Homebrew Quarterling Species Details

Patrick the quarterling, the only one of his kind for hundreds of miles in any direction, locked his fingers behind his head and leaned back against the tree trunk. Regis was short, even by the standards of his mother's race, with the fluff of his curly brown locks barely cresting the three-foot mark, but his stomach growled due to his love of a good meal, or several, as the opportunities presented themselves. He stood and picked up his staff, dusted his pants and straightened his hat. No one was going to get that next meal for him so he might as well move on.

The comfort of home is the goal of most quarterlings’ lives: a place to settle in peace and quiet, a fine drink and fine conversation. Though some quarterlings live in remote communities, others travel constantly, lured by the open road and the need to finance a better life. This is the drive of their mixed heritage, safe and comfort but wanting more than just minor lives. But even these wanderers love peace, food, and home, though home might be a wagon jostling along a dirt road or a raft floating downriver.

Small and Practical

The diminutive quarterlings survive in a world full of larger creatures by avoiding notice or, barring that, avoiding offense. Standing about 3-4 feet tall, they appear relatively harmless and so have managed to survive in the shadow of cities and towns of larger races. They usually weigh between 40 and 45 pounds.

Quarterlings’ skin ranges from tan to pale with a ruddy cast, and their hair is usually brown or sandy brown and wavy based on the parents background. They have wide range of eye coloring. Quarterling men can sport long sideburns, beards or mustaches unlike their halfling kin. They tend to wear simple, comfortable, and practical clothes, as this minimizes attention to themselves.

Quarterlings practicality ends with their clothing. They’re concern for basic needs and simple pleasures is a starting point for finding a place to be accepted and call home. The wealthiest of quarterlings often keep art or paintings out as a reminder of the journey to acquire it while their treasure is locked in a cellar. They look for the most straightforward solution to a problem, and have little patience for dithering.

Kind, but...

Quarterlings are an affable people by nature. The blend of halfling and human creates an interesting mix of drives. They cherish family and friends as well as the comforts of home while also dreaming of gold or glory. Adventurers among them usually venture into the world for reasons of wealth as well as friendship, or curiosity. They love discovering new things, even simple things, while keeping an eye towards how to advance themselves toward personal goals.

Quarterlings can be moved to pity and hate to see any living thing suffer. They can be generous to share even in lean times, especially orphans like themselves, but will jealously guard what they consider to be the minimum they need to get by.

Blend into the Crowd

Quarterlings 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 quarterlings to avoid unwanted attention.

Mixed Emotions

Quarterlings work readily with others and are loyal to their friends, showing remarkable ferocity when they are threatened. However their affable nature is sometimes at odds with the human greed for wealth and power they inherited.

Affable but Pragmatic

Quarterlings try to get along with everyone else and are loath to make sweeping generalizations—especially negative ones.

Dwarves. “Dwarves make loyal friends, and you can count on them to keep their word."

Elves. “They’re so beautiful! Their faces, their music, their grace and all. It’s like they stepped out of a wonderful dream. But there’s no telling what’s going on behind their smiling faces.”

Humans. “Humans are a lot like us, really. At least some of them are."

Exploring Opportunities

Quarterlings usually set out on the adventurer’s path to support themselves or their friends, or explore a wide and wonder-filled world. For them, adventuring is more a career than their halfling relatives.

Quarterling Names

Quarterlings can have a given name, a family name, and possibly a nickname if kept by their halfling parents. Family names are often nicknames that stuck so tenaciously they have been passed down through the generations. Otherwise most receive human names.

Male Names: Alton, Ander, Cade, Corrin, Eldon, Errich, Finnan, Garret, Lindal, Lyle, Merric, Milo, Osborn, Perrin, Reed, Roscoe, Wellby

Female Names: Andry, Bree, Callie, Cora, Euphemia, Jillian, Kithri, Lavinia, Lidda, Merla, Nedda, Paela, Portia, Seraphina, Shaena, Trym, Vani, Verna

Family Names: Brushgather, Goodbarrel, Greenbottle, High-hill, Hilltopple, Leagallow, Tealeaf, Thorngage, Tosscobble, Underbough

Subrace

The two main kinds of Quarterlings are more like closely related to one side of their family than the other. Choose one of these subraces or one from another source.

Quarterling Traits

Your quarterling character has a number of traits in common with all other halflings.

Ability Score Increase

Your Dexterity score increases by 2.

Age

A halfling reaches adulthood at the age of 20 and generally lives into the middle of his or her second century.

Human blood

As a child of two worlds your human heritage allows you to add +1 to an ability score of your choice.

Alignment

Most halflings are lawful good. As a rule, they are good-hearted and kind, hate to see others in pain, and have no tolerance for oppression. They are also very orderly and traditional, leaning heavily on the support of their community and the comfort of their old ways.

Size

Quarterlings average about 3-4 feet tall and weigh about 40 pounds. Your size is Small.

Speed

Your base walking speed is 25 feet.

Lucky

When you roll a 1 on the d20 for an attack roll, ability check, or saving throw, you can reroll the die and must use the new roll.

Brave

You have advantage on saving throws against being frightened.

Halfling Nimbleness

You can move through the space of any creature that is of a size larger than yours.

Languages

You can speak, read, and write Common and Halfling if raised in that community. Otherwise pick one additional language of your choice.