Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Rathan 01-27-07, 05:35 PM	for a while now the only kind of halfling i have seen played is the rogue or ranger that relying on stealth to dispatch enimies rather than brute force. So here lies the question in your opinion could a halfling fuctionnot only as a leathal, but also fear inspiring melee combatant, or am i doomed to another game of everyone looking down on halflings.
Tempest Stormwind 01-27-07, 05:41 PM	There's plenty of good warrior options, although most rely on finesse. A simple example would be using the Underfoot Combat / Confound the Big Folk feats from Races of the Wild with Iaijutsu Focus. One notable exception is the Supermount! (http://boards1.wizards.com/showthread.php?t=382372), which might be helpful in this situation.
Ainaelin 01-27-07, 05:58 PM	Well I used to play a Halfling Barbarian a few years ago (D&D 3.0), and he was a good combattant. The lack of possibility to use normal sized two-handed weapons actually did more harm to his fighting abilities than the -2 STR penalty, since a +1 to AC and hits made up for the latter in some ways. His +10 bonus to speed only made up for the penalty due to his small stature. All in all, he was an OK barbarian, but not a great one.
Leo 01-27-07, 06:23 PM	You can make the halfling a decent warrior, but he always would have been a better sneaky character. Or you can make a fighter/ranger/barbarian specialized in daggers, rushing in battle to fight at close quarters and then throwing it's weapons to the enemies he can't reach. It's not exactly brute force, but I think shredding your oponents to little bits counts. I myself didn't do it, but I saw a friend do this with pretty good results, especially if you can persuade the party's spellcaster to cast bull's strenght in you. Ever read order of the stick? It has an chaotic evil halfling barbarian/ranger wich always seeks to stab first, set on fire second and ask questions later. Or go halfling paladin. get yourself a mount and take advantage of the charge rules to deal pletny of damage even if you're a lightweight.
furious kender 01-28-07, 01:24 AM	I love halfling characters. However, making a str based build with a halfling will probably lead to the other players looking down on you. You take a penalty to str, meaning -1 to hit and damage, and also use smaller weapons, meaning about -1 to damage again and you probably are less likely to find magical weapons. The halfling bonus to hit means you are left with -2 to damage. This is not an auspicious start for a standard fighter type. The exception being possibly through the small folk feats like underfoot combat and the like. Halflings make good casters, especially the strongfoot halfling, and good sneaks. Non-finesse fighters are not their strong suit.
Neutronium_Dragon 01-28-07, 04:40 AM	If you use the Tome of Battle, the classes and techniques presented there will work very well for making a halfling who is a serious melee threat, Str-endowed or not.
revaar 01-28-07, 10:53 AM	with any small race, the key is to get as much damage that is not affected by size. most often, that ends up being rogue's sneak attack or magic. for playing a melee character however, i think you should look into Complete Adventurer and check the Scout class witht he Dervish PrC. Basically, you're looking to capitalise on a high dex while avoiding penalties from low str. As such, Both Scout and Dervish espouse the finesse/hit-and-run style, which would be most benificial to you.
Drodain 01-28-07, 11:09 AM	I have before but it takes good stats. I had an 18 and I put that into strength dropping it to 16 and I put a 16 into dexterity. I went into rogue but to be a damage dealer. Feats need to be based on getting that health you lack or things like improved feint. Your inability to use big weapons sucks so its not a bad idea to get oversized offhanded weapon and fight like a normal two weapon fighter would. All in all it works but you're not going to be as good as some other options. It's still really fun.
Rathan 01-28-07, 01:17 PM	where would i find those nice halfling feats you were talking about?
Tempest Stormwind 01-28-07, 01:30 PM	As I've said, Races of the Wild.