Erin at Lurking Rhythmically has a post about her version of halflings that suggests, just a tiny little bit, that maybe halflings are related to goblins. That's actually a pretty good idea, especially if you want to get away from slavishly copying Tolkien, or if you kind of like the GURPS Yrth approach of making goblins a prominent PC race.
Why not just renaming halflings "goblins" and assume that underworld goblins are the cannibalistic, Chaotic variant?
Because there's more to it than that. Look at the elemental overtones of Pellatarrum, and then look at the cosmology. What's missing in terms of representation via metaphysical biodiversity?
ReplyDelete@Erin: For the record, that final question wasn't directed at you, personally, but a (rhetorical) question aimed at people who don't like halflings as typically presented. If you don't like hobbits or kender, why not file the serial numbers off and use the stats for goblins (or gnomes, or a bunch of other races, as Roger suggests.) You, of course, have a different set of needs...
DeleteAs I remember, replacing halflings with mechanically identical goblins was exactly what James from Grognardia did for his Dwimmermount setting:
ReplyDeletehttp://grognardia.blogspot.com/2008/09/grognards-grimoire-goblins-as-pc-race.html
I've always liked that idea too, though I worry about destroying the mystique of any playable race.
I did something similar in my Dawnlands setting. Dwarves, halflings, gnomes and goblins are all different races of the same species.
ReplyDeletehttp://retiredadventurer.blogspot.ca/2012/01/species-of-dawnlands-halflings.html
Halflings, goblins, gnomes, ducks, rabbits, froglings.
ReplyDeleteThat made me think...
DeleteHalfling: "Dwarf season!"
Dwarf: "Hobbit season!"
Halfling: "Dwarf season!"
Dwarf: "Hobbit season!"
Halfling: "Hobbit season!"
Dwarf: "Dwarf season!"
BAM!!!
My line of thought: Hobbit = hob = hobgoblin = small, friendly goblin.
ReplyDelete