Official Hobbit Discussion Megathread

[Kyphael]

Now that the dust has settled on the reveal that Void Elves can look like High Elves come Shadowlands customization, the Official High Elf Megathread will fall to ruins and inactivity. Rejoice, my fellow Tolkien-eers! (Tolkieniers? Tolkien...iFANS!) We must not turn to the SECOND most requested race in World of Warcraft.

No, I do not mean those smelly Ogres! HALFLINGS! Because Hobbits are trademarked by the Tolkien Estate, but Halflings are not, they can definitely be called such.







What classes should HALFLINGS get in Warcraft?

Quote Originally Posted by Razion View Post

I think Halflings would get:
Warriors
Rogues
Mages
Priests
Paladins
Hunters
Druids
Warlocks
Death Knights
Monks

What role should they play in lore? What could their starting zone be?

Quote Originally Posted by Garneth View Post

Not sure how I feel about this topic but it did make me think about how Tel'Abim isn't yet accessible and hopefully will be one day. That island hasn't really been given any lore as far as I know aside from bananas and a geographic location. A hobbit-inspired race could be brought in as inhabitants of the island, and their lack of appearance in Azeroth as a whole could be explained as reclusiveness / lack of technological capabilities / remote island location / "why leave when we have all the bananas we could eat and export right here."

To contain all the discussions, I created a Megathread just for Playable Halflings in Warcraft, so keep it all here. WHO'S WITH ME!?

[Razion]

I think Halflings would get:
Warriors
Rogues
Mages
Priests
Paladins
Hunters
Druids
Warlocks
Death Knights
Monks

Maybe Shaman, if they're going to be a slim offshoot of the Pygmy race we've already seen. They'd probably speak common, and in general probably be a more natural or nature friendly variant of gnomes simply put. Curious, but more inclined to stay indoors than adventure probably as a race makes them not very likely to be a playable concept unless their homes are going to all be destroyed by a cataclysm or something. If they're going to be the playful forest archetype, they'd probably be friends to the Night Elves, or Furbolgs, Mountain Giants, and Treants. I couldn't imagine Halfling would be very technologically inclined at all. Gnomes may want to try and teach them, but they'd probably have little to no aptitude for it. Lore-wise I expect they'd probably be tied to Sand Gnomes somehow, in terms of being relatives. Them being somewhat related to Gnomes and Dwarves in general would give them some more familial ties to the faction to give them more motivation to not just bunker down in a new set of hills and actually take interest in world events, especially if they ended up getting taken in by Dwarves like the Gnomes were. Maybe there would be jealously there, especially if they were more martial than Gnomes. So build-wise they'd probably be leaner, probably also a result of them living on a lot of greens and hunting and being part of nature more. I imagine what hill homes they do have left would be very cozy and home-like. Probably good places to rest your feet after a long adventure, so as a race they'd make good traditional innkeepers and would offer a lot of hospitality. Maybe too much - eccentric, and all that. Maybe the all feet all the time thing gets preserved, maybe gets extended somewhat like, maybe they end up spending a lot of time cleaning because they track dirt indoors so much so they ended up developing magic to help clean.

In terms of stats I probably imagine the distribution is something like:
Agility > Spirit > Intellect > Strength > Stamina

In terms of racials they probably have bonus for running speed. Maybe plains-running could be a racial mount - they just kick up dirt and start zipping around. Connection to nature probably gives them nature resistance. If they have a bonus to professions I imagine because they spend so much time indoors, inscription for all the writing could have bonuses like higher chance at getting skill-ups and sometimes making more. They probably have a haste racial, in terms of throughput racials, but to make it different maybe it could be a proc. If they have a bonus fun racial maybe they could carry a second Hearthstone because they like their indoors so much. If they have a capital, maybe it's just a huge, gigantic hill. The biggest hill-home. Maybe they call it Hillhome.

[Amarys]

First race I'd actually welcome to be added to the game. Not sure how they would fit lorewise but I've seen crazier things added.

