatures ->
You can move through a nonhostile creature's space. In contrast, you can move through a hostile creature's space only if the creature is at least two sizes larger or smaller than you. Remember that another creature's space is difficult terrain for you.
The Halfling trait effectively makes it so that an halfling can "run between the legs" of anything just one size or more larger than them, regardless of if they are willing to let them pass or not. (edit: I am not sure, though, if it would still count as difficult terrain for them... I would rule it does not, but I might be wrong)
It is an extremely useful trait in situations where mobility is a definite advantage, for example when there is an enemy blocking passage to a room, or to an important object or interaction (like a button or a level), letting the Halfling pass unobstructed.
It is worth mentioning, though, that it does not prevent the enemy from making attacks of opportunity should the Halfling move out of the threat zone of the enemy they just made a fool of. So, to be on the safe side, the Halfling in question should either use their Action to Disengage, or have a class feature that would allow them to Disengage as a Bonus Action, just to make sure they are not hit "on the way out" ;)
Playing halflings, gnomes, goblins and kobolds is probably more about the role play choice than any mechanical advantage. Humans and half elves clearly have the most mechanical advantages, but a talented role player who knows how to see the world from that little kobold's perspective will also find unwritten advantages and opportunities. For the real role player that character who cuts against type can be the most fun. A kobold barbarian, even with the strength hit could have an awesome DEX and CON for a great unarmored AC. He begs and cowers then rages, or rages to weaken the enemy then cowers to get his party an advantage so they can finish it off. Other races might make more sense for the mechanics of the build but something different could be a lot of fun.
Your explanation is crystal clear. Thank you so much!
Grazie!
RON_X, this is true and interesting. I wish I had my players more aware of this role play points of view. Unfortunately we are really novices (I am putting myself at the first place) and this may be somehow confusing for my players, as they would raise questions and comparisons. I always try to introduce rules and elements slowly and coherently, and I always try hard to balance rules and fun.
Usually you can factor in weight with smaller classes. Because they don’t set off traps like mediums do, given this depends.
Another thing is story wise since they are small they can fit into smaller places. Places that like a child could fit through, but not a grown adult.
I wouldn’t have thought of weight, but I’m not sure I agree. As a DM, is definately have a trap go off from a small animal companion, for instance, unless it was under 40lbs. Of course, the phb weights may be that nonsensically low in this edition for small races, I don’t remember. I still use the 4e weight and height values for small races. My Gnome is (a very tall) 4’, 70ish lbs.
ill grant hiding and fitting in smaller spaces, and add that you can also get cover more easily when you’re 3-4 feet tall.
Ya, I played in a game we’re a Goliath Fighter was the front man and the Gnome or Halfling rogue would jump out from behind him and attack. Getting cover behind one of the goliaths legs.
Being small may have disadvantages on big and heavy weapons, (Okay, maybe a huge disadvantage!) but they can crouch into small spaces and can dodge things quite easier. Sometimes, they have advantages on speed. (Speedy little guys)
For those using just Basic-Rules Races (could include Player's Handbook and Xanathar's Guide to Everything), I would be willing to bet that the Small-sized Races are more-dominant and more-fun to play.
Elemental Evil Player's Companion, Sword Coast Adventurer's Guide, Volo's Guide to Monsters, and The Tortle Package all add complexity to the game for Races. They dwarf (pun intended) the Small-sized Races. One Grung Above (have not seen the Grung mentioned yet) does actually boost Small-sized Races. The Grung is a fascinating monster and potential-playable character, but it's not even here in D&D Beyond.
Volo's does the most damage to making Small-sized Races relatively-irrelevant, even though it introduces the Goblin and the Kobold into the mix. Sword Coast Adventurer's Guide does the least amount of damage, especially when you figure that the Winged-variant Tiefling is off limits in Adventurer's League, but the Ghostwise Halfing and the Deep Gnome are legal to play. However, I think given these factors, it's still almost-balanced -- what really sets things off is Homebrew Races. I was never a fan of Homebrew, but it absolutely kills the Halfling and Gnome. I never see anyone play them when they can Homebrew in other Races. I saw a Goblin once, but it was the Plane Shift Zendikar variety.
Won't apologize for being a purist, but I love the Basic-Rules Races -- they maintain balance, focus, and give breadth (the right amount of breadth) to an otherwise-chaotic character-creation process. Why can't the other-book Races just be NPCs?
