BX Monsters A to Z: Halfling

 We've finished off the Gs, so let's start the Hs, with another PC-as-monster entry: the halfling.

These entries in the B/X bestiary tend to be brief, and the halfling is no exception to that trend, weighing in at a mere four sentences plus the obligatory stat block. By the stats, halflings are not very threatening, having a mediocre AC of 7 (Is it leather? Is it a shield and a +1 Dex bonus? Who knows?), 1-1 HD, 90' (30') movement, damage by weapon, and Morale of 7. It's interesting to note they have by far the highest dungeon Number Appearing of any PC-as-monster type, at 3-18, well ahead of Veteran at 2-8, and are tied for wilderness Number Appearing with dwarves at 5-40. It is also noteworthy that their wilderness "lair" (i.e. village) explicitly disregards the standard rule of thumb of five times the listed number appearing (25-200 in this case) with an alternate number of 30-300. A village will have a leader of level 2-7 and a village guard of 5-20 individuals with 2 HD each. 

It would perhaps have been wise to forsake brevity in this case to provide a reminder of some of the halflings' special abilities which would be particularly relevant in an encounter, especially their ability to "vanish" in outdoor settings and their +1 bonus to hit with missile weapons. A pitched battle with 30-300 small creatures with AC7 and 1-1 HD is a decidedly different encounter than guerilla warfare against 30-300 halflings who can pop up from nearly perfect concealment in waves, pelt you with arrows and sling stones at +1 to hit, and then disappear back into the weeds without a trace as soon as you look away to deal with the next squad's volley of missiles. 

In later editions, the D&D halfling's long association with the thief class and all its baggage has to an extent pulled it away from its Tolkienian roots toward a more daring, amoral, roguish archetype. B/X, however, hews more closely to their origins, listing halflings as Lawful in alignment. A halfling village is a community of peaceful rustics who want to be left alone to enjoy their second breakfasts, not a bunch of half-pint hooligans and bandits. For all the interesting tactical possibilities involved in fighting halflings, unless your PCs are villainous or amoral themselves, it's likely a halfling village will be a respite from hostile encounters, not a lair to plunder. Even so, halflings are listed as having Treasure Type V individually, which can add up. In the wilderness, an enclave of halflings will have Type B, which can be a decent amount. Perhaps the halflings have a problem they need solved in exchange for some of that loot.


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