Editing D&D 5E: Smallfolk of Dragon's Reach (section)

=== <u>Halflings</u> ===

Halflings are the most populous of the six smallfolk races of the Reach. They are the shipwrights of the Reach.

Halflings are hospitable folk, and have a great respect for storytellers. Ancient tradition holds that anyone seeking the hospitality of a halfling household will be welcomed without fail so long as they comport themselves as a good guest: respecting the household, helping with minor chores, honoring the local traditions, etc. In return, they are expected to share at least one new story, song, epic poem, or juicy bit of foreign gossip as "payment." Even a poor storyteller will be hosted for a day, but especially skilled storytellers may sometimes stay on for weeks. Violating this guest-right (such as by stealing, or harassing the host's family or servants) is considered one of the worst crimes, on par with rape or murder.

Halflings are fascinated by genealogy, and keep extensive family records. When two halflings get married, part of the wedding ceremony involves ritually adding each partner's name to the other's Family Book, a process which involves expensive inks and sometimes the services of a professional calligrapher. Although halfling families may end up widely scattered, they keep track of everyone they're related to as much as possible; there's no quicker way to get on a halfling's good side than to bring them news of Cousin Becka's oldest boy, who married a girl from the Puddlejumper family, and now they have three children and are living in Haverly Rock. Conversely, lying about family records will earn you the permanent distrust of all halflings associated with that family.

Halflings are God tier gardeners. A single halfling can create a new garden in a very short amount of time. Working together they can replant an entire region within a month. They enjoy making flower clocks, and impossible vegetable gardens. This is not to say that halflings aren't farmers, their farms are simply not monoculture and they look like full gardens.

Most halfling communities have one or more mastiff breeders. These animals are often treated with the same care and respect as the sentient members of the community. The breeders even keep a Book of Dogs with the same information as their own Books of Deeds.

* '''Seeds of Life:''' All Halflings carry a small bag of seeds, planting them occasionally in particularly barren places to encourage growth and life. At need, a halfling can instead make a poultice of the (ground-up) seeds that can be used on one person's wounds for 2d8 + the halfling's character level of healing. The halfling can replenish their seeds by the end of the next long rest. (Note: underground this will mean myconid spoors or tuber trimmings and at sea it will mean algae or floating sea plants.)