Halfling (Midnight)

Halflings are a race of tiny folk that some believe descended from the Danisil lineage of southern elvenkind. They call themselves the Dunni, or “the people” in their own tongue. They are almost as dark skinned as the Danisil, with the same coarse hair worn in small, intricate braids that mark their tribal membership. Their eyes range from common black to dark brown and green.

Where still free-living, the nomadic tribes dwell on the open plains in large hide tents they share with their extended families. The farming families have almost been wiped out by the advance of the Shadow, but a few groups still remain along the southeastern margins of Erethor. They dwell in cozy sod villages kept alive through their exceptional horticultural skills and the watchful presence of their wogren companions.

Halflings wear durable clothes of leather and fine, intricately woven wool. Sadly, most halflings now live in slavery, captured and forced to work in the occupied cites or military camps of Izrador’s armies. The free-living feed on their livestock and crops, while the enthralled survive off what scraps they can scrounge, beg, or steal. The halfling weapon of choice is the spear, with which they protect their flocks, hunt wild boar, and skewer the occasional orc.

Halfling Racial Traits

• +2 Dexterity, –2 Strength: Halflings are notoriously quick and agile, but they are smaller and weaker than most other races.
• Small: As Small creatures, halflings gain a +1 size bonus to Armor Class, a +1 size bonus on attack rolls, and a +4 size bonus on Hide checks, but they must use smaller weapons than Medium characters use and their lifting and carrying limits are three-quarters of those of Medium characters.
• Halfling base land speed is 20 feet.
• Weapon Familiarity: Halflings gain proficiency with halfling lances as if they were martial weapons, rather than exotic weapons.
• Favored Region: Central Erenland.
• Low-light Vision: Halflings can see twice as far as a human in starlight, moonlight, torchlight, and similar conditions of poor illumination. They retain the ability to distinguish color and detail under these conditions.
• +2 racial bonus on Climb, Jump, Move Silently, and Tumble checks: Halflings are naturally athletic and graceful.
• +1 racial bonus on all saving throws: Halflings have a legendary knack for getting out of trouble.
• +2 racial bonus on saving throws against fear effects: Curiosity and fearlessness are halfling traits in equal measure.
• +2 racial bonus on Spot and Listen checks: Halflings are gifted with remarkably keen senses.
• Natural Channelers: Whereas the elves have a culture built around learning and teaching magic, the halflings seem to create magic through instinct and happy accidents. Regardless, they are gifted spellcasters. Halflings gain the Innate Magic feat as a bonus feat.
• Automatic Languages: Colonial, Halfling. Bonus Languages: Black Tongue, Courtier, Erenlander, Jungle Mouth, Orcish, Trader’s Tongue.

Halfling Backgrounds

The agrarian halflings often rely on their nomadic brethren for protection and news of the outside world, while the wogren-riding nomads depend on their more stable agrarian kin for food, metalwork, and fine leathers. However, while the two groups are dependent on one another and often intermingle, they live very different lives.

• Dexterous Hands: Agrarian halflings gain a +2 racial bonus on all non-metal and non-wood Craft checks and all Heal checks.
• Stout or Studious: Agrarian halflings are renowned for their durability and stamina, although some spend more time practicing magic than working in the fields. Agrarian halflings gain either Magecraft as a bonus feat or Endurance and Toughness as bonus feats.

• Skilled Riders: Nomadic halflings gain a +2 racial bonus to Ride and Handle Animal checks when working with wogren, as well as on Concentration checks to cast spells while mounted on a wogren.
• Bound to the Spirits or Bound to the Beasts: Nomadic halflings are as one with their wogren mounts, yet they are no less tied to the spirits of the land than their agrarian kin. Nomadic halflings gain either Magecraft or Mounted Combat as a bonus feat. Additionally, nomadic halflings may begin play with an adult wogren mount (at one-quarter normal cost).