Halflings/Hobbits How Much Weaker?

[Hierax]

How much weaker (than a Human) is a Halfling/Hobbit?

[Curufea]

-4 for mine - they're Tolkein (equivalent to children in mass)

[Fitz]

I'd give them a little more STR than a human child, since although they're about the same size as an eight-year old, they've had time to grow into their bodies and develop the muscular coordination 8-year olds lack.

[Hierax]

FWIW, here's what I'm using:
Hairfoot (Standard Halfling/Hobbit): = 6 STR (-4)
Tallfellow (Slightly Elven): = 5 STR (-5)
Stout (Slightly Dwarven): = 7 STR (-3)

[Curufea]

I thought it was Harfoot, rather than Hairfoot?

[tkdguy]

The Middle Earth types of hobbits are Harfoot, Fallohide, and Stoor. The D&D halfling types (especially in Greyhawk) are Hairfoot, Tallfellow, and Stout. The types seen in the Forgotten Realms are the Ghostwise, Lightfoot, and Strongheart halflings.

[swobeas]

I would locate the STR of hobbits about 7-8. Yes they are smaller but they don't seem to very slim (as most children are), at least on the average :D

As having already measured STR with 8-10 year old children, I can honestly say that they are not very weak at all and hobbits should be stronger than kids, they are at least adults...

What could possibly contradict is the fact that their lifestyle seems to show at lot less work requiring muscles than other races like humans or dwarfes, so they could have a PSL couch potato on STR :eg:

[Fox1]

While this poll address the average, I also think their Max stat value should also be lower, and not by the same amount.

So while I voted for a -5 average STR, Frankly I'd capped them at a 10 STR normally and allow double cost to take them to a 13, maybe 15.

[Hierax]

Yeah, good point. I agree that with a 5 Average STR a 10 NCM and 15 ACM is just right.

[Shadowpup]

I voted -3 to -9 meaning that someplace in there is where they should be.

STR 10 sounds high for a Halfling, 4-8 should be average.

[Hierax]

Sorry it shoudl have read -7 to -9 or 1 to 3 STR. It won't let me edit the poll to fix my typo :(

[tm80401]

I said about a STR of 5. Depending on size, DND3 halflings being about 2-3 feet high, I figure that should be about right.

[Trencher]

around 6 should be good for halflings.

[TheTemplar]

Once again turning to TTA, I went with -4 (6) as the starting base STR for Halflings (and would house rule that anything above 16 would cost 2 pts per pt.)

[prestidigitator]

Same strength-to-weight ratio as humans. Half the height. -5 Str, as Power, so 5 starting, 15 NCM.

[Outsider]

Same strength-to-weight ratio as humans. Half the height. -5 Str, as Power, so 5 starting, 15 NCM.

STR in HERO system modifies up by 5 per doubling in mass, not per doubling in height. So it should modify down by halvings of mass, rather than halvings of height. If halflings are proportioned like humans, but half as tall, they'd also be half as wide and half as thick, for a mass of 1/8th human. That would be -15 STR off human normal.

I wouldnt go with that, though, since FH doesnt Work very well with negative stats. (If an average halfling were STR -5, he'd be down 11 STR to use a dagger... meaning he'd be -3 OCV and do -1 DC with it...)

[prestidigitator]

STR in HERO system modifies up by 5 per doubling in mass, not per doubling in height. So it should modify down by halvings of mass, rather than halvings of height. If halflings are proportioned like humans, but half as tall, they'd also be half as wide and half as thick, for a mass of 1/8th human. That would be -15 STR off human normal.

I wouldnt go with that, though, since FH doesnt Work very well with negative stats. (If an average halfling were STR -5, he'd be down 11 STR to use a dagger... meaning he'd be -3 OCV and do -1 DC with it...)
Ah. Quite right! How did my brain do that one? I think I was tired. Ah well. I've been using 5/15 for some reason that made sense so long ago.... :think:

[Old Man]

Halflings are only marginally less irritating than elves, so -3 to -9. :)

[tkdguy]

Halflings are only marginally less irritating than elves, so -3 to -9. :)

What exactly do you find so irritating about elves and halflings? :confused:

[Old Man]

I actually have nothing against elves and halflings. My problem is with the players who are likely to play elves and halflings. For whatever reason, those races draw powergaming munchkins whose idea of 'role-playing' is to follow the racial stereotype--morally flexible kleptomaniac-assassins, for halflings, and Legolas-like combat monsters that are devoid of personality, in the case of elves. (Don't even get me started on drow.)

I exaggerate somewhat, but not that much. I do know one elf-obsessed player who isn't like this, but in his case I have to dig at elves just to annoy him.

[Seraphym]

I'd give them a little more STR than a human child, since although they're about the same size as an eight-year old, they've had time to grow into their bodies and develop the muscular coordination 8-year olds lack.

Good point. If you look at how orcs interacted with hobbits, however, they were tossed around, captured, and held like children.

[Old Man]

Orky STR > 10?

[Trencher]

Orks are not stronger than human it is just that they train for war all the time and that weak orcs get killed and eaten by their "friends" I say orcs have 10 str for light infantery and 12 str for heavy infantery.

[Old Man]

ok

[Shadowpup]

That's rediculous! Orc are far more massive and have better bone structure to have a measley 10 STR.

[Outsider]

That's rediculous! Orc are far more massive and have better bone structure to have a measley 10 STR.


According to who?

As with the "how strong are dwarves" thread, it really depends on what source material a person is drawing on to form their expectation.

[Hierax]

start a new thread with a poll for Orcs' STR, this is getting off topic for Halflings.

[Mister E]

I'd love to give Hobbits a -5 STR, just to be consistant with the general rules for size in the HERO System, but I'm going to have to go with 5.

I'm going to say that NCM for Hobbits should be 15, but it's hard for me to imagine too many mini-Conans running around in anyone's campaign: Unless they were running a Dark Sun-esque type game.

25 should be the max-Hobbit-limit for STR.

(The following is crazy-talk)

Now if you were really creative, you could re-scale the game with Hobbits in mind, by making the average Human STR 25; likewise shift BODY up so the average Human had a BODY of 13 (5 STR = 1 BODY). Hobbits then would have Strengths and Bodies of 10, on average.

Hobbit:

Leave everything where it is... treat them like we treat Humans, normally.

Human:

+15 STR
+3 BODY
+3 STUN
-3" Knockback
-2 DCV
+2 to all PER Rolls for others to perceive
+1" Reach

I dare anyone to give this a try, and see how they like it. :eg:

EDIT: Oh, I almost forgot. Obviously, you will need to shift the lifting weights for STR accordingly.

[Shadowpup]

According to who?

As with the "how strong are dwarves" thread, it really depends on what source material a person is drawing on to form their expectation.

Sorry man, I was just joking around :)