Talk:Halfling

“The halfling point of view”

Dragon #59 (1982 Mar., pp.49–51) by Roger Moore

The smallest and physically weakest of all the demi-human races are halflings, so named because they are almost exactly one-half the size of humans. Male halflings average 3′ in height and females slightly less; they all weigh about 50–60 lbs., and they look much like small humans. In fact, evidence suggests that halflings are more closely related to humans than any other demi-human race.

Most humans tend to see halflings as child-like, basically happy, naive, and hungry most of the time. Some of these observations may be correct, but the whole impression is still rather superficial. How do halflings see themselves and the rest of the world? How do they see us?

One of the key words in halfling society is security. The world, from their viewpoint, is both helpful and hostile, and it’s the hostile part that concerns them. The average halfling has a strength rating of about 8, weaker even than an average kobold. Direct hand-to-hand combat with an opponent of almost any sort can easily be a losing proposition due to this physical weakness, along with the halfling’s height disadvantage (against most creatures) and the limited fighting ability halflings can achieve (most never exceed the 4th level).

These facts profoundly affect halflings’ lifestyles and the structure of their community. Halfling fighters, despite their disadvantages, are still quite common in any such community. They function in an almost entirely defensive role, generally unwilling to travel with large armies off to war except in the most urgent circumstances. Halfling fighters also serve as the local police or sheriff’s department, keeping the peace among their fellows and among the non-halfling travellers who pass through town.

Halfling fighters are known to go adventuring, but they rarely go very far and are prone to retire quickly soon after they reach their highest level of ability. Then they may become involved in the local militia or government, devoting the rest of their lives to community service (for which they are much appreciated). Halfling clergy, either druids or normal clerics, almost never go adventuring unless it is a matter of great importance to the halfling people. Their primary function is to help maintain the security of the halfling community to the best of their abilities, and their most common prayers are for the continued support of their deities in keeping their homes safe and their lives untroubled.

The normal (0-level) members of the halfling community generally believe in an orderly, cooperative system of working together to ensure the continued stability of their society. Individuals who break the rules are scolded and punished for “rocking the boat,” and it is impressed upon them that their activities are endangering not only themselves but their neighbors as well. “Safety in numbers” is the moral of many of the children’s stories halfling youngsters hear. This outlook tends to discourage notions of going adventuring in all but the most courageous—or foolhardy.

It is an interesting contradiction of their society that, while halfling adventurers and heroes who leave the community for long periods of time are much revered, they are also seen as being outside the bounds of “normal” halfling behavior. No parent tells a child to grow up and be like Uncle Boffo, who killed a worg singlehandedly and saved his friends from death by backstabbing a ghoul. “Uncle Boffo is not like us regular halflings,” mother would say instead. “We’re awful glad he’s around, but still it was foolish of him to go adventuring like that when he knows he could get hurt or lost. We’re safer staying here at home.”

The negative consequences of this insistence upon security are readily apparent. The average halfling is reluctant to take action in unexpected situations without looking for a consensus among other halflings of what would be the best thing to do. Thus, halflings tend to appear shy, fearful, and overcautious when on their own for the first time. Their society appears stagnated in the eyes of other races, and they tend to close themselves off from the rest of the world.

Halfling life, while it seems to suit them well, can be described at worst as clannish and on the boring side. Yet there is a great strength in this lifestyle, too. Once motivated by a leader-type toward some course of community action, halflings en masse can be powerfully effective in dealing with invaders, disasters, or other such problems. Oppressors can be overthrown almost before they are even aware there is a rebellion afoot, due to the halflings’ speed and the intense cooperation halflings demonstrate in a group of their fellows. On more than one occasion, brigands who had previously raided a halfling community have been completely wiped out on their second raid, because they overestimated their abilities against such apparently weak folk.

How is this possible? This ability is largely due to the halflings’ sense of organization and willingness to work together. At least as much of a factor is that halflings, more than any other race except elves, are natural-born guerrilla fighters. This is not to say they practice warfare a great deal—they don’t. But halflings can conceal themselves in natural terrain so well as to become effectively invisible. Their feet (usually noticeable only because they are hairy) are thick-soled and well adapted for silent movement.

Most helpful of all in many ways is their skill with missile weapons. Short people of any race, unless they are very strong, are at a disadvantage in hand-to-hand combat. The best they can hope for is to kill an opponent before the enemy gets within striking distance; this is where bows, arrows, and slings fill the bill. Halflings have practiced long and hard with short bows and slings for this very reason, as well as using them for hunting and sport. Halflings have exceptional natural dexterity as well. All this combines to make them +3 to hit when using any short bow or sling—an amazing degree of accuracy, especially for a halfling who also has exceptionally high dexterity.

Imagine, then, the effectiveness of a group of thirty halflings, wearing only leather armor and equipped with short bows, hiding in a woods by a roadside, awaiting the passage of a robber gang who cannot see or hear them. Bows are very quiet, and pinpointing the location of a bow-sniper in a forest is hard enough without having to locate a sniper who can effectively disappear in the same environment. And halflings do not shoot to wound. They have trouble taking prisoners, for the same reasons they aren’t good at close combat.

One of the things a small person can do to protect himself is to ally himself with a bigger person, even if that bigger person isn’t the most likable sort of guy. Halflings seem to make such alliances on a larger scale than other races. It is very unusual to find a halfling community located more than a couple hours’ ride at most from either a dwarven, elven, or human town.

Depending on the makeup of the nearest town(s), the population of a halfling community will include varieties of halflings that resemble their non-halfling neighbors. Hairfeet live near men, have no infravision, and reside in small cottages. Tallfellows live in forests (some in hollow trees) and have infravision like elves, as well as being more lithe and elven in appearance. Stouts are shorter than hairfeet, live in caves and tunnel complexes, and have infravision. They can detect slopes and other underground features in a fashion similar to dwarves.