If you look at the Races section of D&D Beyond, you get quite a lot of options -- I would say too-many options. Xanathar's Guide to Everything seemed to tip the scales when Basic-Rules Races are used -- I especially like the Gloom-Stalker Forest Gnome (with a later Arcane-Archer multiclass for remaining 16 levels), the Forge-Domain Cleric (with a later War-Wizard multiclass foray for 2 levels and then back) Rock Gnome, and the Halfling Divine-Soul Sorcerer. Gnomes and Halflings are always great Fighters and Rogues (EK or AT besides) but they also make good Bards, Monks, and Rangers (when no-other Race does!).
However, who uses strictly Basic-Rules Races? Reasons, sure. The definitive outcome is that you don't see players jumping to Halfling or Gnome anymore.
The other weird thing about D&D Small-sized Races is when do you find non players in combat with them (barring Goblins, Grung, and Kobolds)? Have you ever run into a fight along with or against Gnome or Halfling NPCs? Elves, yes. Dwarves, yes. Orcs, of course. Dragonborn, Half-Elf/Half-Orc, Tiefling, etc -- I guess not as much either.
As a DM, it's interesting to mess with the character-creation process by restricting Races. It's the first thing out-of the gate. In some cases as DM, I have (or have wanted to) force players to create non-Human Races.
I think initially, 5E had the right idea. They sorted a few choice Races by height, lifespan, age-of adulthood, and looked at their ability scores and potential racial features (and sub-race features). When you look at Height it's amazingly-well sorted: Dragonborn, Half-Orc, Human, Tiefling, Half-Elf, Elf, Dwarf, Gnome, and Halfling.
Now look at Lifespan: Elf (750), Gnome (425), Dwarf (350), Half-Elf (180), Halfling (150), Tiefling (85), Dragonborn/Human (80), and Half-Orc (75).
Where it gets most-interesting to me, and more-so if you consider the Life Events by Age table in Xanathar's Guide to Everything is the Age-of Adulthood: Elf (100), Dwarf (50), Gnome (40), Halfling/Half-Elf (20), Human/Tiefling (18), Dragonborn (15), and Half-Orc (14). Elves get 1d12 Life Events, Dwarves get 1d8, and Gnomes get 1d6 -- while the others only get 1.
For Sub-race Features, only Elves, Dwarves, Halflings, and Gnomes have Subraces (Human's is called Variant on-purpose?); Elf with 3, and the others with 2.
Another factor to consider is that the Optional Ability Score Point-Buy System was only adopted by Adventurer's League. In the Player's Handbook, the real, true (originally-designed) option is for the player to decide (after he or she chooses Race and Class) between the 4d6-Three-Highest and Assign as-desired -- or -- the Standard Array. On-average, the rolls from 4d6-Three-Highest would be 16, 14, 13, 12, 10, 9 -- so anyone who wants a truly-unique character would choose this option over the Standard Array. However, sometimes the option when constructing a party needs to have higher regimen with additional risk-adverness. This theory is a stretch, but my guess is that players who select, say, Gnome Wizard, or Halfling Rogue are also the types who are risk-adverse and would select the Standard Array. In other words, Small-sized characters who opt for Single Ability-score Dependent classes/subclasses are more-likely to select the Standard Array because they have less to gain (and more to lose) from rolling randomly compared to, say, a Dragonborn Paladin or a two-weapon fighting Half-Orc Ranger.
When we start dumping 31 more Races/Subraces along with Point-Buy System in AL-Legal games, the last-half of the paragraph above loses its meaning and intention. We no longer allow risk-adverse playing styles -- or they become more-complicated, less-effective, and difficult to elicit, discern, or create. Little things like this added additional-needed balance to the game. Now lost, forever, and for what? Why? Why do we need 45 playable Races/Subraces along with 8 Variants in 3-4 of those Races?
We went from 9 Races in the Player's Handbook to 3-additional Subraces in Sword Coast Adventurer's Guide (adding Deep Gnome, Duergar, and Ghostwise Halfling). Then, after that, things went off-the rails completely. Elemental Evil Player's Companion added 3-more Races. Still seems fine, maybe especially since one isn't even AL-Legal. Then, Volo's Guide to Monsters added 12 Races. Shoot. The Tortle Package added 1 more, cause why not?
