GoCorral

Subraces

Halflings were a single race without subraces prior to leaving the Conclave. After leaving the Conclave, halflings settled in different locations. Each of these places developed different cultures to support their respective industries. The different subraces of halflings have adapted to those cultures and industries with different natural talents for each subrace.

Rock: Rock Halflings live in Crafterton and have a deep love for technology. Clockwork machines of all kinds originate from Crafterton along with simple potions and household magical items. A broom that sweeps on its own, a bar of soap that never runs out, these and many more are inventions that were first made by Rock Halflings. They also have sensitive noses that make them excellent alchemists and cooks. Besides more exotic technology, Rock Halflings are also often adept at using forges, tannery equipment, carpentry equipment, and other tools of craftsmen in Cimmeria.

City: City Halflings live in Nomingburg and are the most athletic of halflings. Tracy’s original intention was for Nomingburg to be home to many survivalist guilds. The guilds would push halfling civilization further into the eastern regions of goblin controlled territory. Unfortunately after Tracy’s death the guilds focused inward in a power struggle for dominance of the city. The survivalist guilds became assassins guilds. While most halflings in Nomingburg aren’t assassins, the value of physical ability and sneaky natures have leaked into the general populace.

City Halflings are physically larger than other halflings. They stand an inch or two more on average. Their stronger builds allow them to jump longer, climb faster, and throw further than other beings of their size. They also have a greater ability to hide and move silently through shadows. Many other clandestine talents are common in City Halflings such as escaping bonds or lifting items from people’s pockets. Nomingburg is a dangerous place to go without a well-secured coin purse.

Forest: Forest Halflings roam Cimmeria in caravans or live in small villages dotted across the landscape. Forest Halfling caravans are responsible for much of the intercity trade of Cimmeria, carrying goods and valuables across the region. Some caravans also act as traveling entertainment, providing circus acts, songs, and plays to different communities. A vanishing number of Forest Halflings are homeless thieves. They steal as much as they can, then move on before the local law enforcement can punish them. These delinquent vagabonds have created a bad reputation for all traveling halflings. Many Forest Halfling caravans are treated with suspicion regardless of their intentions.

Forest Halflings have many talents related to thriving in the natural world. Their homes in isolated villages or routines on the road make living off the land essential. Each Forest Halfling has some ability to communicate with animals, either through intuition or actually speaking the language of a particular species such as moles, foxes, or sparrows. Minor magical feats are common as well, with many Forest Halflings knowing a few cantrips to assist in cooking, foraging, or hunting. Forest Halflings talent for nature magic and love for comfort makes them a true integration of the wilds and civilization.

Deep: Deep Halflings split off from the surface halflings at an unknown time. They adapted to the darkness below the Earth somehow. Deep Halflings can now see in the dark. The change process below the surface also granted them remarkable resistance to magic. Living beneath the earth requires tunneling as well as mining and smithing to make the required tools for tunneling. Deep Halflings have become experts at those tasks. Some say they even rival the dwarves in their knowledge of the forge.

Living in the Underdark has instilled a character of ruthlessness in Deep Halflings. Surface halflings admire the beauty of all living things, but Deep Halflings are quick to extinguish any activity, object, or life that they feel is useless. The struggle to survive below the Earth makes Deep Halflings focused on only what they need. Art is rarely seen in Deep Halfling towns and music rarely heard. All actions are taken for the betterment of one’s self or the town. This mirthless life makes many question whether the origin of Deep Halflings is natural or if something more sinister is involved.

If you were paying close attention to the different races of Cimmeria you would notice that gnomes are one of the “Big D&D Races” that is absent. I didn’t feel that gnomes were sufficiently different from halflings to have them be separate races. Gnomes still exist statistically in Cimmeria with the Rock Halfling subrace intended as a stand-in for typical gnomes and the Deep Halfling as a stand-in for Svirfneblin. Gnome also still exists as a word within Cimmeria, but it is used as a pejorative term for halflings of all kinds.