Some of these similarities are probably due to imitation and the effects of the environment. However, there is always the possibility of an occasional crossmarriage and subsequent mixing of the gene pool. Cross-racial marriages are quite rare in halfling society, but have been known to occur. Very little is said or heard about them, though.

Most halfling towns are set in temperate hills and plains. The dwellings themselves tend to vary as described above, but are usually a curious mixture of above-ground cottages and hillside burrows and tunnels. Individual homes are outfitted for comfort and a restful atmosphere; greens and yellows are much used in interior color. Large spaces are set aside for outdoor gatherings like parties, community meetings, and sports events. Gardens are common, and halflings are prone to outfit their homes with odd bits of natural decoration: rocks, minerals, plants, bark.

Everything about halfling society contributes to the feeling of closeness and safety. Even maps of halfling manufacture rarely describe areas external to the community, other than noting (on the margin, in small print) that to the northeast is “where all the humans live,” or that “the mountains are said to be in this direction,” and so on. Halfling communities located near dangerous areas are often honeycombed with subsurface tunnels and ambush points, should invasion occur, and the lands around are heavily scouted by missile-armed patrols; ambush points are likely to be maintained as well.

Despite their misgivings about the “bigger folks,” halflings are generally open and conversational with others. They have good relations with other races, though the bigger people are seen with some suspicion, Halflings in general do not bear hatred for any race and are prone to accept even the normally unacceptable sorts like half-orcs into their community (though everyone will be watching, of course). Halflings are usually trusting and honest, though they also enjoy pranks and may become evasive if uneasy with their company.

With all the things working to discourage halflings from ever becoming adventurers, one wonders why some do anyway. Every society, no matter how closely knit, will have some rebels, those who don’t fit smoothly into the usual Scheme of Things. Many halfling adventurers (particularly thieves and fighter/thieves) are from this sort of background. They grow tired of the unchanging nature of their life at home and set off seeking a little excitement.

Nearly all halfling adventurers start out with naive attitudes and high expectations of how things are going to turn out; subsequently, some fall prey to the multitude of subtler dangers one meets in the adventuring life. Yet even then, these halflings see their troubles as a fair price to pay. Going adventuring is a sort of protest against comfort, a reaction to having things come too easily. Certainly these adventurers aren’t rejecting all comforts (some have been known to bring their pillows with them in case they were unable to find a bed).

Adventuring is a dare to halflings, a calculated risk. It makes the adventurer more acutely aware of their own limitations and capabilities, and, in the words of one halfling, “It makes you feel more alive.” Halfling adventurers of any class almost never travel alone, and prefer going in a large group with a lot of non-halflings in it. (Any being who is not a halfling is automatically seen as capable and experienced in adventuring.)

Because of their natural abilities to move silently and hide, most halflings desire to take up a profession that makes the best use of these talents. Being a fighter has the drawback of putting the halfling in frequent close-combat situations (the disadvantages of which have been noted before). But being a thief, or a combination fighter and thief, is another matter entirely.

Now, it should be noted that halflings as a whole are law-abiding and honest. They don’t make a living picking one another’s pockets, or filching gems from treasure rooms. Thieves, however, aren’t supposed to get into direct combat. They are supposed to move silently, hide a lot, and make moves unseen by their opponents Thieves learn to open locks (fueling a halfling’s normally irrepressible curiosity about what is going on behind locked doors). As for stealing, well, that can be rationalized as borrowing, or taking things that someone has too many of and won’t miss anyway, and besides, it would be nice to have that ring....

Though they aren’t the best at climbing because of their size, and they have trouble with other written languages, halflings make excellent thieves. They almost never admit to being of that profession, though. Halfling thieves describe themselves most often as simply “adventurers” or “scouts.” One diminutive miss, a master of the thieving art, says, “I’m a fighter. I just happen to do my best fighting from behind.”

Halflings who adventure for a long time often undergo a subtle change in the way they view their home community. They become mildly acute critics of the stifling aspects of halfling society, exceedingly aware of the stagnant atmosphere, the extreme concern with safety, the closed-mindedness that permeates halflings’ lives.

Yet they, the adventurers, are also among the most vigorous defenders of their home towns. After a long period of hazardous journeying, after seeing the innumerable horrors lurking in the outside world, the quiet and security of a halfling community is a wonderful relief indeed. “There have been times,” said one returned adventurer, “when I wished a demon or two would come through town and make things interesting. I was so bored. But then, if I really want to see demons, I can go to a dungeon. It’s better that things stay quiet here at home even if it is a little dull.”

Halfling religion mirrors the race’s preoccupation with security. Yondalla, the most powerful and widely worshipped halfling deity, is usually known as the “Protector” who serves as a guardian against evil forces. She is able to hide her worshipers with illusions, usually making them invisible or disguising them as natural foliage. Yondalla’s symbol is appropriate, too: the shield, representing defensive power and security. Her holy day is called “Safeday.” Yondalla is also the “Provider,” an aspect perhaps related to the halfling love for comfort. Yondalla uses a variety of magical weapons in the defense of her people, but none of them are particularly important in the ceremonies for her worship, or even in the tales in which they appear. It was Yondalla, by the way, who gifted halflings with their resistance to magic and poison, to protect them even further from the ravages of the world.

The smallest of all the demihumans, then, is a race that at first glance should have been quickly overwhelmed by the great cruel world long ago. It wasn’t, though, and halflings continue to thrive in close cooperation with the other demihuman and human races. Though halflings maintain a low-key existence, individuals arise with surprising regularity to considerable heights of fame (or infamy) as thieves; as such; they will continue to remind the rest of the world that the halflings are still here—with each purse stolen, each treasure chest broken into, and each pocket picked.

Material for this article came from the various AD&D™ tomes, Iibrams, and manuals, as well as from Paul H. Kocher’s excellent Master of Middle Earth (paperback, Ballantine Books). My thanks, too, to Cassandra Proudfoot, who was able to point out some of the finer points of the thieving life. By the way, wherever you are, I want my wallet back.

