Halflings

[mystic x the unknown]

Most of you probably know halflings. They are smaller relatives of humans, with some peculiar features. They tend to be conservative, friendly and peaceful, less goal-driven or adventurous.

And so here comes a halfling faction. You knew it was inevitable.

This factions is meant to have on average weaker units, which still manage to deal enough damage by slipping by, and surrounding their opponents. They are further helped by an array of support units. They are lawful.

To go into more detail, most units have a movetype with thief-like resistances (they have no armor), movement and defense based on basic human movetype, with defense increased by +10% everywhere and by +20% in hills and with 1mp cost in hills. Most units have 5 moves.(they aren't slowed down by armor)

recruits:

Militia

level 0
HP:21
melee:4-3 pierce
ranged:5-1 pierce
cost:8
XP:28

Pony

level 1
HP:34
melee:9-2 pierce
cost:16
7 moves
XP:40

Slinger

level 0
HP:18
melee:3-1 blade
ranged:3-4 impact, marksman
cost:9
skirmisher
XP:34

Alchemist

level 0
HP:26
melee:3-1 impact
ranged:7-1 fire
ranged:2-2 fire, stun
cost:12
distract, heals+4
XP:34

Eagle

level 1
neutral
HP:30
melee:5-4 blade
cost:19
8 moves, fly (60% on mountains)
XP:40

Net

level 0
HP:28
melee:2-3 impact, slows
cost:13
XP:23

Armor

level 1
HP:33
melee:8-2 pierce, firststrike
cost:14
4 moves, halfling armoredfoot
steadfast, resistances: blade, impact, pierce:20% fire:-20%
XP:40

Reeve

level 1
HP:32
melee:6-3 blade
cost:15
6 moves
leadership
XP:38

Descriptions :

Alchemist
"As the halflings are more interested in good living and comfort than obscure creations, the halflings alchemists spend more time studying medicine and healing elixirs than transmutation of materials. They have also devised a number of mixtures which create a great deal of noisy sound and lights to distract enemies with."

Militia
"Although most people see halflings as weaklings they have been able to prove time and time again that they can be stout of heart in defending their home. Throwing themselves into combat armed only with farming implements, they can be far too deadly to be underestimated."

Net
"Halflings have long made nets for hunting and fishing. Although these traditional snares are used to catch small creatures the halflings frequently deploy the people who make them in defense against more dangerous enemies. Trying to wrap enemies in nets is extremely dangerous, and the net-carrying halflings take precedence when it comes to distributing armor."

Slinger
"Halflings are quite skilled with slings. The pastime of sling shooting is a popular one and some also use slings for hunting. Their marksmanship, reloading and speed is quite impressive. These slingers also tend to be quite nimble on their feet."

Armor
"Dealing with a front-on charge is a serious challenge for the halflings. With various collected items they construct a makeshift armor and using this suit they become surprisingly good defenders."

Eagle
"The great eagles have always been friends of the halflings and willing to help them defend their homes in times of need."

Pony
"Trained to carry loads and plow fields, these ponies have been turned into weapons of war."

Reeve
"Every halfling militia or posse is headed by a halfling who has braved combat before and who will do so again."

unit tree: (naming is not final)

Code: Select all

 L0           L1            L2                    L3

Militia --> Expeller --> Stouthearted

	         Armor -----> Barrier

	         Pony ------> Cavalry
	   	        \-----> Charger

Slinger --> Slingster -> Sharpshooter
	     \-> Stalker ---> Slayer

	         Eagle -----> Soaring Eagle --------> Majestic Eagle

Net ------> Catcher ---> Stopper

	         Reeve -----> Thane  ---------------> General

Alchemist --> Expert_Alchemist --> Magician ---> Great_Magician

Stats :

Halfling Militia
level 0
HP:21
melee:4-3 pierce (pitchfork)
ranged:5-1 pierce (pitchfork)
cost:8
XP:28

Halfling Expeller
level 1
HP:28
melee:6-3 pierce
ranged:6-2 pierce
XP:40

Halfling Stouthearted
level 2
HP:38
melee:9-3 pierce, firststrike (spear)
ranged:7-2 pierce

~~~~~
Halfling Pony
level 1
HP:34
melee:9-2 pierce
cost:16
7 moves
XP:40

Halfling Cavalry
level 2
HP:42
melee:10-2 pierce
ranged:4-2 impact (sling)
8 moves

Halfling Charger
level 2
HP:42
melee:10-2 pierce, charge
8 moves

