Dragon’s-Eye View: Halflings, Part 2

“What do you think of the halfling, now?”

For me it is a Small step in the right direction, proportion-wise anyway. While I found the first pass at halflings to be just a bit too cartoony for my taste—which, at the time I described as “very”, but they kinda grew on me—the greater issue was the proportions: their heads seemed too large, and their feet too small, especially for a race that comes packaged with a Dexterity bonus.

This second draft looks like an in-between of the first halfling draft, and the ones presented in 3rd and 4th Edition: the proportions are still off, but just enough that I think that I think I could pick them out of a lineup without a scale reference, and without seeming too off. In particular I like the ears of the first, and the generally rustic, pastoral look also helps with this association.

Dragon’s-Eye View: Short People

When I said I was hoping for insanity-inducing artwork, I was not expecting this.

In all seriousness I am not sure where I stand. While they do look friendly, folksy, and cute, the large head and tiny feet also makes them look top-heavy, like they would have a difficult time staying upright (which contrasts with their Dexterity bonus). They also look very cartoon-y, like something you would expect from a Disney or Pixar flick. While not inherently bad on its own, it might contrast poorly with the overall look of D&D.

Seriously, I can imagine a “Pixar presents” caption.

From head to waist they look fine, though the broad face and large nose makes me think of gnomes. Really the main thing that seems off are the tiny feet. I would bulk up the legs, maybe reduce the head a bit, and then see what people think.