“The gods of the halflings”

Dragon #59 (1982 Mar., pp.52–55) by Roger Moore • AD&D Unearthed Arcana (1985, pp.114–116,122) by Gary Gygax

The halfling pantheon is a small one, having one greater deity (Yondalla) and several lesser deities and demigods. Most communities of halflings worship only a few of them, four or five at most, and as with all religions residents of different areas may worship entirely different groups of deities.

Yondalla is the top authority among the halfling gods, though it is said her control over Brandobaris is minimal at times. Regardless of their orientation and spheres of influence, all the halfling deities work together against the enemies of the halfling people.

Most members of the halfling pantheon reside on one of the planes of the Seven Heavens, in an area generally known as the Green Fields. Sheela Peryroyl and one or two other deities make their homes on the plane of Concordant Opposition, and Brandobaris roams the Prime Material plane, but there are times when they too may be found in the Green Fields—just as the various Greek gods, come to Olympus to meet.

It is interesting that the more powerful halfling deities tend to be females. By contrast, dwarven gods tend to be males, and elven gods a combination of both genders. Halfling deities are not aggressive by and large, and are more taken up with home pursuits and protection than with fighting. Even the adventurous Brandobaris avoids combat if he can help it. Most halfling deities are concerned with spheres of security, sufficiency, the earth, youth, play and humor, good luck, law, peace, secrecy, love, and friendship; one deity may actually control two or more of these concerns, as is common in this pantheon. The halflings have no deities of evil nature, or ones representing war, suffering, fire and water, or death. Yondalla is usually invoked at funerals as a protector of the departed souls of halflings. There is a neutral-aligned masculine lesser deity, Urogalan, who sometimes acts as a judge of and protector of the dead, but he is primarily an earth god. Urogalan lives on the plane of Concordant Opposition.

The four deities listed listed herein are among the most commonly worshipped ones. Some halfling druids might worship deities from other pantheons (e.g., Sylvanus, Ki, Dagda, Lugh), but this is not common. Other deities may be developed as desired by individual Dungeon Masters, of course.

Despite the small physical size of the halfling deities, their innate powers are quite respectable, and many of them work closely with deities from other pantheons as well, just as mortal halflings tend to work closely with other humans and demi-humans. Brandobaris is said to visit other thieves’ deities, particularly Hermes; Sheela Peryroyl is on good terms with a number of Celtic divinities; Yondalla and the other lawful good deities help and are helped by other lawful good deities, and so forth. Thus, it may be safely asserted that the halfling pantheon should not, despite its size, be looked down upon.

Deity	Sphere of Control	Animal	Raiment			Holy Days	Sacrifice/Propriation		Places of Worship
			Head	Body	Colors		Frequency	Form
Yondalla (D&D-141)	halflings	dove	bare	saffron cloak	yellow-green	5th weekday	weekly	food offering	home
Sheela Peryroyl	agriculture, weather	butterfly	bare	green robes	green	full moon	monthly	seeds	open field
Arvoreen	defense, warriors	war dog	helmet	chainmail	silver	before battle	varies	silvered weapons	anywhere
Cyrrollalee	trust, protection	squirrel	bare	brown robes	brown	first day of month	monthly	prayers	home
Brandobaris	thieves	mouse	feathered cap	leather armor	gray	new moon	monthly	stolen items	anywhere
Halfling clerics and druids may be male or female. They are frequently the leaders of their communities and have a lot of say-so in the town’s planned activities. Many also serve as judges and arbiters in various disputes, and strive to obtain justice and good (if lawful good) or fairness and impartiality (if neutral).

“Defenders of the Hearth”

Dragon #177 (1992 Jan., pp.82–84,86,88) by Chris Perry

So many stereotypes have been applied to halflings that it is no wonder so few people take them seriously. They are seen as naive and rural, yet many people clutch their moneybags when they see a halfling coming, for halfling thieves are said to be so sly and dexterous that one can steal the gold from your pockets (and the fillings from your teeth) in broad daylight. Little has been said about halfling priests, however. This article details the specialty priests of that people.

Specialty priests are an elite order within a priesthood, usually in the minority but wielding powers that normal clerics lack. Since most halfling priests cannot be multiclassed, the specialty priests found here are well balanced. Few halfling priests will ever reach 9th level, and only the wisest and luckiest achieve 12th level.

Halfling specialty priests worship the halfling gods found in AD&D 1st Edition game books Legends & Lore and Unearthed Arcana. Plenty of room is left here for the DM’s creativity, so change what you dont like and keep the rest. New spheres of influence from The Tome of Magic have been added as well.

Yondalla

Deities & Demigods (1984, pp.109–110) by Roger Moore • AD&D Unearthed Arcana (1985, p.115) by Gary Gygax

“The Provider”

Greater goddess

Armor Class

2

Move

12″

Hit Points

350

No. of Attacks

3/2

Damage/Attack

By weapon type

Special Attacks

Withering

Special Defenses

+3 or better weapon to hit

Magic Resistance

75%

Size

M (4½′ tall)

Alignment

Lawful Good

Worshiper’s Align

All alignments (halflings)

Symbol

Shield

Plane

Seven Heavens

Cleric/Druid

12th level in each

Fighter

10th level fighter

Magic-user/Illusionist

25th level illusionist

Thief/Assassin

15th level thief

Monk/Bard

Nil

Str

19 (+3, +7)

Dex

25

Con

23

Int

25

Wis

25

Cha

22

Com

24

Yondalla has two aspects: the Provider and the Protector. As the Provider, she is a goddess of fertility and growing things, of birth and youth. She can make barren things fertile and increase the growing rate of plants ans animals to any speed she chooses. What she can give, she can take away: with a wave of her hand she can affect creatures as if three charges had been expended from a staff of withering, i.e. inflict 2–5 hit points damage, age them 10 years, and wither and shrivel a limb or member so that it becomes useless. She can do this once per round, and there is no saving throw vs. this ability.

