Blackmoor Halflings

[Havard]

I've written a couple of articles on Halflings in Blackmoor. Here's the first one I wrote on my blog:
http://blackmoormystara.blogspot.com/20 ... kmoor.html

And here's another one that I added today:
http://blackmoormystara.blogspot.com/20 ... lings.html

What are your thoughts on Blackmoor's Halflings?

-Havard

[sheridan]

I love the fact that they are hobbit-like. I really hate the 3e/4e/Dragonlance Kender version of halflings, but the Blackmoor history of the docrae offered a good reason for them to exist in that setting alongside the hobbits as well.

[Rafael]

The the resident Kender population is extremely hurt and bewildered by this latest statetment,
and has no idea how the coins from your wallet ended up in their bagpack.

[Havard]

Back to the Docrae:

I have always wanted to make these more exotic. I am linking them to the distant realm of Ulimwengu. The Docrae are actually dark skinned and braid their hair (braids shown in the source books). In their ancestral lands to the west, the Ulimwengu have domesticated Elephants used for labour and war, but the Docrae of Blackmoor no longer possess knowledge of such arts.

They were Ulimwengu settlers who travelled across the sea and settled in the foothills of Goblin Kush. However when the Afridhi descended from that mountain, the Docrae were the first of many races to be driven from their lands. After decades of warfare, the Docrae are a quite militant society. They specialize in many exotic weapons. Many Docrae were driven east into Blackmoor, where they were welcomed by their distant cousins in Booh. Other Docrae escaped off into the Thonian Empire, where many of them were captured by Imperial forces and fell into slavery.

-Havard

[Havard]

The BM Players Guide mentions halfing toe rings. The ones mentioned in that book are magical, a sort of alternative for halflings who dont want to wear magic boots. I will assume that Docrae Halflings commonly wear such jewelry, even non-magical. Some "Eastern" (ie common) halflings adopted this style from the Docrae, but IMC this is still mainly a Docrae thing.

Halflings are quite rare outside of the North. In the Thonian Empire, some Halflings make their living as Jesters, who also often have the dual role of spies.

Other ideas for adding more detail to the Halflings?




-Havard