Leaftender
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The Leaftender is similar in many ways to the druid--he or she is a priest who lives in and watches over the wild places that are so important to the halfling race. Despite the fact that his or her home and burrow is located deep in the woods, the Leaftender is not antisocial--halfling visitors will always find a warm welcome and be invited in to share a cup of a tea, a bit of conversation, and a warm fire. Non-halflings will meet with a similar reception once the Leaftender has ascertained that they offer no threat to his or her treasured domain.
Unlike the Forestwalker, who is devoted to keeping the forest the way it is, and the Homesteader, who wishes to turn it into farmland or pasture, the Leaftender works to slowly tame a forest without destroying it. He or she will plant nut trees and berry bushes to provide more food for the local wildlife, tend sick trees, and generally make the woods he or she dwells in a healthier, friendlier place.
Roads to Adventure: The Leaftender is like a wilderness gardener. Anything that threatens to undo his or her work by endangering the peace or health of the trees, water, or animal life in his or her woods will draw the ire of the Leaftender--and compel him or her to take steps to counter that threat.
Role: The Leaftender is more integrated into his or her society than is the druid he or she is not a hermit, even though he or she may live some distance away from the community. Since the wild and beautiful places are so important to halflings as a whole, the community tends to be very supportive of this cleric's activities. When a Leaftender visits nearby halfling communities (which he or she will do far more often than would, say, a druid) he or she will bring gifts of the woods' bounty, berries, mushrooms, and herbs--to add variety and spice to the village menus. Alone of all halflings, Leaftenders are vegetarians and eat no animal products.
Secondary Skills: Agriculture is a possible, though not a necessary, secondary skill for a Leaftender.
Weapon Proficiencies: The Leaftender is limited to the following weapon types (listed in order of preference): sling, sickle, spear, scythe, dagger, staff, club, and dart.
Bonus Nonweapon Proficiencies: The Leaftender receives Herbalism and Survival
(Woodlands) as bonus proficiencies.
Recommended Nonweapon Proficiencies: Weather Sense and Direction Sense can
prove very useful, as well as Animal Lore, Swimming, and Firebuilding.
Equipment: The Leaftender will assemble whatever materials he or she needs to carry out his or her work of tending the forest.
Special Benefits: As they advance in level, Leaftenders become increasingly attuned to their environment, granting them the following abilities:
At 2nd level, the Leaftender can pass through overgrown areas at his or her normal movement rate without leaving a trail.
At 3rd level, he or she can identify plants, animals, and pure water with perfect accuracy.
At 5th level, he or she becomes immune to charm spells cast by woodland creatures such as dryads and nixies.
Special Hindrances: Leaftenders cannot use metal armor and will not use leather
armor. They may, however, use wooden shields. |
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Tallfellow
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This subrace of halflings is not so common as the Stout or Hairfoot but exists in significant numbers in many areas of temperate woodland. Averaging a little over 4' in height, Tallfellows are slender and light-boned, weighing little more than the average Hairfoot. They wear their hair long, often topped by a small brightly-colored cap. The longest-lived of all halfling subraces, Tallfellows have an average life expectancy of 180 years, with the eldest exceeding 250 years. Like Hairfeet, Tallfellows shun footwear. Their characteristic foot-fur is somewhat sparser and finer than that of their cousins.
Tallfellows favor woodland shades of brown, yellow, and green and have developed several vibrant shades of the latter color through unique dyes. They enjoy the company of elves, and most Tallfellow villages will be found nearby populations of that sylvan folk, with a flourishing trade between the two peoples. Preferring to live above ground, Tallfellows often dwell in spacious houses of wood, with many windows. Indeed, the ceiling of a Tallfellow house will typically be nearly 6' above the floor! Though the house will often have a cellar, this will be used
primarily for storage. However, during days of hot summer Tallfellows will often retire to their underground chambers for a long evening's conversation and sleep.
Tallfellows display the greatest affinity toward working with wood of any halfling. They make splendid carpenters (often building boats or wagons for human customers), as well as loggers, carvers, pipesmiths, musicians, shepherds, liverymen, dairymen, cheese-makers, hunters, and scouts. They are better farmers than Stouts (although not as good as Hairfeet) and more adept than any other subrace at harvesting natural bounties of berries, nuts, roots, and wild grains.
The only halflings who enjoy much proficiency at riding, Tallfellows favor small ponies. Indeed, many unique breeds of diminutive horse have been bred among Tallfellow clans: fast, shaggy-maned, nimble mounts with great endurance. In a charge, of course, they lack the impact of a human-mounted warhorse; nonetheless, Tallfellow companies have served admirably as light lancers and horsearchers during many a hard-fought campaign.
On foot, Tallfellows wield spears with rare skill. They are adept at forming bristling `porcupine' formations with these weapons, creating such a menacing array that horses and footmen alike are deterred from attacking. This is one of the few halfling formations capable of standing toe-to-toe with a larger opponent in the open field.
Table 7: Tallfellow Ability Scores
Ability Minimum|Maximum
Strength 3|17
Dexterity 8|19
Constitution 10|18
Intelligence 6|18
Wisdom 7|19
Charisma 5|18
Ability Score Adjustments: -1 to Strength; +1 to either Dexterity or Wisdom
Languages: Any one elven language in addition to the normal halfling starting languages.
Infravision: No
Special Features: Like elves, a Tallfellow can recognize a secret door on a roll of 1 on a d6. All Tallfellows receive a +2 bonus to surprise rolls when in forest or wooded terrain. |
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Proficiencies
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Weapon Proficiencies:
Sickle
Sling
Non-Weapon Proficiencies:
0:Herbalism (11-2)
0:Survival (Woodlands) (11)
1:Religion (16)
2:Healing (16-2)
3:Direction Sense (16+1) |
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Hair: Light Brown
Facial Hair: Mutton Chops
Eyes: Hazel