Screw You, Halflings!

[Reptisaurus]

Halflings have a + 2 in bows... but can't use longbows! Screw you, halflings!

Halflings have a 0 in long blades (their second highest attribute) but the best one handed long blades count as two handed weapons and the best two handed weapons... well, halflings can't use them at all! Screw you, halflings!

Halflings have a + 1 in shields, but it takes more training to get their shield skill up to min-delay! So it's actually like a - 1! Screw you, halflings! (Why don't they just have a -1 to start with?)

Every time they try to use anything they're good at except slings and short blades they get a huge penalty. Crawl hates halflings. Hates them to hell.

[crate]

dblades are 1h for halflings and are basically the same as double swords

they also get slightly more SH for a given shield/skill/stat combination than normal-sized races

halfling is strong, though not in a particularly fun way

[dowan]

Demonblades also don't always show up in a 3 rune game, at least not early on. Not that double swords are super common either, but at least normal character have the chance to find either.

I agree that halflings are a very confused species, and should lose the weapon restrictions. Sure, it makes sense thematically, but it makes them a less fun race to play.

[removeelyvilon]

But now long blades have riposte and halflings are good at dodging and armour, so more power to halflings, I guess!

[mopl]

Halflings have a + 2 in bows... but can't use longbows! Screw you, halflings!

Halflings have a 0 in long blades (their second highest attribute) but the best one handed long blades count as two handed weapons and the best two handed weapons... well, halflings can't use them at all! Screw you, halflings!

Who cares ? You're using Slings...

[Reptisaurus]

I don't like how halflings use slings in a way that is really inconsistent with the rest of their attributes.

Slings need to be two handed weapons for halflings only, they shouldn't be allowed greatslings, and they shouldn't hit min delay 'till skill level 24.

[Reptisaurus]

Oh, hey, I forgot the + 1 in throwing. Of course throwing just got a pretty big nerf and the can't use javelins which are THE ONLY REASON you use throwing past early game.

And the + 1 armor is nice, except that halflings are REALLY pushed towards being stabbers by their + 3 short blades.... and the fact that they can (A) use all the short blades and even (B) use all the short blades with a shield.

And their decent magic skills are all halflinged up by a -3 in spellcasting.

[Reptisaurus]

And oh, hey, mutation resistance!

Which is a big help in extended. And playing a halfling is the only way to get mutation resistance now.

But..

for a three rune game this doesn't help most games until zot:5. Before that it is, on average, a minor disadvantage because potions of beneficial mutation often don't work.

[MainiacJoe]

playing a halfling is the only way to get mutation resistance now.

Does the Lajatang of Order still work at rMut?

[Shtopit]

It's probably useful if you are cast in the Abyss, if it affects wretched stars.

[Sandman25]

Lajatang of Order, Hat of Alchemist and "mutation resistance" mutation work in 0.18.1, not sure about trunk.