As the Protector, Yondalla wards off evil influences and and intrusions (thus her shield symbol), and gives halflings the strength and determination to defend themselves. In this aspect, Yondalla most often uses her illusionist powers to protect her worshipers.

Halflings set aside one day per week for worship of Yondalla (called “safeday”), a day which is most spent in rest and play. Non-player character halfling clerics may rise to the 5th level of ability.

Specialty priests

AD&D 2nd Ed. Specialty Priest —Dragon #177 (pp.86,88)

Symbol

A shield

Portfolio

Halfling life, fertility, protection, death

Worshipers’ alignment

Any good or neutral

Priests’ alignment

LG

Requirements

Wisdom 13

Weapons allowed

Same as cleric

Armor allowed

Any

Major spheres

All, Astral, Creation, Divination, Guardian, Healing, Law, Necromantic, Protection, Summoning, Wards

Minor spheres

Combat, Sun

Magical items allowed

Same as cleric

Granted powers

1. A specialty priest of Yondalla may turn undead.
2. At 3rd level, a specialty priest of Yondalla gains immunity to paralyzing attacks and fear.
3. At 6th level, a specialty priest of Yondalla can absorb (as a rod of absorption) any one spell of third level or lower directed specifically at them. If the spell has a wide area of effect, the spell cannot be absorbed. The priest can activate this power only once per day in anticipation of magical attack and hold it ready for one turn; during this time, they cannot cast any spells. Once a spell is absorbed, the priest can use the energy to cast extra spells of their own within 24 hours of its absorption, on a level-for-level basis (e.g., an absorbed second-level spell would allow the priest to cast two first-level spells or one second-level spell of their own). After 24 hours, the spell energy is lost.

Restrictions/Taboos

1. All priests of Yondalla must give 10% of their monetary wealth to the church, which is used to maintain the church and help the community.
2. Priests of Yondalla often serve as judges when crimes are committed, and they also arbitrate disputes between opposing groups. They must be fair in their assessment of the situation at hand, and cannot be biased or take bribes.

Notes

Yondalla is worshiped by most halflings, who set aside the fifth day of each week for her worship. This is called Safeday, and the daylight hours are spent relaxing and enjoying oneself. At night, when the last meal is served, food and drink are set aside for Yondalla in remembrance of what she has done for them. Yondalla’s priests are not idle during this time, for they visit the people, making sure that their needs are taken care of. Priests also serve as judges, arbitrators, and representatives of the local community in regional discussions with other leaders. Since Yondalla presides over the lives of halflings, her priests perform the necessary rituals during funerals and help pregnant women in childbirth.

Yondalla’s priests wear clothing made of bright yellow or pastel green. They find cloaks of orange-yellow attractive, and each wears a miniature painted shield made of pewter on her armor and cloak; the shield shows her rank. Yellow shields are worn by low-level priests, orange shields are worn by lesser leaders of the church, while checkered orange-and-yellow shields are worn by the high priests. Adventuring priests not tied to a specific temple wear shields of green, while adventurers tied to a temple wear checkered shields of yellow and green.

Specialty priests comprise 40% of Yondalla’s clergy. As is common with fundamentally good beings worshiping a fundamentally good deity, relations between the clerics and specialty priests are exemplary.

Sheela Peryroyl

Dragon #59 (1982 Mar., p.54) by Roger Moore • AD&D Unearthed Arcana (1985, p.115) by Gary Gygax

“The Wise”

Lesser goddess

Armor Class

3

Move

9″ (24″)

Hit Points

306

No. of Attacks

1

Damage/Attack

2–16 (+6)

Special Attacks

Unlimited use of entangle spell

Special Defenses

immune to all weapons with wood in them; +2 or better weapon to hit

Magic Resistance

80%

Size

S (4′ tall)

Alignment

Neutral

Worshiper’s Align

All alignments (halflings)

Symbol

Daisy

Plane

Concordant Opposition

Cleric/Druid

14th level druid

Fighter

7th level ranger

Magic-user/Illusionist

14th level magic-user

Thief/Assassin

Nil

Monk/Bard

10th level bard

Str

18(00) (+3, +6)

Dex

22

Con

24

Int

22

Wis

25

Cha

22

Com

24

Sheela Peryroyl, known as Sheela the Wise, is the halfling deity of agriculture, nature, and weather. She appears as a halfling female dressed in wildflowers. It is said that when she sings she causes fields to grow, trees to bud, and seeds to sprout. Sheela brings good weather to her favored worshipers, but can easily send drought or floods to those who worship her poorly.

Her followers often wear a small flower to honor her and strive to work in harmony with nature and the earth. They hold two major celebrations yearly, aside from regular monthly services. One when the first crops of the year are planted (called The Seeding, New Spring, and other titles, depending on the region), and at harvest time (High Harvest, The Reaping, etc.). Community-wide revelry is common at these celebrations, starting when the day’s work is done and continuing late into the night. The length of these celebrations varies from region to region, averageing about 10 days.

There is a 1% chance a halfling making a great quest or sacrifice in the name of Sheela Peryroyl will be granted the power to cast an entangle spell once (at the 6th level of ability) at an enemy. This does not depend on the halfling’s alignment or class, except that true neutral halflings can cast the entangle spell at 12th level of ability. The power may be granted several times in a halfling’s lifetime, but the quests or sacrifices made to gain it will become harder and more costly with time. Only one such entangle spell may be had at any one time.

Sheela Peryroyl, should she need to, can create a special type of staff (like a shillelagh) in one segment from a blade of grass or a twig. This weapon is +4 to hit and does 2–16 (plus strength bonuses) points of damage. She can also cast the spell entangle (her favorite method of attack and defense) once per round as often as she likes. The spell effects are cumulative if cast several times over the same area; i.e., should she cast entangle twice at a troll and should it fail its saving throw twice against it, the troll would be slowed to one-fourth normal speed. Additionally, each successive entangle cast after the first one will inflict 1–4 points of damage on all creatures trapped therein from constriction and abrasion. (There is no saving throw for this, and it makes no difference if victims can move or not.)

