Races of Wild

CHAPTER 2HALFLINGS64thus pick up a modicum of civility. However, a few halflingcaravans, cut off from other lands generations ago by somenatural disaster, could have reverted to a wilder state.Barbarian may seem like a poor choice for a halflingbecause of his racial penalty to Strength, but the rage abilityhelps to make up for that deficiency, and a halfling’shigh Dexterity provides a good Armor Class. Furthermore,because of his small size and his racial bonus on thrownweapons, a halfling barbarian can be quite effective inranged combat.Bard: Song and story are the foundation of the halflings’strong oral tradition, so bard is a natural choice for characterclass. A bard can be a valuable addition to a halfling caravanbecause of her ability to support and enhance the abilities ofothers, and the halfling racial skill bonuses augment manyof the bard’s class skills. Halfling bards are also welcome inother communities, so they can serve as heralds to announcethe arrival of their caravans and shills to spread rumors thatmay later support confidence schemes.Cleric: Halfling clerics can use magic stone to take advantageof their racial bonus with thrown weapons, bull’s strengthto make up for their racial penalty to Strength, and searinglight to take advantage of the racial bonus to Dexterity. Anumber of cleric spells can also augment rogue abilities,thus complementing the halfling’s favored class. Obscuringmist and darkness can aid in hiding, command and enthrall canhelp confuse marks or keep enemies from attacking, andlocate object can help find loot.Druid: Halflings often feel an affinity for the druid classbecause of the amount of time they spend outdoors in theirtravels. The druid’s wild shape ability can help a halflingovercome limitations imposed by his small size and providean excellent disguise to boot. The trackless step and woodlandstride class features let a halfling move freely without beingtracked, and speak with animals and speak with plants can beused to gather considerable information about an area andthe people in it. In addition, druids have access to magic stoneand obscuring mist, just as clerics do, in addition to some usefulspells clerics do not have, such as fog cloud.For alternative options for the halfling druid, see thehalfling racial substitution levels on page 157.Fighter: A halfling fighter is at a disadvantage comparedto fighters of other races because of her penalty to Strength,but this choice becomes a much more viable one when featchoices play to the halfling’s strengths. Weapon Focus makesa halfling’s ranged attacks even more deadly, and WeaponFinesse allows a halfling to take advantage of her Dexterityfor melee combat. Furthermore, two of the halfling’sracial skill bonuses (Climb and Jump) play directly into thefighter’s class skills, so each point spent on one of those skillsgoes farther.Monk: Halflings who appreciate order sometimes choosethe path of monk. Though such discipline seems at oddswith a halfling’s curiosity, racial penalty to Strength, andsometimes short attention span, monk can be a surprisinglyeffective class choice for halflings. A halfling’s racial bonusto Dexterity and her size bonus help both her Armor Classand her attacks. The monk’s fast movement gets a halflingout of scrapes more quickly, and slow fall can also save herbacon. Combat Reflexes and Weapon Finesse are excellentfeat choice for halfling monks, because these play directlyto their high Dexterity. Furthermore, the monk’s abundantstep ability can get a halfling monk into places she couldn’tnormally go—always a plus for a character with a bit oflarceny in her soul.For alternative options for the halfling monk, see thehalfling racial substitution levels on page 158.Paladin: Halfling paladins have the same kinds ofdrawbacks and opportunities that halfling barbarians andfighters do, and the same feat and skill choices are useful.Though not all halfling deities are lawful good, paladinsof Yondalla are reasonably common, and they are muchrespected for their ability to take care of their communitiesin the goddess’s name. A paladin can provide healingand keep evil at bay, and his aura of courage helps hiscompanions take heart.Ranger: Halfling rangers face the same limitations andopportunities as halfling barbarians, fighters, and paladins,and the same feat and skill choices are useful. Halflingrangers excel at hiding, thanks to their small size and highDexterity. The ranger’s archery combat style is an excellentchoice for a halfling, but two-weapon fighting isn’t a badchoice either, especially if the character has the WeaponFinesse feat and fights with two light weapons.Rogue: Rogue is the favored class for halflings because itplays to the race’s strengths in almost all ways. Small, quick,and quiet, halflings are adept at sneaking into places securedagainst entry and at appropriating goods covertly. Their racialskill bonuses all play directly to the rogue’s best skills, andtheir racial bonus to Dexterity gives them a benefit on numerousother rogue skills as well as to Armor Class. In addition,halflings have no trouble infiltrating other societies becausetheir travels make them ubiquitous.For alternative options for the halfling rogue, see thehalfling racial substitution levels on page 159.Sorcerer: Though they do not have the innate affinityfor arcane magic that elves do, halflings can makevery practical use of it. Evocations are handy for drivingintruders away from caravans, and ray spells make use ofa halfling’s racial bonus to Dexterity. That same bonuscombined with the halfling’s small size provides a heftybonus to Armor Class, which comes in handy for any sorcerer.In addition, a halfling can choose from a variety offamiliars that play to his racial strengths because of theskill bonuses they provide.Wizard: Halfling wizards can be even more versatilethan sorcerers because of the larger number of spells theyhave available. A halfling wizard can play to her strengthsby choosing spells such as true strike and haste. For thoseoccasions when she wants to function more like a spellcasterthan a magically augmented fighter, she can merely select adifferent set of spells.