Hinterfolk Halfling
Sefina dipped her finger into the blood, finding it still warm to the touch, and knew that her prey couldn’t be far. The clan would eat well tonight.
Sefina Tematagi, a Hinterfolk Halfling
These canny wilderness dwellers eschew the comforts of civilization their cousins love so well. They have become adept ambush hunters and pack hunters and are fiercely protective of their homeland. They are suspicious of outsiders and usually opt to drive intruders away with a sudden show of force, resorting to repeated hit-and-run skirmishes to get the point across should interlopers persist in trespassing. Hinterfolk are a pragmatic people, doing whatever is necessary to protect their tribe and territory. Some tribes build their homes in the treetops, using ropes and ladders to traverse between buildings and to and from the ground. Others dig subterranean homes with entrances among the tree roots, providing cool, comfortable hidden homes inaccessible to most local predators.
Hinterfolk are taller and rangier than their more civilized cousins, with more long, lean muscle mass. Their hair is worn long, often in knotted locks or braids, with colors ranging black, brown, and dark auburn. Skin tones range mostly from light brown to deep tan, often decorated with tattoos or ritual scarring which symbolize notable achievements, victories in combat, and other admirable traits.
Creating a Hinterfolk Halfling
There is no right or wrong answer when it comes to picking your class. However, some races may possess certain racial features that grant them an additional edge when it comes to particular classes or character archetypes.
In addition to those traits that they share with other halflings, including being both lucky and brave, hinterfolk are even more fleet of foot than others. Their highly mobile trait increases their base walking speed to 30 feet, and if they are wearing light or no armor, they have a climbing and swimming speed of 20 feet. Additionally, their hunter and gatherer trait grants them proficiency in the Survival skill. Together with their other halfling traits, this makes hinterfolk fantastic at getting in and out of places quickly and quietly. For this reason, they can make highly effective rogues or rangers. Hinterfolk spellcasters can also put their mobility to good use, getting out of the fray if enemies get too close for comfort. If you want to lean into the survivalist nature of the hinterfolk, there are many suitable backgrounds to select from in the Shard Player’s Guide, such as herbalist, hunter, or recluse. Additional options from the Core Content Pack that work well are Forest Dweller and Nomad.
Roleplaying Tips
When it comes to roleplaying, your race and class don’t have to dictate every decision you make, and you certainly don’t have to play into the many clichés associated with them. However, it can be helpful to use them for inspiration!
When playing a hinterfolk halfling, ask yourself how your people’s penchant for living on the outer fringe of civilization has affected how you interact with others. Did you come from a fiercely isolated clan, or one which regularly interacted with the outside world? Or do you want to flip the script and play a hinterfolk who left the hinterlands long ago, in search of adventure? There are several angles you can take when playing a character from a relatively isolated race. You could play a young, naïve adventurer, with little knowledge of the world, who constantly finds themselves in awkward social situations. For example, when arriving in a new town, you might nimbly climb your way up the facade of the nearest building, to get a good lay of the land, shocking a local as you climb past their window. Or you could play a well-traveled, grizzled hunter, suspicious of others, but fiercely protective of those they call friends. Another way to add a nice flair to your roleplaying is to think of ways that your particular hinterfolk clan might express themselves, whether that’s with certain phrases, a way of dressing, or ceremonial tattoos. Whatever you do, as always, just be sure to have fun!
Hinterfolk halflings are one of the many races created by our partners at Kobold Press and available to subscribers in our Core Content Pack, along with others such as the Dhampir or the Spindrift Dwarves. Create your own and tell us about it in the comments below or on any of our social channels.
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