My answer is to pull back the reins somehow. Maybe allow players one Subrace from each book to select from? At campaign start, just say that other Races/Subraces can be NPCs, but that PC and Surrogates are restricted to the ones identified in the starting city/domain (e.g., Baldur's Gate would have Rock Gnomes, Hill Dwarves, Humans/Variants, Tieflings (but not Variants), Halflings, Elves (except Drow), Half-Elves (but not Variants), and Half-Orcs). In the Baldur's Gate scenario, let's say that someone in the group wanted a Mountain Dwarf. That would exclude all Dragonborn, Forest Gnomes, and Drow Elves. However, if someone also wanted to be a Drow-variant Half-Elf that would be fine, but would exclude Tiefling Variants, Deurgar, and Ghostwise Halflings.
Now the party has a Mountain Dwarf, a Drow-variant Half-Elf, and another player wants to play a Deep Gnome. Great, but now Aaracokra and Genasi are out. Final player wants a Goliath? Fine still, but all of the Races/Subraces in Volo's are out, leaving only the Tortle left from outside of those dozen originally-allowed Races/Subraces plus these four -- brining the total to 16: Human, Human-variant, High Elf, Wood Elf, Deep Gnome, Rock Gnome, Hill Dwarf, Mountain Dwarf, Tiefling, Lightfoot Halfling, Stout Halfling, Half-Elf, Drow-variant Half-Elf, Half-orc, Goliath, and Tortle.
With this sort of system, you will hopefully have players repeatedly choose to play Halflings and Gnomes -- at least one per party.
Here is my opinion on why its ok... a little late to the party and possibly subject to DM interpretation (some have told me enemy must be 2 sizes larger) but i like the idea of my halfling clinging on to a creatures hair pumping hand xbow bolts into its skull at advantage (with xbow mastery)
Climbing Onto a Bigger Creature
A suitably large creature can be treated as terrain for the purpose of jumping onto its back or clinging to a limb. Once you make any ability checks necessary to get into position and to get onto the bigger creature, the smaller creature uses its action to make an Athletics or Acrobatics check contested by the targets Acrobatics check. If it wins the contest, the smaller creature successfully moves into the target creature's space and clings to his body. While in the target's space, the smaller creature moves with the target and has advantage on attack rolls against it. The smaller creature can move around within the larger creature's space, treating the space as difficult terrain. The larger creature may or may not be able to attack the smaller creature, depending on the smaller creature's location, this is up to the DM. The larger creature can try to dislodge the creature as an action - shaking it off, scraping it against a wall, grabbing and throwing it off - by making an Athletics check opposed by the smaller creature's Athletics or Acrobatics check.
Here is my opinion on why its ok... a little late to the party and possibly subject to DM interpretation (some have told me enemy must be 2 sizes larger) but i like the idea of my halfling clinging on to a creatures hair pumping hand xbow bolts into its skull at advantage (with xbow mastery)
Climbing Onto a Bigger Creature
A suitably large creature can be treated as terrain for the purpose of jumping onto its back or clinging to a limb. Once you make any ability checks necessary to get into position and to get onto the bigger creature, the smaller creature uses its action to make an Athletics or Acrobatics check contested by the targets Acrobatics check. If it wins the contest, the smaller creature successfully moves into the target creature's space and clings to his body. While in the target's space, the smaller creature moves with the target and has advantage on attack rolls against it. The smaller creature can move around within the larger creature's space, treating the space as difficult terrain. The larger creature may or may not be able to attack the smaller creature, depending on the smaller creature's location, this is up to the DM. The larger creature can try to dislodge the creature as an action - shaking it off, scraping it against a wall, grabbing and throwing it off - by making an Athletics check opposed by the smaller creature's Athletics or Acrobatics check.
Anything involving stealth, sneakiness, hiding, climbing, etc, I give a bonus to a smaller character in the attempt. As the Baggins used to say "small hands do what large hands cannot".
So, not as bad as I was thinking. I think that what I need to do is review what weapons are heavy, and almost certainly make the Longbow and Glaive lose the heavy property.
Longbow and anything that does 1d10 or better (except via Versatile), except the lance.
Are you trying to tell me what weapons are heavy? *rereads what I wrote before*
AH, ok. That's my bad. What I meant was, "review whether the heavy weapons should be heavy*.
Sorry for the mix up.
I'm the primary DM in my group.