Her clerics are all druids and can achieve the 6th level of ability.

Specialty priests

AD&D 2nd Ed. Specialty Priest —Dragon #177 (p.84)

Intermediate power of Concordant Opposition, N

Symbol

A daisy

Portfolio

Agriculture, nature, weather

Worshipers’ alignment

Any

Priests’ alignment

N

Requirements

Constitution 12, wisdom 13

Weapons allowed

Club, dagger, dart, flails (all), knife, sling

Armor allowed

Leather or studded leather, no shield

Magical items allowed

As cleric and druid

Granted powers

1. A specialty priest of Sheela may identify any plant or animal.
2. A specialty priest of Sheela may speak with plants at will.
3. At 5th level, a specialty priest of Sheela may cast hold plants once per day, in addition to other spells they have.
4. At 7th level, a specialty priest of Sheela may cast charm plants (as per the wizard spell) once per week, in addition to all other spells they have.
5. At 11th level, a specialty priest of Sheela may cast sunray once per month, in addition to all other spells they have. The strain of casting this spell is so great that the priest must make a constitution check (at −2) or lose 2d4 hp. If the loss is greater than the priests current hit points, they fall unconscious and risks death, as per the normal game rules.

Restrictions/Taboos

1. Specialty priests of Sheela cannot turn or command undead.
2. At the start of her career, a specialty priest of Sheela must spend three of her nonweapon proficiencies on weather sense and herbalism. They may choose to spend the other proficiencies as they please.

Notes

Priests of Sheela are more colorful than most halfling priests, wearing flowers in their hair and robes of bright green, with elements of other colors of the rainbow. They gather at both cultivated and untilled fields on nights of the full moon to worship their goddess. There they throw seeds into the wind, watching them scatter and divining portents as a result. Special festivals are held in Sheela’s honor every spring and fall, during the time crops are planted or harvested. The community celebrates and joins in the party, which ends the day before Yondalla’s holy day.

Temples dedicated to Sheela are like huge farms or gardens, for surrounding such places are vast fields of wild flowers (daisies can be found everywhere). In the spring and summer, great swarms of butterflies cross the skies, feeding on the nectar of flowers. The temples themselves are square, each with an inner courtyard set aside for an indoor garden where the priests grow plants during winter. These priests have just recently learned how to crossbreed certain trees and plants, and they have bred some very strange fruit trees.

Specialty priests of Sheela make up 15% of Sheela’s priests. 80% of them are druids, and 5% of them are regular clerics. Druids command the church, but the clerics perform many valuable missions in Sheela’s honor.

Arvoreen

Dragon #59 (1982 Mar., p.53) by Roger Moore • AD&D Unearthed Arcana (1985, p.115) by Gary Gygax

“The Defender”

Lesser god

Armor Class

1

Move

12″

Hit Points

298

No. of Attacks

3/2

Damage/Attack

2–20 (+8)

Special Attacks

Summon halfling heroes; invisibility

Special Defenses

+2 or better weapon to hit; see below

Magic Resistance

65%

Size

M (4½′ tall)

Alignment

Lawful good

Worshiper’s Align

All good and neutral warriors (halflings)

Symbol

Short sword and shield

Plane

Seven Heavens

Cleric/Druid

8th level cleric

Fighter

12th level ranger

Magic-user/Illusionist

Nil

Thief/Assassin

10th level thief

Monk/Bard

8th level monk

Str

20 (+3, +8)

Dex

24

Con

23

Int

21

Wis

23

Cha

21

Com

21

The closest thing halflings have to a god of war is Arvoreen the Defender, the patron of halfling fighters. Arvoreen never attacks an opponent first, but the first attack upon the deity (if it hits) does only half damage, regardless of its power. The first magical attack upon him is automatically reflected back upon the caster; thereafter, spells may be cast at him normally.

For his part, Arvoreen can go invisible at will and attack unseen for the first 4–16 rounds of combat against any mortal, non-divine being. He commands a +4 sword that can shapechange into any other type of hand-to-hand weapon for combat. Once a day, Arvoreen may summon 10–40 halfling fighters (4th-level Heroes), each armed with short swords and short bows; they are AC 4 with 25 hp each, and obey him implicitly.

Arvoreen, though quite powerful, is not a particularly aggressive deity. He will only engage in combat only if attacked, though he does seek out his enemies and actively confront them to get them to desist from their evil practices. He will not go very far out of his way to avoid combat if it occurs, however, and fights to the finish.

Fighters and fighter/thieves comprise most of his worshipers; these fighter/thieves are sometimes of neutral good alignment, and all prefer to use their fighting skills over their thieving ones.

While Arvoreen does not hold thieving to be necessarily dishonorable, he discourages thievery unless against enemies to better the chances for physical combat later. (It’s okay, for example, to steal your enemies’ weapons, or break into their camp to free prisoners or make guerrilla raids, but not just to make yourself rich.) Arvoreen absolutely prohibits stealing from other halflings or allied beings.

Specialty priests

AD&D 2nd Ed. Specialty Priest —Dragon #177 (p.82)

Symbol

Sword with shield

Portfolio

Defense, warriors (halflings)

Worshipers’ alignment

All good and neutral (halflings)

Priests’ alignment

LG

Requirements

Strength 12, wisdom 12

Weapons allowed

Any

Armor allowed

Any

Major spheres

All, Combat, Divination, Guardian, Healing, Law, Protection, War, Wards

Minor spheres

Animal, Necromantic, Sun

Magical items allowed

Same as cleric, plus all weapons and armor

Granted powers

1. A specialty priest of Arvoreen may turn undead as a normal cleric.
2. A specialty priest of Arvoreen is treated as a fighter of equal level when attempting to parry (see the PHB, page 100, for details on parrying). If the parrying optional rule is not used, the DM may give an armed priests opponents a −1 penalty on attack rolls when using hand-held weapons against them.
3. At 5th level, a specialty priest of Arvoreen can invoke courage in themself and up to six others, granting those affected immunity to fear and a + 1 bonus to attack rolls and saving throws. The effects last for one turn, and this may be invoked once per day.

