I need some help with my campaign world...

[AngryRussian16]

So far Ive got some nations and race descriptions, but thats about it, but Ive run into a problem

Im planning out a campaign that I was going to run in 3.5, but my groups decision has caused me to convert this to 4e

So far, Ive got desert-dwelling dwarves that have very limited steam technology, not steampunk enough to where they have airships. All they have is standard mass production of weapons, trains that run on steam propulsion, and gated areas with steam powered massive doors. Ive been trying to include egyptianesque mythology and rulers.

Ive also got asianesque elves that inhabit a large chain of islands. They have a rich pirate backstory and are now the worlds primary merchants.

Tieflings are mercenaries that are, in centuries past, almost conquered a large section of the world. They prized themselves on their generals and brilliant battle tactics.

Finally, Eladrin are mostly in a Templar like society and see themselves as the worlds defenders.

Now, thanks to the 4e conversion, I dont know what to do for halfings anymore...


They used to be Nomadic, wolf riders that used large numbers and superior archery skills to prosper. Now, with the introduction of the dragonborn, I dont know what to do. The only thing I can think of with the dragonborn is to have them be slightly savage hunters that live in a jungle type wilderness. If I do that then I might make the halfings a nature based, forest civilization. A little ewokish, but with lots of ritualistic body modification and things akin to that.



Overall, the campaign has to stay 4e and I dont want exclude any core races, so I don't know what to do. Ideas?

[Dervag]

Well, you can always go back to stereotype and make the halflings farmers. I've never quite understood the reasoning behind making them nomads- they're too diminutive to control large herd animals effectively. About the only thing halflings could herd reliably would be sheep.

[Ellisande]

I've never quite understood the reasoning behind making them nomads- they're too diminutive to control large herd animals effectively. About the only thing halflings could herd reliably would be sheep.

A point well made.

But this is fantasy, so why not find a way to make it work?

-Halflings, needing relatively little food, subsist on a vegetarian diet as they roam from place to place, begging, borrowing, or stealing whatever they desire.

-Halflings, wandering the plains, herding cattle with the help of their dire sheepdogs...

-Halflings, rootless wanderers, riding well-trained elephants--an entire family could live on the back of a single elephant. And a single elephant could feed the tribe for a year...


(Not that this helps you with the dragonborn conundrum... I'm just suddenly inspired to think of ways to justify/rationalize/envision a nomadic halfling society. Just be creative--any option you choose should be fine, so long as it's intriguing enough to engage your players.)

[AngryRussian16]

I just dont know what to do...perhaps I could make the dragonborn a militiristic race and redo the tieflings?

[FlyMolo]

The dragonborn are more of an organization than a race anyway. Just leave them as a draconic order of paladins or somesuch.

I had the exact same thought about halflings and livestock. If cows are too large, just go one halfling per animal and go as big as you like. They could even be sophisticated nomads. Like your regular nomads, but more advanced. Riding/herding larger and rarer magical beasts/ dire versions of regular livestock. Magically advanced, with powerful sorcerors specializing in mind-affecting magic.

Manticore herds, with one halfling rider on each, and some elephants carrying tents on the back. Check tolkeins Oliphants for scale. Dire elephants?

[Dervag]

A point well made.

But this is fantasy, so why not find a way to make it work?

-Halflings, needing relatively little food, subsist on a vegetarian diet as they roam from place to place, begging, borrowing, or stealing whatever they desire.

-Halflings, wandering the plains, herding cattle with the help of their dire sheepdogs...

-Halflings, rootless wanderers, riding well-trained elephants--an entire family could live on the back of a single elephant. And a single elephant could feed the tribe for a year...

(Not that this helps you with the dragonborn conundrum... I'm just suddenly inspired to think of ways to justify/rationalize/envision a nomadic halfling society. Just be creative--any option you choose should be fine, so long as it's intriguing enough to engage your players.)

I'd figure them for sheepherders who live in a semi-sedentary environment and use their riding dogs. Cattle are just too big for the halflings themselves to control- managing cattle (let alone elephants) requires a fair amount of muscle work. They might be able to tame large 'sheepdogs' to herd the cattle, but they'd have a hell of a time making individual cattle do what they want. Branding them would be right out.

Imagine a cattle ranch... operated by ten-year-old children. Even ten year old children who benefited from the full experience and knowledge of advanced preindustrial herding civilizations. Imagine cowboys the size of ten year old children herding cattle to Abilene as the real cowboys did in the Wild West. Not gonna work.

Of course, the elephant thing is good because of the Rule of Cool. That's so awesome it doesn't have to work. But the cattle idea falls between the cracks there.

Besides, cattle are valuable. Humans will try to steal halfling cattle, and halflings are going to have trouble fighting back. Sheep are similarly targets for theft, but are not as likely to be stolen because they're less prestigious.

Also, the 'sheepherder' idea creates conflict:

"Halflings herd sheep. Lots of them. Do you know why they're nomads? It's not because they don't like to settle down. It's because the little buggers set so many sheep on the pastures around their camp that they manage to eat the land bare in a few years and have to move on. The king is considering banning them from within his borders."

[Jayngfet]

Unless you're players are completley set on Dragonborn you don't have to include them, or put them on this isde of the world, I restricted a bunch of races because they didn't exist or weren't found in the area in question.

[Mewtarthio]

Dragonborn could be an exotic race used primarily as slaves. Perhaps they were even intentionally engineered to be obedient by the dragon progenitors. They served the dragons in the past, and now they serve their new masters equally well--for the most part, anyway.

I'm not sure why you believe the Halfling race needs to be changed from your original idea.

[HoopyFrood]

Use the exact same idea you had for the halfling, but instead of being plains dwellers like typical nomads, have them be arctic dwellers. You can make them a reckless race who've even managed to capture some polar bears.
They even get to keep their wolves.

Since you took away the role of mountain dwellers from the dwarves, you can give them to the dragonborn, except instead of mountains, they live in caves, moist caves with lots of stalactites and stalagmites. They also know the secret ways of the underground rivers.

[hamishspence]

For Dragonborn I though FR made a mistake in making them new: I would have preferred them being really really old, the citizens of the ancient Dragon empires, who beceme nomads, few in number, after the empires collapsed in the first Dracorage.

Not sure about use of them in other settings.