I'm coming at this from the perspective of a DM and game designer, not just that of a player.
My point is exactly that most of the benefits of being small are very situational and DM dependent, while the drawbacks neither. A small ranged weapon user can't get the same damage as a medium creature.
A small great weapon fighter will always be a damage die behind a medium GWF.
This creates a circumstance that I don't like, wherein most halflings and gnomes are casters and rogues, or rogue-like fighters and rangers. Every archer ranger I've seen in public play that is small has taken levels or rogue for SA to make up for being stuck with the shortbow, unless the DM handwaived the heavy property. In those games, the same players went from planning to MC, to going full ranger, because they literally were only taking rogue levels to make up the damage difference.
I've seen longsword GWF gnome barbarians, but again they tend to find ways to get damage sources outside their main class because even though 1 die step isn't actually a big deal statistically, it feels like it.
And of course, there are no RAW Gnomish pikemen, because every reach weapon but the whip is heavy.
That arbitrary stifling of concept is what I don't like.
But like I said in my last post, I think that ditching Heavy on the Longbow and Glaive, or adding a few weapons that fit the bill with different descriptions, will solve the problem. I may restrict the new reach weapon to 1d8, but maybe not. It's not like small creatures can't already get d10 with verstatile weapons.
Heavy weapons should be difficult for small characters. Have you seen an actual glaive or longbow IRL? I have. I have also seen gnome and handling sized children trying to pick them up. It just doesn't work. A gnome would literally have to stand on a chair to shoot a longbow. They are simply not tall enough otherwise. Not to mention that a Gnome simply does not have the arm and chest span necessary to bring a longbow to full draw. Longbows are long. Glaives are an 8 foot long weapon.
There is no reason to take the heavy quality off either of them. May as well remove sunlight sensitivity form the Draw and give humans darkvision while we're at at it. A Drowse that can't go out in the sunlight is arbitrary denial of concept. What do you mean my human tunnel fighter can't see in the dark? that's arbitrary denial of concept.
Arbitrary -adjective- "based on random choice or personal whim, rather than any reason or system." That word, I do not think it means what you think it means.
Why is it arbitrary that a short character cannot use a glaive or a longbow? The simple biomechanics of using those weapons argues against them being able to do it. This is the exact opposite of "arbitrary". Arbitrary would be a rule stating that humans can't use short swords, with no reason given for it.
What you really don't like is that not all characters are mechanically exactly the same at everything. Some characters are going to be better or worse at some things. You want everybody to be able to use the d10 and up heavy weapons, for arbitrary reasons. I have not seen any argument put forth as to why short characters should get these weapons except s they can access that damage die. Totally arbitrary. Especially since as you note they can get that damage die with versatile weapons.
Real advantage of playing a short character: I had a gnome illusionist walking down a dungeon corridor. I triggered a scything blade trap. The blade was set to swing four feet above the floor. My three foot tall character walked under it completely unscathed. That is why you play a gnome.
If you want to use longbows and glaives play a Goliath and take PAM.
Here is my opinion on why its ok... a little late to the party and possibly subject to DM interpretation (some have told me enemy must be 2 sizes larger) but i like the idea of my halfling clinging on to a creatures hair pumping hand xbow bolts into its skull at advantage (with xbow mastery)
Hope he's clinging with his toes. He still needs a free hand to reload the hand crossbow. Crossbow Matery does not remove the "Ammunition" property from the hand crossbow, which requires a free hand to manipulate and load the ammunition. Player's Handbook page 146 in the current printing. That little rule sucks all the fun out of hand crossbows. Stab, Stab, Stab with a shortsword still works though.
Here is my opinion on why its ok... a little late to the party and possibly subject to DM interpretation (some have told me enemy must be 2 sizes larger) but i like the idea of my halfling clinging on to a creatures hair pumping hand xbow bolts into its skull at advantage (with xbow mastery)
Hope he's clinging with his toes. He still needs a free hand to reload the hand crossbow. Crossbow Matery does not remove the "Ammunition" property from the hand crossbow, which requires a free hand to manipulate and load the ammunition. Player's Handbook page 146 in the current printing. That little rule sucks all the fun out of hand crossbows. Stab, Stab, Stab with a shortsword still works though.
Or the DM can just ignore that rule, or allow a tinkered repeating crossbow, or any number of other things. Why you trying to "well, actually" someone else's home game? Act like a person who is aware of social norms.
