Fashioning a captivating backstory for your Halfling character is not only about embracing their pint-sized stature but also about infusing their tales with resilience and an indomitable spirit.
Whether you’re a seasoned voyager of the smallfolk or a newcomer to the realms of D&D, join us as we explore possibilities that will make your Halfling adventurer a standout in whatever campaign you play.
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What Are Backgrounds in D&D 5e?
Backgrounds are more than simple stat boosts in Dungeons and Dragons 5th Edition. They reveal where your character came from, why you became an adventurer, and your place in the world.
Before choosing your Background, ask yourself a few questions:
- What was I before I became an adventurer?
- Why did I stop doing what my Background explains and become an adventurer?
- Where did I get the money to buy my starting equipment?
- Where did I learn the skills used in my class?
- What’s different about me compared to others with the same Background?
Best Backgrounds for Halflings
5. Urchin
Skill Proficiencies – Stealth, Sleight of Hand
Tool Proficiencies – Thieves’ tools, Disguise kit
Languages – None
Equipment – A set of common clothes, a token to remember your parents by, a map of the city you grew up in, a small knife, and a pouch with 10GP.
Why the Urchin?
Urchins might not have had any formal education or training, but their clever thinking has given them many City Secrets.
This allows them to use passages otherwise out of sight and travel twice the speed between two locations in cities.
4. Sailor
Skill Proficiencies – Perception, Athletics
Tool Proficiencies – Vehicles (water), Navigator’s tools
Languages – None
Equipment – A set of common clothes, a lucky charm such as a rabbit foot or a small stone with a hole in the center (or you may roll for a random trinket on the Trinkets table in chapter 5), a belaying pin (club), 50 feet of silk rope, and a pouch with 10GP.
Why the Sailor?
Sailor Halflings might be short, but they know how to work, and with their tinkering knowledge, many Halflings become Sailors.
Ship’s Passage gives you free passage on sailing ships, while the alternative, Bad Reputation, allows you to commit minor criminal offenses without any repercussions.
3. Urban Bounty Hunter
Skill Proficiencies – Choose two among Stealth, Persuasion, Insight, and Deception
Tool Proficiencies – Choose two among one type of gaming set, one musical instrument, and Thieves’ tools
Languages – None
Equipment – A set of clothes appropriate to your duties and a pouch with 20GP
Why the Urban Bounty Hunter?
Halflings may become Rogues due to their stealthy nature, which pushes some toward bounty hunting work.
Ear to the Ground allows you to tap into societies your targets are currently moving through, allowing for very specific information to be received on your end.
2. Entertainer
Skill Proficiencies – Performance, Acrobatics
Tool Proficiencies – One type of musical instrument, Disguise kit
Languages – None
Equipment – One musical instrument you choose, a costume, the favor of an admirer (trinket, love letter, or lock of hair), and a pouch with 15GP.
Why the Entertainer?
Using By Popular Demand allows Halfling Entertainers to perform in certain places like inns, theaters, or even courts.
Doing this will usually land him and his party with accommodation, as well as make him a public figure who can tend to draw attention in certain areas.
1. Outlander
Skill Proficiencies – Survival, Athletics
Tool Proficiencies – One type of musical instrument
Languages – One you choose
Equipment – A trophy from an animal you killed, a set of traveler’s clothes, a hunting trap, a staff, and a pouch with 10GP.
Why the Outlander?
There is always perilous terrain and bustling settlements requiring an expert to navigate through them.
With Wanderer, your Halfling, who is already used to rolling hills and forests, will always know exactly where you’re going and where to find fresh water and food.
Final Thoughts
Defining the background for your Halfling character in Dungeons & Dragons 5e adds a dash of charm and flavor to their pint-sized adventures.
Whether embracing life at sea as a Sailor, navigating urban landscapes as an Urchin, or stalking targets in bustling cities as an Urban Bounty Hunter, each background crafts a unique story.