Concerning gnomes and halflings

[Porkolt]

Hello, friends. I just want to point out something that has been annoying me a bit as of late!
 
I'm a big fan of gnomes, you see. Especially gnomish culture, which a lot of players don't really get into, is very cool.
 
That's why this little thing annoys me so much. Gnomes have been turned into a backwater race, even removed as a main player race from 4th ed., and that just makes me mad.
 
 
I'm sure all of you have read or seen Lord of the Rings. And by that you'll have also noticed that hobbits, as they appear in those books/films, are often named halflings by other races.
 
However, as far as D&D is concerned, hobbits are nothing like halflings. They are a whole lot more like gnomes.
 
 
I'm not going to get into too much detail here, we have a very excellent Realmslore forum with extended information, and you can also visit the Forgotten Realms wiki to read up some more.
 
I will give a small few examples. For clarity, in the following few paragraphs, whenever I refer to 'hobbit', that will be the Tolkienesque version, and 'halfling' and 'gnome' refer to D&D. Standard subraces apply (with some extra consideration for Strongheart halflings).
 
 
Hobbits live in burrows, gathered in remote villages that are rarely visited by outsiders. So do gnomes. Halflings do not. halflings can be found living just about anywhere (halfling villages have 'traditional' housing), sometimes also living nomadically. Usually not in burrows.
 
Similarly, hobbits rarely travel, and are an unusual sight outside their villages. Gnomes too. Halflings, as mentioned, can be found absolutely anywhere. One of their subraces isn't called 'lightfoot' for nothing.
 
Remember that huge party for Bilbo's 111th birthday, with all the guests, many of which he barely even knew? That's something you'd see in a gnome village. Gnomes are known for throwing huge parties for even the slightest reason. Though I'm sure halflings like a party as much as the next person, the fact that they often live among other races means that they can't go quite as all out with parties as gnomes do.
 
 
 
TL;DR: Hobbits are like gnomes, not like halflings.

[putrid_plum]

hobbits are not very much like gnomes sorry to say

[GoblinSapper]

Tolkien Hobbits are more like Strongheart halflings, who are largely sedentary, and do indeed live in burrows.
 
Gnomes tend to live in much more closer knit communities called warrens, often completly underground. Basically they're like Halfling Dwarves.

[Divine Intervention]

Does this mean I can't play Bilbo the Halfling master rogue burglar?

[Disco]

Your point is?

[SlimeTime]

Tl;dr summary.
"Gnomes are cool, play more gnomes. They aren't just for mad inventors"
[approves]

[Porkolt]

Tl;dr summary.
"Gnomes are cool, play more gnomes. They aren't just for mad inventors"
[approves]

This, really. I know my argument is full of holes (1st ed DnD even involved hobbits, but they were forced to change it for fear of legal action from the Tolkien heritage thing), but given the development of gnomes and alteration of halflings since how they were originally conceived has very much contributed to this view.

Also GoblinSapper I'm pretty sure you mean lightfoots (lightFEET!).

[Damien]

everyone should rp how i say they should

[GoblinSapper]

This, really. I know my argument is full of holes (1st ed DnD even involved hobbits, but they were forced to change it for fear of legal action from the Tolkien heritage thing), but given the development of gnomes and alteration of halflings since how they were originally conceived has very much contributed to this view.
 
Also GoblinSapper I'm pretty sure you mean lightfoots (lightFEET!).

No. Lightfeets are nomadic and are the most commonly encounterd as they live amongst humans and tailor themselves to their customs.
 
Strongheart Halflings are found mostly in Luiren, live in close knit communities, and are more like Tolkien Hobbits.

[TheImpossibleDream]

Gnomes are good.

[The Old Hack]

I have an idea. Eliminate all races except dwarves. Then we all live in harmony under Durgrim Fellhammer's benevolent rule and there is peace, and Porky doesn't have to hate on hin any more.

[Pup]

This thread makes me smile.

[WIZURD]

A gnome is a Gnome and that can and will be whatever you make it to be, same for a Halfling.

[The Beggar]

TBH Gnomes are just sort of a backwater species, sort of like the gully dwarves of the Forgotten Realms setting.

Halflings should all have long hair, wield some sort of strange sling on a stick, and have first names ending in -asslehoff and surnames ending in -foot.

It's just the way the cookie crumbles.

[The Old Hack]

Halflings should all have long hair, wield some sort of strange sling on a stick, and have first names ending in -asslehoff and surnames ending in -foot.

Also their first names should begin with 'T's and their surnames should all begin with 'Burr-'. And they should be wildly kleptomaniac and in total denial about it.

Most importantly of all, everybody should play races only according to the tastes of one person. The rest of the players' own personal opinions about what is fun to play and how to have fun playing don't enter into it. Exactly who is the player who gets to define what is good roleplaying and what isn't varies but it is usually the one occupying the chair one is sitting in at the time.