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We do bones, motherf***ker!
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Hello everybody! This thread is really illuminating, but I still did not really understand what exactly entails this Halfling trait:
Halfling Nimbleness
You can move through the space of any creature that is of a size larger than yours.
Can anyone explain this with an example? As a DM, How do I apply this in a session?
Thank you and forgive me if this question is silly.
Gianluca
EDIT: here is the rule on moving in relation to other creatures ->
You can move through a nonhostile creature's space. In contrast, you can move through a hostile creature's space only if the creature is at least two sizes larger or smaller than you. Remember that another creature's space is difficult terrain for you.
The Halfling trait effectively makes it so that an halfling can "run between the legs" of anything just one size or more larger than them, regardless of if they are willing to let them pass or not. (edit: I am not sure, though, if it would still count as difficult terrain for them... I would rule it does not, but I might be wrong)
Born in Italy, moved a bunch, living in Spain, my heart always belonged to Roleplaying Games
Playing halflings, gnomes, goblins and kobolds is probably more about the role play choice than any mechanical advantage. Humans and half elves clearly have the most mechanical advantages, but a talented role player who knows how to see the world from that little kobold's perspective will also find unwritten advantages and opportunities. For the real role player that character who cuts against type can be the most fun. A kobold barbarian, even with the strength hit could have an awesome DEX and CON for a great unarmored AC. He begs and cowers then rages, or rages to weaken the enemy then cowers to get his party an advantage so they can finish it off. Other races might make more sense for the mechanics of the build but something different could be a lot of fun.
Thank you LeK!
Your explanation is crystal clear. Thank you so much!
Grazie!
RON_X, this is true and interesting. I wish I had my players more aware of this role play points of view. Unfortunately we are really novices (I am putting myself at the first place) and this may be somehow confusing for my players, as they would raise questions and comparisons. I always try to introduce rules and elements slowly and coherently, and I always try hard to balance rules and fun.
Thanks guys.
Born in Italy, moved a bunch, living in Spain, my heart always belonged to Roleplaying Games
Usually you can factor in weight with smaller classes. Because they don’t set off traps like mediums do, given this depends.
Another thing is story wise since they are small they can fit into smaller places. Places that like a child could fit through, but not a grown adult.
We do bones, motherf***ker!
Ya, I played in a game we’re a Goliath Fighter was the front man and the Gnome or Halfling rogue would jump out from behind him and attack. Getting cover behind one of the goliaths legs.
Being small may have disadvantages on big and heavy weapons, (Okay, maybe a huge disadvantage!) but they can crouch into small spaces and can dodge things quite easier. Sometimes, they have advantages on speed. (Speedy little guys)
For those using just Basic-Rules Races (could include Player's Handbook and Xanathar's Guide to Everything), I would be willing to bet that the Small-sized Races are more-dominant and more-fun to play.
Elemental Evil Player's Companion, Sword Coast Adventurer's Guide, Volo's Guide to Monsters, and The Tortle Package all add complexity to the game for Races. They dwarf (pun intended) the Small-sized Races. One Grung Above (have not seen the Grung mentioned yet) does actually boost Small-sized Races. The Grung is a fascinating monster and potential-playable character, but it's not even here in D&D Beyond.
Volo's does the most damage to making Small-sized Races relatively-irrelevant, even though it introduces the Goblin and the Kobold into the mix. Sword Coast Adventurer's Guide does the least amount of damage, especially when you figure that the Winged-variant Tiefling is off limits in Adventurer's League, but the Ghostwise Halfing and the Deep Gnome are legal to play. However, I think given these factors, it's still almost-balanced -- what really sets things off is Homebrew Races. I was never a fan of Homebrew, but it absolutely kills the Halfling and Gnome. I never see anyone play them when they can Homebrew in other Races. I saw a Goblin once, but it was the Plane Shift Zendikar variety.
Won't apologize for being a purist, but I love the Basic-Rules Races -- they maintain balance, focus, and give breadth (the right amount of breadth) to an otherwise-chaotic character-creation process. Why can't the other-book Races just be NPCs?