~~~~~
Halfling Slinger
level 0
HP:18
melee:3-1 blade (knife)
ranged:3-4 impact, marksman
cost:9
skirmisher
XP:34

Halfling Slingster
level 1
HP:25
melee:3-2 blade
ranged:5-4 impact, marksman
skirmisher
XP:36

Halfling Sharpshooter
level 2
HP:36
melee:5-2 blade
ranged:7-4 impact, marksman
skirmisher

Halfling Stalker
level 1
neutral
HP:24
melee:4-3 blade, backstab
ranged:3-3 impact, marksman
skirmisher
XP:36

Halfling Slayer
level 2
neutral
HP:34
melee:6-3 blade, backstab
ranged:4-3 impact, marksman
skirmisher

~~~~~
Halfling Alchemist
level 0
HP:26
melee:3-1 impact (walking stick)
ranged:7-1 fire (fire candle)
ranged:2-2 fire, stun (fireworks)
cost:12
heals+4
XP:34

Halfling Expert Alchemist
level 1
HP:29
melee:3-2 impact
ranged:7-2 fire, magical
ranged:2-2 fire, stun, magical
heals+4
XP:44

Halfling Magician
level 2
HP:37
melee:4-3 impact (staff)
ranged:8-3 fire, magical
ranged:2-3 fire, stun, magical
cures+8
XP:60

Halfling Great Magician
level 3
HP:44
melee:5-3 impact
ranged:9-4 fire, magical
distract, cures+8

~~~~~
Eagle
level 1
neutral
HP:30
melee:5-4 blade (claws)
cost:19
8 moves, fly (60% on mountains)
XP:40

Soaring Eagle
level 2
neutral
HP:43
melee:7-4 blade
9 moves, fly

Majestic Eagle
level 3
neutral
HP:60
melee:10-4 blade
10 moves, fly
~~~~~
Halfling Net
level 0
HP:28
melee:2-3 impact, slows
cost:13
XP:23

Halfling Catcher
level 1
HP:34
melee:3-3 impact, slows, firststrike
XP:40

Halfling Stopper
level 2
HP:42
melee:3-3 impact, slows, firststrike
ranged:3-2 impact, slows
~~~~~
Halfling Armor
level 1
HP:33
melee:8-2 pierce, firststrike
cost:14
4 moves, halfling armoredfoot
resistances: blade, impact, pierce:20% fire:-20%
XP:40

Halfling Barrier
level 2
HP:46
melee:9-3 pierce, firststrike
4 moves, halfling armoredfoot
resistances: blade, impact, pierce:20% fire:-20%

~~~~~
Halfling Reeve
level 1
HP:32
melee:6-3 blade (short sword)
cost:15
6 moves
leadership
XP:38

Halfling Thane
level 2
HP:42
melee:9-3 blade
6 moves
leadership
XP:60

Halfling General
level 3
HP:52
melee:9-4 blade
6 moves
leadership

~~~~~

The faction was designed by Velensk, with me influencing some things and adding the level-ups.
What's missing: higher than lowest-level unit descriptions, animations, thorough testing/balancing.

Distribution:
This faction is available in the the Grafted Era

We've been working on this first as a separate default+halflings era, then only as a part of Grafted Era. I kept the stand-alone version here for over a year, then removed it as it was outdated.

EDIT: updated the stats/ graphics

[fog_of_gold]

Just two questions:
1. cures+8 is meant to be heal+8 and cure?
2. what's distract?

[mystic x the unknown]

cures+8 is meant to be heal+8 and cure?

of course it's heal+8 and cure

what's distract?

it's an ability that allows allied units to ignore enemy ZOC.

the current ability is taken from tRoW's Wesfolk Outcast:

"Distract:
This unit negates enemy Zones of Control around itself for allied units (but not for itself)."

It works by making all adjacent units into skirmishers as long as they remain adjacent. It doesn't affect itself and other units with distract. It might soon be replaced with a bit differently working distract ability.

[thespaceinvader]

Whatever else happens:

The halfling armour is awesome

[MattDakka]

I suggest you to include Ents, Treemen, or Woses (the name you fancy) in the faction.
In Lord of the Rings the Ents and in Blood Bowl the Treemen have always been good Halflings' allies.

[Velensk]

The halfling gameplay does not want, need, or ask for treemen.

In the LotR the ents have very limited contact with the halflings (Treebeard wasn't even certain they wern't orcs when he first saw them). They did help the halflings but then so did most people in the world who were opposed to Sauron.