In any case, when it comes to classes, they should have rogues, warriors, priests and hunters.. death knights too maybe but thats about it.
I don't see them being mages, warlocks and druids at all. At least not the shapeshifting kind. Paladins and monks might work though with some lore stretching.

[Pebrocks The Warlock]

But Hobbits have never existed in WoW and we already have Gnomes who are similar.

[Kyphael]

I think Halflings would get:
Warriors
Rogues
Mages
Priests
Paladins
Hunters
Druids
Warlocks
Death Knights
Monks

I like all those choices except maybe Paladins as I feel Gnome fans might riot if a new Halfling race got Paladins before Gnomes. lol

Maybe Shaman, if they're going to be a slim offshoot of the Pygmy race we've already seen. They'd probably speak common, and in general probably be a more natural or nature friendly variant of gnomes simply put. Curious, but more inclined to stay indoors than adventure probably as a race makes them not very likely to be a playable concept unless their homes are going to all be destroyed by a cataclysm or something.

This is a good way to differentiate them from Gnomes, aside from being actually proportionate half-sized humans with enlarged feet and pointy ears, of course. Most of the race could be peaceful recluses, but yeah, the player characters would be adventurers that get swept up into Azeroth's current drama that might affect their home. Rogues can just be adventurous thieves.

If they're going to be the playful forest archetype, they'd probably be friends to the Night Elves, or Furbolgs, Mountain Giants, and Treants. I couldn't imagine Halfling would be very technologically inclined at all. Gnomes may want to try and teach them, but they'd probably have little to no aptitude for it.

So much this, I wouldn't want them to be an offshoot or rip off of gnomes. In fact, them scoffing at technology because Gnomes look down on them for being stupid would be humorous.

Lore-wise I expect they'd probably be tied to Sand Gnomes somehow, in terms of being relatives. Them being somewhat related to Gnomes and Dwarves in general would give them some more familial ties to the faction to give them more motivation to not just bunker down in a new set of hills and actually take interest in world events, especially if they ended up getting taken in by Dwarves like the Gnomes were. Maybe there would be jealously there, especially if they were more martial than Gnomes. So build-wise they'd probably be leaner, probably also a result of them living on a lot of greens and hunting and being part of nature more. I imagine what hill homes they do have left would be very cozy and home-like. Probably good places to rest your feet after a long adventure, so as a race they'd make good traditional innkeepers and would offer a lot of hospitality. Maybe too much - eccentric, and all that. Maybe the all feet all the time thing gets preserved, maybe gets extended somewhat like, maybe they end up spending a lot of time cleaning because they track dirt indoors so much so they ended up developing magic to help clean.

Good way to introduce guild housing done proper.

In terms of stats I probably imagine the distribution is something like:
Agility > Spirit > Intellect > Strength > Stamina

In terms of racials they probably have bonus for running speed. Maybe plains-running could be a racial mount - they just kick up dirt and start zipping around. Connection to nature probably gives them nature resistance. If they have a bonus to professions I imagine because they spend so much time indoors, inscription for all the writing could have bonuses like higher chance at getting skill-ups and sometimes making more. They probably have a haste racial, in terms of throughput racials, but to make it different maybe it could be a proc. If they have a bonus fun racial maybe they could carry a second Hearthstone because they like their indoors so much. If they have a capital, maybe it's just a huge, gigantic hill. The biggest hill-home. Maybe they call it Hillhome.

A Halfling outrunning a Worgen's Running Wild just sounds too funny.

[Justpassing]

Eh, why not?

[Kyphael]

But Hobbits have never existed in WoW and we already have Gnomes who are similar.

Like @Razion said, they might have been in hiding all this time and just nature-leaning Gnome-like offshoot, yet more proportionate to humans but with the accompanying Hobbit features of large hairy feet and elf-like ears.

[schwarzkopf]

But Hobbits have never existed in WoW and we already have Gnomes who are similar.

