I'm writing an rpg and can't decide how to handle small races. It annoys me how Small races in D&D have nearly identical mechanics than medium races, so here are my two options:
1. Hobbits, gnomes & company are small, but not Small sized. They're at the bottom end of the Medium size category and therefore have no special modifiers due to their size.
2. Hobbits, gnomes & company are Small sized, and have modifiers that make them decidedly weak in melee. These modifiers wouldn't be crippling, and each small race would have racial traits that make them good at other things, but playing a small melee character would be obviously sup-optimal even to new players.
So as small race lovers, which option would you prefer? If you choose the second, please give me ideas for what other knacks small races might have to make up for their poor melee ability. In other words, what would make you say "wow, hobbits/gnomes/whatever are cool in this game!"?
TS
Thanks! I'm going to give #2 a shot.
TS
Leaving them alone. That would work for me. Makes sense as they are now. If you want to shrink them that wouldn't hurt my feelings, but you're going to have to prove to me there is something wrong here, cause I'm not seeing it.
Edit:
Nix my opinion, I just reread the OP, and realised it's for his own stuff, not pathfinder or the like.
I prefer #1, like it was back in the good old days. Remember when artists drew hobbits and gnomes as being taller than dwarves?
Um, no...and my long-term memory is pretty good. When was this again?
I second the question about hobbits and gnomes being taller than dwarves. Are you talking about D&D or fantasy art in general?
And yes, Small creatures get bonuses to hit and dodge much like in D&D. Additionally, most little races will have bonuses to Dex, which is the to-hit stat modifier in my rpg. But hitting and dodging a bit more often doesn't make up for bigger guys getting free pot-shots at you in most circumstances.
TS
Yes, D&D ignores a lot of physical aspects that really count in a fight. Every have a young child trying to punch you, and you just hold them at arm's reach so they can't hit you? A fistfight with a halfling could well amount to the same thing. Still, it is a fantasy game...but I think a lot of common sense gets thrown out the window for the sake of "game balance."
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Whats wrong with having races that are better at one class type than another. Half-orcs and Dwarves are physicaly better than any other race as fighters. Gnomes and halflings are better theives and archers than others races. It makes for better roll-playing if someone wants to play a race out of type. A halfling paladin wouldn't be the bruser a human would be but if played right the combat penaltys a halfling has would be offset by playing a quicker more mobile paladin. Imagine a lightly armored Halfling paladin tumbling past a foe's defences striking them with twin holy smites and then tumbling out of the foe's striking range. Size is only a disavantage to a bad roll player.
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I prefer #1, like it was back in the good old days. Remember when artists drew hobbits and gnomes as being taller than dwarves?Um, no...and my long-term memory is pretty good. When was this again?
It was in the AD&D Second Edition Rulebook. In the races section there is a full page pic of some dwarves and what appears to be a halfling, and the halfling is taller then the dwarves. Either that or it is a really short elf.
Don't care what size category (maybe Tiny gnomes and Small hobbits?), but whatever you do, PLEASE FEED THEM. I'm getting really fed up and tired of all of them appearing anorexic. Have you seen a garden gnome, or one of those picture-book gnomes with the red hats? Are they skeletally thin? I think not! And who ever heard of a hobbit who didn't eat?
Well, I have some questions about the quality, but a Red Dragon friend of mine does have a few recipes for Halflings and Gnomes. He says that they are tasty.
It was in the AD&D Second Edition Rulebook. In the races section there is a full page pic of some dwarves and what appears to be a halfling, and the halfling is taller then the dwarves. Either that or it is a really short elf.I prefer #1, like it was back in the good old days. Remember when artists drew hobbits and gnomes as being taller than dwarves?Um, no...and my long-term memory is pretty good. When was this again?
Hmm...that might have been the tallfellow halflings. They were taller and more fair-skinned than the typical hairfoot. (Apparently the D&D equivalent of Merry & Pippin after they drink from the Entwash.) Then again, it might have been a really short elf... It's been awhile. I can't really picture a lot of the 2E art anymore. Darned dementia.