If you look at the Races section of D&D Beyond, you get quite a lot of options -- I would say too-many options. Xanathar's Guide to Everything seemed to tip the scales when Basic-Rules Races are used -- I especially like the Gloom-Stalker Forest Gnome (with a later Arcane-Archer multiclass for remaining 16 levels), the Forge-Domain Cleric (with a later War-Wizard multiclass foray for 2 levels and then back) Rock Gnome, and the Halfling Divine-Soul Sorcerer. Gnomes and Halflings are always great Fighters and Rogues (EK or AT besides) but they also make good Bards, Monks, and Rangers (when no-other Race does!).
However, who uses strictly Basic-Rules Races? Reasons, sure. The definitive outcome is that you don't see players jumping to Halfling or Gnome anymore.
The other weird thing about D&D Small-sized Races is when do you find non players in combat with them (barring Goblins, Grung, and Kobolds)? Have you ever run into a fight along with or against Gnome or Halfling NPCs? Elves, yes. Dwarves, yes. Orcs, of course. Dragonborn, Half-Elf/Half-Orc, Tiefling, etc -- I guess not as much either.
As a DM, it's interesting to mess with the character-creation process by restricting Races. It's the first thing out-of the gate. In some cases as DM, I have (or have wanted to) force players to create non-Human Races.
I think initially, 5E had the right idea. They sorted a few choice Races by height, lifespan, age-of adulthood, and looked at their ability scores and potential racial features (and sub-race features). When you look at Height it's amazingly-well sorted: Dragonborn, Half-Orc, Human, Tiefling, Half-Elf, Elf, Dwarf, Gnome, and Halfling.
Now look at Lifespan: Elf (750), Gnome (425), Dwarf (350), Half-Elf (180), Halfling (150), Tiefling (85), Dragonborn/Human (80), and Half-Orc (75).
Where it gets most-interesting to me, and more-so if you consider the Life Events by Age table in Xanathar's Guide to Everything is the Age-of Adulthood: Elf (100), Dwarf (50), Gnome (40), Halfling/Half-Elf (20), Human/Tiefling (18), Dragonborn (15), and Half-Orc (14). Elves get 1d12 Life Events, Dwarves get 1d8, and Gnomes get 1d6 -- while the others only get 1.
For Sub-race Features, only Elves, Dwarves, Halflings, and Gnomes have Subraces (Human's is called Variant on-purpose?); Elf with 3, and the others with 2.
Another factor to consider is that the Optional Ability Score Point-Buy System was only adopted by Adventurer's League. In the Player's Handbook, the real, true (originally-designed) option is for the player to decide (after he or she chooses Race and Class) between the 4d6-Three-Highest and Assign as-desired -- or -- the Standard Array. On-average, the rolls from 4d6-Three-Highest would be 16, 14, 13, 12, 10, 9 -- so anyone who wants a truly-unique character would choose this option over the Standard Array. However, sometimes the option when constructing a party needs to have higher regimen with additional risk-adverness. This theory is a stretch, but my guess is that players who select, say, Gnome Wizard, or Halfling Rogue are also the types who are risk-adverse and would select the Standard Array. In other words, Small-sized characters who opt for Single Ability-score Dependent classes/subclasses are more-likely to select the Standard Array because they have less to gain (and more to lose) from rolling randomly compared to, say, a Dragonborn Paladin or a two-weapon fighting Half-Orc Ranger.
When we start dumping 31 more Races/Subraces along with Point-Buy System in AL-Legal games, the last-half of the paragraph above loses its meaning and intention. We no longer allow risk-adverse playing styles -- or they become more-complicated, less-effective, and difficult to elicit, discern, or create. Little things like this added additional-needed balance to the game. Now lost, forever, and for what? Why? Why do we need 45 playable Races/Subraces along with 8 Variants in 3-4 of those Races?
We went from 9 Races in the Player's Handbook to 3-additional Subraces in Sword Coast Adventurer's Guide (adding Deep Gnome, Duergar, and Ghostwise Halfling). Then, after that, things went off-the rails completely. Elemental Evil Player's Companion added 3-more Races. Still seems fine, maybe especially since one isn't even AL-Legal. Then, Volo's Guide to Monsters added 12 Races. Shoot. The Tortle Package added 1 more, cause why not?