Restrictions/Taboos

None

Notes

Arvoreen is worshiped whenever war is expected, usually on the eve of a battle. Services can be held anywhere, though clerics prefer to perform them within a temples confines. Temples of Arvoreen are circular in shape, with the altar (a raised platform with an engraved, silvered shield on it) in the center. Weapons (preferably those of former enemies) are treated with silver and placed upon the shield; a thick oil is then applied to the weapons, and all are set ablaze. Due to the oils special mixture of chemicals, the weapons quickly heat up, causing them to shatter. The altar glows dim red, then bright yellow, then blinding white as the weapons are consumed by divine fire. The priests wear silvered helms and chain mail during the ceremony, silently holding hands around the blazing altar and focusing all of their thoughts on Arvoreen and their plight. When the flames die down, the priests leave, touching the altar with their weapons as they go by. The high priest leaves last, gathering the fragments of the sacrificed weapons so that new weapons can be made from them later. Services on the field of battle are less formal.

Priests of Arvoreen are concerned with the defensibility of halfling communities and help patrol the surrounding lands. Their temples are full of cunningly laid traps. One of their favorites is known as the knee slasher, which consists of two blades placed opposite each other in a doorway or corridor. Each is built into the walls and carefully disguised ( −20% on thieves attempts to find traps). They are triggered when anyone over 100 lbs. walks on the trigger plate within the floor. The blades have a THAC0 of 9 and cause 1d6+2 hp damage each. If one blade hits, the victims movement rate is reduced by half until the damage is healed. If both blades hit, the victims movement is limited to 3 until the damage is healed. The trigger plate can easily be avoided by those aware of the trap, and the blades are placed about 42″ above the ground. Thus, a halfling can safely run past the trap without setting it off, while larger beings are seldom so lucky.

Specialty priests comprise 35% of Arvoreen’s clergy, getting along well with both the regular clergy and the community. Dogs and wolves are often trained by Arvoreen’s priests, and they usually have 3d4 of these animals around at any one time, each animal knowing 1d4+1 tricks.

Cyrrollalee

Dragon #59 (1982 Mar., p.55) by Roger Moore • AD&D Unearthed Arcana (1985, p.116) by Gary Gygax

“The Faithful”

Lesser goddess

Armor Class

3

Move

12″

Hit Points

260

No. of Attacks

3/2

Damage/Attack

By weapon type

Special Attacks

Nil

Special Defenses

+2 or better weapon to hit

Magic Resistance

75%

Size

S (4′ tall)

Alignment

Lawful good

Worshiper’s Align

All good alignments (halflings)

Symbol

Open door

Plane

Seven Heavens

Cleric/Druid

10th level cleric

Fighter

10th level paladin

Magic-user/Illusionist

8th level in each

Thief/Assassin

Nil

Monk/Bard

Nil

Str

17 (+1, +1)

Dex

24

Con

23

Int

23

Wis

24

Cha

22

Com

21

Cyrrollalee is the deity of friendship and trust, as well as a protector like Yondalla. Cyrrollalee is thought of more as a goddess who protects the home but keeps the inhabitants from becoming too defensive and closed in. This deity appears as a normal female halfling with brown hair wearing simple peasant’s clothing. Her worst enemies are those who betray a host’s trust or who break into homes (of halflings) to steal. She is also the enemy of oathbreakers.

If she so wills, Cyrrollalee can cause all non-living objects within a radius of 6″ of her to become animated as if by a 20th-level cleric (up to 20 cubic feet of material, for 20 rounds). These spell effects will continue even if Cyrrollalee leaves the area. She can perform. this power up to three times a day.

There is a 2% chance that if an exceptionally faithful follower of hers should call upon her for help while the follower is in their own home, Cyrrollalee will one piece of furniture (not larger than 5 cubic feet in volume) to become animated for 5 rounds, attacking all enemies of that lucky halfling once per round during that time. Damage will vary according to the type of object animated. Any halfling who receives this benefit must perform a service for Cyrrollalee; the nature of the task (or quest) is left up to the Dungeon Master, and should be challenging but not exceptionally difficult. This gift may be given to a halfling only twice in their lifetime.

Cyrrollalee’s followers are largely regular halflings (0-level) and some fighter types. Worship services for her are held on the first day of each month. No particular weapons are associated with Cyrrollalee, though it is said she can make use of any weapon, magical or non-magical, a regular fighter could use.

Specialty priests

AD&D 2nd Ed. Specialty Priest —Dragon #177 (pp.83–84)

Symbol

An open door

Portfolio

Friendship, trust

Worshipers’ alignment

Any good

Priests’ alignment

LG

Requirements

Wisdom 12, charisma 13

Weapons allowed

All bludgeoning weapons

Armor allowed

Chain mail and shield, maximum

Major spheres

All, Charm, Creation, Divination, Guardian, Healing, Law, Protection, Wards

Minor spheres

Summoning, Sun

Magical items allowed

Same as clerics

Granted powers

1. A specialty priest of Cyrrollalee may turn the undead.
2. A specialty priest of Cyrrollalee is immune to all enchantment/charm spells of 3rd level or lower. In addition, they are immune to mass charm and mass suggestion spells.
3. A specialty priest of Cyrrollalee may use a soothing word once per day for every four experience levels. This can be used to remove fear from one person, or it can be used to calm down a group of characters (equal to twice the priests experience level in hit dice); its range is 30′. Thus, a 5th-level priest could calm down ten 1st-level characters, two other 5th-level characters, or any combination thereof. The priest can then talk to them, influencing their reaction favorably by one category on the encounter reaction table (page 103 of the DMG).
4. At 5th level, a specialty priest of Cyrrollalee may cast prayer once per day in addition to all other spells and powers they have.
5. At 11th level, a specialty priest of Cyrrollalee may cast a symbol of persuasion once per week.
6. If a follower of Cyrrollalee is in grave danger within her own home, there is a small chance (5%) that the goddess will help by animating a small piece of furniture (five cubic feet maximum; AC 6; HD 2; THAC0 19; #AT 1; Dmg 1d6), that will then attack the enemies for five rounds. That halfling must then do a service for Cyrrollalee, who will indicate in a dream what she wants done. The task varies, but it shouldn’t be too difficult to accomplish.