We most certainly are not going to start borrowing Blood Bowl lore.

[Dixie]

It is believed the female ent, favoring fields and stuff, would have been interested in the halfling territory, though. Maybe a different kind of wose could match the faction? Like an apple throwing wose or something?

Btw, I don't know if you did include it, but your halfling ought to have the dextrous trait.

Also, I could be nice to try to balance this with mainline in hope of someday including it. It would fit the Wesnoth world, I think. But I'm not sure this can be achieved with mostly recruitable lv0s and barely any lv3s. Any thoughts on this?

[MattDakka]

The halfling gameplay does not want, need, or ask for treemen.

In the LotR the ents have very limited contact with the halflings (Treebeard wasn't even certain they wern't orcs when he first saw them). They did help the halflings but then so did most people in the world who were opposed to Sauron.

We most certainly are not going to start borrowing Blood Bowl lore.

So sad because LotR and Blood Bowl lores are far greater than Wesnoth, and Treemen would be useful to vary a bit the Halfling faction.
You have anyway all rights to think wrong.

[wesfreak]

These halflings have an afinity with hills, not trees. It seems to me some kind of troll would be a more likely ally than some kind of wose, but the entire concept of a brute would be out of character for the faction. They don't even need one: they have slingers to provide impact damage and the armors provide solid defense.

So far it looks o.k., but be careful with balance. Don't let what happened with the devilings happened to the halflings.

[IPS]

Frequently in others game, Halflings are asociated with the centaurs and some with some fairies too (only an sugestion)

In a older game, I dont remmind the name of this, I saw a unit named "eagle rider" its an halfling riding an eagle, obviusly its a mele unit. Its strange to thorow a thing in the air mounted in an eagle

An Halfling with a torch should be a nice idea to help in the balancing of the armored, 7-1 fire for the alchemist like hard to kill these armored guys.

This can be the stats of him:

Halfing torchman
mele: 4-3 fire
HP: 19 or 20
cost: 7
XP: 26

[Velensk]

If by armored you mean heavy infantry, halflings don't need help with those. A combination of ensnarers and slingers lead by reeve bring them down.

[PeterPorty]

Good, good.... I like them, as I told you, I think the sprites are a little "childish", don't know how to explain it, but... well... I like them, they are fun to play, just a little hard if you don't know how to.

[Maramros]

To address the issue of treemen/woses/ents, even though this faction is not my brain-child in any way whatsoever:
The name 'Wose' was actually used by tolkein for a forest-dwelling tribe of people, whose statues are seen in gondor (or maybe it was the paths of the dead, it's been far too long since i read the books) and called the pûkel-men. Therefore, if the attempt is to follow tolkein, i would suggest against including anything of the sort anyway, but certainly do not call them woses. I agree that it completely counteracts the feel of the faction to have a brute-type warrior.
This faction brings to mind the Freeing of the Shire, in Return of the King, whether or not that was the intention, and so i shall comment on the faction from that viewpoint. In this faction, i see a focus on melee, with only the slinger, alchemist, and militia having any sort of ranged attack, and the militia and alchemist barely having that at all, leaving a single ranged-centered unit. This surprises me, as the Halflings preferred ranged weapons, mainly using slings and bows, and pitchforks and axes were their main melee weapons. I understand the need for more melee factions, and a more warlike orientation than the peaceful shire, as this is meant to be used in BfW, which is undoubtedly a war-oriented game.
Also, this faction is fully half level ones, with four recruitable level ones, and four recruitable level zeros. While this is inarguably more than any mainline faction, I still think this faction should have even more level zeros.

To sum it up:
I like the faction, but i think it should be more ranged-centered, and have more level zeros. Perhaps this is not the aimed-for flavor, though, in which case ignore me completely (or do so anyway, that's fine too).

-Maramros

[catwhowalksbyhimself]

I like the graphics, and it looks like the general idea is good. We definitely don't need to be just copying Tolkein though. The current direction is good by itself. No need to Tolkeinize it just because.

[Velensk]

Actually, although a great deal of the idea was generated by tolkein (in specific the thane was based off the 'Great Took' and used to wield a club), the idea for the attitude was based off a different book. I wanted a faction that played simular to the devlings but avoided the major problems caused by them and felt distinctly different.

I am not worried by the direction of the range/melee balance because although slingers are the only true ranged unit they are as good a ranged unit as the faction needs and one of my most common recruits.