I have never done it, but I always wondered if you could make Hobbits/Gnomes/Halflings small size and give them BIGGER penalties. Maybe -4 Str, +2 Dex, -2 initiative in melee combat (short reach) and -1 hp per level. But then give them other bonuses. +2 poison and disease savings throws, +2 on Dex skills and Savings throws, +2 on WIll Savings throws, +2 initiative in Ranged combat, +2 tumble bonus, spell resistance 10, make their Dodge -2 to AC and give them automatic Weapon Finesse if they have martial weapon proficiency. Let them attack and move twice in a round as long as they only move 20 feet and they are not in melee (move, shoot, move; kind of spring attack as long as it is ranged or a spell). In 4e give them better (35% of max hp?) Healing Surges. Make them weak in a toe to toe strength based fight but better in other ways. I have not thought this through as a balanced race, but I just wanted them DIFFERENT. If they fight, they better have different tactics. Currently, small creatures are like humanoids in old Star Trek where they were all humans painted different colors (pointed ears and antena optional).
EDIT: Heck, same with females. I had to box the football players in college. It sucked. I am not small but these guys had weight and strength on me and it made a difference. And it did not help that I can not dodge worth diddly.
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I have never done it, but I always wondered if you could make Hobbits/Gnomes/Halflings small size and give them BIGGER penalties. Maybe -4 Str, +2 Dex, -2 initiative in melee combat (short reach) and -1 hp per level. But then give them other bonuses. +2 poison and disease savings throws, +2 on Dex skills and Savings throws, +2 on WIll Savings throws, +2 initiative in Ranged combat, +2 tumble bonus, spell resistance 10, make their Dodge -2 to AC and give them automatic Weapon Finesse if they have martial weapon proficiency. Let them attack and move twice in a round as long as they only move 20 feet and they are not in melee (move, shoot, move; kind of spring attack as long as it is ranged or a spell). In 4e give them better (35% of max hp?) Healing Surges. Make them weak in a toe to toe strength based fight but better in other ways. I have not thought this through as a balanced race, but I just wanted them DIFFERENT. If they fight, they better have different tactics. Currently, small creatures are like humanoids in old Star Trek where they were all humans painted different colors (pointed ears and antena optional).
EDIT: Heck, same with females. I had to box the football players in college. It sucked. I am not small but these guys had weight and strength on me and it made a difference. And it did not help that I can not dodge worth diddly.
I like to see something like that in any game system.
My current fix for my Small race (right now I'm only dealing with one) is:
1. It has shorter reach and a shorter "safe step" than other races, and therefore provokes OAs from larger opponents so long as the larger opponent can safe step away. (Safe Step = 5' step or 1 square shift.)
2. Small and smaller creatures can flank because they don't actually have zero reach.
3. The tumble mechanic is equally available to characters of all classes, so any Small PC can use it to avoid OAs with a reasonable chance of success.
4. This Small PC race has a free feat; if they successfully avoid an OA, their opponent loses their mark on the Small guy. (Marking is something that everyone does in my RPG, and is a very important mechanic. It indicates where your attention is focussed, so losing a mark on your opponent basically means that you just don't know where they are and therefore can't effectively defend yourself.)
So with this fix, melee PCs of this Small race have to be aggressive and focus on Dex which I think makes sense.
TS
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My current fix for my Small race (right now I'm only dealing with one) is:
1. It has shorter reach and a shorter "safe step" than other races, and therefore provokes OAs from larger opponents so long as the larger opponent can safe step away. (Safe Step = 5' step or 1 square shift.)
2. Small and smaller creatures can flank because they don't actually have zero reach.
3. The tumble mechanic is equally available to characters of all classes, so any Small PC can use it to avoid OAs with a reasonable chance of success.
4. This Small PC race has a free feat; if they successfully avoid an OA, their opponent loses their mark on the Small guy. (Marking is something that everyone does in my RPG, and is a very important mechanic. It indicates where your attention is focussed, so losing a mark on your opponent basically means that you just don't know where they are and therefore can't effectively defend yourself.)So with this fix, melee PCs of this Small race have to be aggressive and focus on Dex which I think makes sense.
TS
Small dogs are always more vicious than big dogs.