Restrictions/Taboos

1. All priests of Cyrrollalee are expected to turn over 10% of their wealth to the church. Any useful magical or nonmagical items may be sold to the church for 60% of its market value (it is considered used goods, after all).
2. Priests of Cyrrollalee are expected to keep their word. If a person gives a priest a secret with the understanding that it must not be revealed, the priest must keep it. They are free to reveal a secret if keeping it would result in harm or anguish to another creature, however.

Notes

Cyrrollalee is worshiped on the first day of each month. It is interesting to note that, like Yondalla, she is worshiped in the home. Cyrrollalee protects halflings inside their homes and strives to keep them in good spirits. On the day of her worship, all the followers converge upon the temple to say a short prayer of thanks. Thereafter, the priests go around blessing every house and burrow-hole in the community and renewing the spells of warding that some people pay to have cast. The ceremonies end in the evening, when the halflings are safe in their homes and the last prayers are said. Priests of Cyrrollalee wear plain brown robes to symbolize their simple nature and to keep greedy thieves away. While it is not a sin to have wealth, priests of Cyrrollalee find it prudent to show it only sparingly. Among the younger priests, though, there is a growing trend toward wearing more colorful and expensive clothing. “Flaunting” would be too strong a word, but as one young priest said, “We are tired of wearing sack-cloth! Let’s get some color in here!” Their elders are not amused, but they are tolerant of these individuals and continue to wear the older, simpler styles.

Most of Cyrrollalee’s followers are normal halflings, though some warriors pray for her protection as well. Specialty clerics account for 30% of all priests. Relations are between clerics and the specialty priests are excellent.

Brandobaris

Dragon #59 (1982 Mar., pp.54–55) by Roger Moore • AD&D Unearthed Arcana (1985, p.116) by Gary Gygax

“Master of Stealth”

Demigod

Armor Class

0

Move

12″

Hit Points

185

No. of Attacks

1

Damage/Attack

3–12 (+7)

Special Attacks

See below

Special Defenses

See below

Magic Resistance

60%

Size

S (3½′ tall)

Alignment

Neutral

Worshiper’s Align

All thieves and those who go adventuring

Symbol

Halfling’s footprint

Plane

Prime Material

Cleric/Druid

6th level druid

Fighter

7th level ranger

Magic-user/Illusionist

6th level in each

Thief/Assassin

19th level thief

Monk/Bard

6th level monk

Str

19 (+3, +7)

Dex

25

Con

23

Int

24

Wis

17

Cha

20

Com

19

The adventures and misadventures of Brandobaris, Master of Stealth, are almost beyond counting. Most of these tales share a moral: It is better not to run off into the wilderness on foolish dares; nonetheless, Brandobaris is an appealing sort of rascal. He has much of the trickster in him; he is primarily a clever thief who fools his opponents into thinking him harmless, then steals them blind and escapes their wrath. No matter how awful a situation he finds himself in (and he’s found some pretty awful ones),

Brandobaris always manages to find his way out again—and make a profit. Brandobaris is so skilled at moving silently he cannot be heard by any mortal being or god if he conceals his movements. He can hide so well as to be completely invisible (seeable only with a true seeing spell or magic item of similar power). Brandobaris goes on adventures to find some item he believes will make life more comfortable for him, though this does not always prove to work out as he’d planned.

Brandobaris carries a long +3 dagger he usually wields in combat (if he cannot avoid it). This dagger will magically point out the fastest and safest direction of escape from any trap or maze (making Brandobaris immune to maze spells when holding it). He also uses a +4 sling that hurls a ball of dust whenever it is used; the dust ball has a maximum range of 48″ (24″ short range, 36″ medium range) and does not harm its victim, who feels feel nothing, but must save vs. magic at −6 or fall deeply asleep for 6–36 turns.

The followers of Brandobaris are mostly thieves and fighter/thieves. The more ardent followers are usually also the ones who take the greatest risks. An especially daring risk (one placing the halfling in considerable jeopardy) that pays off is looked upon favorably by Brandobaris. He might reward the perpetrator of such a daring act—but only once in that halfling’s lifetime, so as not to encourage the mortal to be too foolhardy. There is a 5% chance that Brandobaris’ reward will be given to any halfling of 10th level or lower, raising the follower one level in ability. Halfling thieves of 11th level or higher cannot receive this particular reward, but might benefit in some other fashion from incurring the good favor of Brandobaris.

Because Brandobaris wanders the Prime Material plane, there is a 1% chance per level a halfling thief of 11th level or higher will actually meet Brandobaris, in the guise of another halfling thief, and be invited by the demigod to go on a thieving adventure. Other thieves may come along on the adventure, but if they do not worship Brandobaris they might find some of their valuables missing when the adventure is over. Brandobaris will reveal his identity only after the adventure is over, and only to his followers. The adventures Brandobaris goes on, as stated before, can be exceptionally challenging and dangerous, but hold the promise of great reward for the fast, the clever, and the quiet!