And both Hobbits and Halflings are well protected IP by JRR Tolkien Estate and WotC (or whatever they are called today).

[Gurahk]

Finally a thread I can get behind, enough with these official "Elf" threads, get this one to the top.

[Varodoc]

There is no Lord of the Rings without the man himself. So first of all we need playable Eyes, possibly for Alliance (it could have something to do with void elves' void shenanigans), though I guess they'd have to be Horde for RP purposes:

[Razion]

And both Hobbits and Halflings are well protected IP by JRR Tolkien Estate and WotC (or whatever they are called today).

From Wikipedia:
"Originally, halfling comes from the Scots word hauflin, meaning an awkward rustic teenager, who is neither man nor boy, and so half of both. Another word for halfling is hobbledehoy or hobby. This usage of the word pre-dates both The Hobbit and Dungeons & Dragons. The German surname Helbling has a similar origin."

So Hauflin, Hobbledehoy or Hobby predate them, and would be relatively close without maybe stepping on Halfling directly.

[schwarzkopf]

F
So Hauflin, Hobbledehoy or Hobby predate them

So given we ain't going to play Hobbits or Halflings - and we already have short annoying races (Gnomes and Goblins) ...why do we need more ?

[HateTrain]

From Wikipedia:
"Originally, halfling comes from the Scots word hauflin, meaning an awkward rustic teenager, who is neither man nor boy, and so half of both. Another word for halfling is hobbledehoy or hobby. This usage of the word pre-dates both The Hobbit and Dungeons & Dragons. The German surname Helbling has a similar origin."

So Hauflin, Hobbledehoy or Hobby predate them, and would be relatively close without maybe stepping on Halfling directly.

That is correct. "Halfling" existed before D&D and Tolkien. If you pulled right up to the bumper of what WOTC has written for their Halfling race, then you'll see lawyers come out of the woodwork.

[Kyphael]

So given we ain't going to play Hobbits or Halflings - and we already have short annoying races (Gnomes and Goblins) ...why do we need more ?

We already had Gnomes and Goblins, and we got two more "short annoying races" in Vulpera and Mechagnomes. Given how unoriginal Mechas ended up being, I almost wish we had gotten more Hobbit-like Halflings or even Pygmies, and Gnomes could have gotten Mecha enhancements through Shadowlands customizations.

[schwarzkopf]

Given how unoriginal Mechas ended up being,

Mechagnomes are THE most awesome allied race so far.

- - - Updated - - -

That is correct. "Halfling" existed before D&D and Tolkien.

That may be so - but D&D snapped it up as IP.

Coke has been around since the 4th Century - but you google coke now, or use the word in slightly the wrong way and BAM.

[vitor210]

how are halflings/hobbits any different from gnomes?

[Nagawithlegs]

Gnomes are the halfling/hobbit expy in this series.

[Kyphael]

how are halflings/hobbits any different from gnomes?

Proportionate bodies but literally half the size of a regular Stormwind human, but pointy ears and large hairy feet that became as such from just walking around without shoes.

[schwarzkopf]

from just walking around without shoes.

SO a quarter elf with hairy feet xmog.

Maybe we just make them a customisation for Elves then

[Razion]

So given we ain't going to play Hobbits or Halflings - and we already have short annoying races (Gnomes and Goblins) ...why do we need more ?

I'd like to play as a short, lean, nature-loving character. Gnomes and Dwarves are all very technologically inclined and fairly large, and while Vulpera and Goblins do have the right body types they aren't very nature-focused if not the opposite. In terms of nature-loving races you basically have to go elf, tauren, trolls, or bust - and all of them are really really tall.

That is correct. "Halfling" existed before D&D and Tolkien. If you pulled right up to the bumper of what WOTC has written for their Halfling race, then you'll see lawyers come out of the woodwork.

I mean, fair enough, but they just have to be different enough while still giving the core attributes people are looking for in the archetype.