My answer is to pull back the reins somehow. Maybe allow players one Subrace from each book to select from? At campaign start, just say that other Races/Subraces can be NPCs, but that PC and Surrogates are restricted to the ones identified in the starting city/domain (e.g., Baldur's Gate would have Rock Gnomes, Hill Dwarves, Humans/Variants, Tieflings (but not Variants), Halflings, Elves (except Drow), Half-Elves (but not Variants), and Half-Orcs). In the Baldur's Gate scenario, let's say that someone in the group wanted a Mountain Dwarf. That would exclude all Dragonborn, Forest Gnomes, and Drow Elves. However, if someone also wanted to be a Drow-variant Half-Elf that would be fine, but would exclude Tiefling Variants, Deurgar, and Ghostwise Halflings.
Now the party has a Mountain Dwarf, a Drow-variant Half-Elf, and another player wants to play a Deep Gnome. Great, but now Aaracokra and Genasi are out. Final player wants a Goliath? Fine still, but all of the Races/Subraces in Volo's are out, leaving only the Tortle left from outside of those dozen originally-allowed Races/Subraces plus these four -- brining the total to 16: Human, Human-variant, High Elf, Wood Elf, Deep Gnome, Rock Gnome, Hill Dwarf, Mountain Dwarf, Tiefling, Lightfoot Halfling, Stout Halfling, Half-Elf, Drow-variant Half-Elf, Half-orc, Goliath, and Tortle.
With this sort of system, you will hopefully have players repeatedly choose to play Halflings and Gnomes -- at least one per party.
Here is my opinion on why its ok... a little late to the party and possibly subject to DM interpretation (some have told me enemy must be 2 sizes larger) but i like the idea of my halfling clinging on to a creatures hair pumping hand xbow bolts into its skull at advantage (with xbow mastery)
Very true.
We do bones, motherf***ker!
Squeeze let’s you fit in a 2’ 6”x2’6” square
Anything involving stealth, sneakiness, hiding, climbing, etc, I give a bonus to a smaller character in the attempt. As the Baggins used to say "small hands do what large hands cannot".
Or you can phrase it that 5% of the time you get free advantage.
Heavy weapons should be difficult for small characters. Have you seen an actual glaive or longbow IRL? I have. I have also seen gnome and handling sized children trying to pick them up. It just doesn't work. A gnome would literally have to stand on a chair to shoot a longbow. They are simply not tall enough otherwise. Not to mention that a Gnome simply does not have the arm and chest span necessary to bring a longbow to full draw. Longbows are long. Glaives are an 8 foot long weapon.
There is no reason to take the heavy quality off either of them. May as well remove sunlight sensitivity form the Draw and give humans darkvision while we're at at it. A Drowse that can't go out in the sunlight is arbitrary denial of concept. What do you mean my human tunnel fighter can't see in the dark? that's arbitrary denial of concept.
Arbitrary -adjective- "based on random choice or personal whim, rather than any reason or system." That word, I do not think it means what you think it means.
Why is it arbitrary that a short character cannot use a glaive or a longbow? The simple biomechanics of using those weapons argues against them being able to do it. This is the exact opposite of "arbitrary". Arbitrary would be a rule stating that humans can't use short swords, with no reason given for it.
What you really don't like is that not all characters are mechanically exactly the same at everything. Some characters are going to be better or worse at some things. You want everybody to be able to use the d10 and up heavy weapons, for arbitrary reasons. I have not seen any argument put forth as to why short characters should get these weapons except s they can access that damage die. Totally arbitrary. Especially since as you note they can get that damage die with versatile weapons.
Real advantage of playing a short character: I had a gnome illusionist walking down a dungeon corridor. I triggered a scything blade trap. The blade was set to swing four feet above the floor. My three foot tall character walked under it completely unscathed. That is why you play a gnome.
If you want to use longbows and glaives play a Goliath and take PAM.
I ran an adventure where the PCs we're clearing out a feral halfling den. That's when I learnt that the squeezing rules are brutal!
Feral halflings, I have to include those in my next adventure. Do you have any roleplaying tips for them?
Hope he's clinging with his toes. He still needs a free hand to reload the hand crossbow. Crossbow Matery does not remove the "Ammunition" property from the hand crossbow, which requires a free hand to manipulate and load the ammunition. Player's Handbook page 146 in the current printing. That little rule sucks all the fun out of hand crossbows. Stab, Stab, Stab with a shortsword still works though.
Or the DM can just ignore that rule, or allow a tinkered repeating crossbow, or any number of other things. Why you trying to "well, actually" someone else's home game? Act like a person who is aware of social norms.
We do bones, motherf***ker!