Specialty priests

AD&D 2nd Ed. Specialty Priest —Dragon #177 (p.83)

Symbol

A halflings foot

Portfolio

Thieves, adventurers

Worshipers alignment

Any nonlawful and nonevil (halflings)

Priests’ alignment

N

Requirements

Dexterity 16, wisdom 13

Weapons allowed

As per thief

Armor allowed

Leather armor, no shield

Major spheres

All, Charm, Chaos, Creation, Divination, Healing, Protection, Sun, Travelers

Minor spheres

Guardian, Time

Magical items allowed

Same as clerics and thieves

Granted powers

1. A specialty priest of Brandobaris is a multiclassed cleric/thief, with full powers and abilities except as noted later.
2. A specialty priest of Brandobaris may haste themself once per day. The spell lasts for five rounds, plus one round per level over the 6th level of experience. Luckily, the priest does not magically age every time they use it.
3. At 3rd level, a specialty priest of Brandobaris may cast blur once per day (as per the wizard spell).
4. At 6th level, a specialty priest of Brandobaris may cast fumble once per day (as per the wizard spell).
5. Brandobaris tends to favor his more adventurous followers, and the most daring ones may gain a special reward from him. Those who pull off a very dangerous and rewarding venture may be granted an additional experience level, should Brandobaris be impressed (1% chance, possibly higher if the DM warrants it). Only a halfling of 10th level or lower can be given this boon, which can be gained only once in that particular halflings lifetime.
6. Brandobaris constantly wanders the Prime Material Plane and occasionally enlists the aid of his talented followers. There is a 1% chance per level over the 10th that a halfling thief will be visited by Brandobaris, who will appear as an ordinary halfling rogue. Other thieves may join in on the adventure, but nonhalflings may find some of their possessions missing afterward. The reward equals the danger, both of which are great. This will happen only once in that halflings lifetime.

Restrictions/Taboos

1. Specialty priests of Brandobaris cannot turn the undead.
2. These specialty priests are limited to 12th level as thieves, regardless of how dexterous they are.
3. Specialty priests of Brandobaris do not gain the ability to use scrolls that other thieves get when they reach 10th level. They can still cast clerical spells from scrolls, though.

Notes

Priests of Brandobaris hold ceremonies for him on nights of the full moon. Temples that venerate him differ greatly from one another and, depending on the tolerance of the local residents, are often hidden. Services are informal, consisting of the sacrifice of stolen goods or treasures found while adventuring.

Priests of Brandobaris wear leather armor of all styles and colors, though they prefer blacks and browns due to their camouflage effects. Custom-made armor with hidden pockets and the like command top prices from the priests. It should be mentioned that practically anything that can normally be bought from the thieves guild can be bought from these clerics. (Even poisons can be provided if the right poisons are sought and you talk to the right priests, and the DM allows it.)

Brandobaris’ priests are expected to go adventuring at least twice a year, barring sickness or imprisonment. Specialty priests make up 30% of Brandobaris’ clergy, though recently more halflings entering this clergy are choosing to be specialty priests rather than simple clerics.

Urogalan

Dragon #59 (1982 Mar., p.52) by Roger Moore • AD&D Unearthed Arcana (1985, p.115) by Gary Gygax

“the Shaper”

Lesser god

Armor Class

 

Move

 ″

Hit Points

 

No. of Attacks

 

Damage/Attack

  ( )

Special Attacks

 

Special Defenses

 

Magic Resistance

 

Size

  (′ tall)

Alignment

N (good tendencies)

Worshiper’s Align

 

Symbol

A hand holding a rock

Plane

Concordant Opposition

Cleric/Druid

 

Fighter

 

Magic-user/Illusionist

 

Thief/Assassin

 

Monk/Bard

 

Str

 

Dex

 

Con

 

Int

 

Wis

 

Cha

 

Com

 

Urogalan, the Shaper, is the deity of earth, earthen craftsmanship, and scribe of the dead.

Specialty priests

AD&D 2nd Ed. Specialty Priest —Dragon #177 (pp.86)

Symbol

A hand holding a rock

Portfolio

Earth, earthen craftsmanship

Worshipers’ alignment

Any

Priests’ alignment

N, NG

Requirements

Wisdom 13

Weapons allowed

Club, dagger, hand axe, footmans mace, short sword, sling, warhammer

Armor allowed

Any

Major spheres

All, Combat, Divination, Elemental (earth/fire), Healing, Protection, Travelers, Wards

Minor spheres

Creation, Guardian, Sun

Magical items allowed

Same as clerics

Granted powers

1. A specialty priest of Urogalan is astute at detecting the magical properties of an item. By holding an item for one round, they can tell how many to-hit bonuses it has, if its cursed, or if it has any powers that are earth-related (a yes-no answer). It takes three rounds to check for all of the above. They cannot tell how many charges are in a charged item, however, and a cursed item might be activated by the priest in the process of picking it up.
2. A specialty priest of Urogalan gains a +1 bonus when using any of the following nonweapon proficiencies: armorer, blacksmithing, brewing, leather-working, pottery, and weaponsmithing.
3. At 6th level, a specialty priest of Urogalan gains immunity to all petrification attacks.
4. At 10th level, a specialty priest of Urogalan may cast stone to flesh once per week.

Restrictions/Taboos

Specialty priests of Urogalan cannot turn the undead.

Notes

According to halfling lore, Urogalan is the one who keeps the ground from shaking and helps bring spring to the land. He is also a skilled artisan, giving his inspiration and knowledge to those dedicated to their craft. He is prayed to whenever a halfling seeks insight about the earth, the underground, and the causes of a late spring. Priests of Urogalan are talented craftsmen, teaching others their skills when possible. While they get most of their materials from the dwarves, sometimes they must go out and seek their own sources of metal, which often brings them into conflict with Underdark dwellers like derro and duergar. As a result, they have the same hatred that surface dwarves have for these dark dwarves. Urogalan is worshiped mainly by halfling miners and earthworkers, though he is venerated to some extent by halfling craftsmen of other kinds. Temples dedicated to him are set in natural caves, with rooms carved from the rock around it. The caves are shallow, rarely reaching 80 or so underground. Priests of Urogalan wear clothing of red, dull orange, or brown. His symbol is carried on each priest in the form of a brass pin. Holy days occur during the winter solstice and spring equinox, when hand-crafted items are sacrificed to him by burial.

Urogalan’s priesthood is small in number. Specialty priests make up 20% of the total of Urogalan’s priests.