Hey Bilbo, Get a Job! 8
Why Demihumans Have No Class
Bilbo Baggins, from the 1977 animated feature film "The Hobbit"
“We’d like to thank you for applying, Mr. Baggins, but there’s really no room for you with our company.”
“Wha’dya mean?”
“Look – right here on your résumé, under ‘previous employers’.”
“Yes?”
“You wrote ‘Hobbit’.”
“Yes.”
“’Hobbit’ isn’t a profession.”
“I beg to differ. It’s quite a bit of hard work.”
“But it’s not a career.”
“How dare you!”
“Mr. Baggins, we understand you’re upset, but – “
“You’re a racist!”
“Excuse me?”
“You’re turning me down because I’m a hobbit. That’s racism.”
“No, Mr. Baggins – we’re turning you down because, while your résumé boasts a long list of exceptional achievements, you have no prior work history.”
“So now all hobbits are lazy.”
“We didn’t say –“
“Oh, stuff it. I don’t need to work for your company anyway!”
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Basic Dungeons & Dragons (Holmes/Moldvay/Mentzer) utilizes a simplified character creation system in which dwarves, elves, and halflings are treated as character classes, while human characters may choose to be one of four unique classes. While the intention may be to highlight humanity’s abundance in the Known World, it’s considered one of the system’s main flaws – even by Frank Mentzer himself – and is often a spot of ridicule for the game system, with some detractors claiming this “single class” system is not only archaic, but racist.
I’ll honestly say that I switched from Basic D&D to AD&D because I was looking for a more realistic gaming experience and, until recently, I agreed that this was a major limitation of Basic’s design.
That is until I learned to appreciate Basic’s design premise, and now fully support this system as one of the most accurate portrayals of character creation for a fantasy-themed setting.
Consider this: when you hear fighter, your mind calls up a specific image. The same thing happens when you hear halfling or elf – some derivative characteristics are anticipated. Elves possess arcane abilities, and halflings are sneaky. We’re already applying stereotypes, so why bother to define specific classes?
You might be saying that “classes define abilities”, but abilities come from genetics, as well as skills and behaviors acquired through life experiences, with only some influence stemming from individual professions. The butcher is no better as a fighter than my own mother; in fact, I’d trust her talent with a sharp blade over his – she’s had to put up with me and my siblings, after all.
Basic D&D attempts to recreate Tolkien’s party structure as presented in sources like “The Hobbit” or “The Lord of the Rings”, capturing the flavor of the novels with a similar focus on character, rather than class choice. In fact, of all the possible character creation methods for fantasy roleplaying, Basic may emulate Tolkien better than any other system.
Consider Frodo’s class. Now think about Samwise. Consider the other characters that compose the Fellowship: Elrond and Gimli, for example. Each of these characters is a representative of their race, and embody the characteristics common among their people. In fact, the only real differences between Frodo, Samwise, and other hobbits are matters of personality. At no point does Frodo say, “I’m a rogue”.
Come to think of it, the only characters who express different powers are the humans – Aragorn and Gandalf – although, to be fair, Gandalf isn’t really human. Regardless, the point is that, using Basic D&D rules, players could craft characters that captured the feel of portraying Aragorn, Gandalf, and Frodo – without worrying about what class a character is or what role the character fills.
But it isn’t that the races are without class. The fact of the matter is that characters are all one class, regardless of if they are human or halfling, fighter or cleric. All characters are adventurers. Rather than worrying about what class your character is, consider instead why your character started adventuring in the first place. Individual powers and abilities should have little bearing on what caused your hero to set out into the world in the name of adventure.
Perhaps your character must escape some evil that threatens their homeland? Maybe they’ve been charged with a mission to destroy some powerful artifact, or possibly to recover one? Or they could be the key to reuniting two halves of a shattered kingdom. There are any numbers of reasons to begin a career as an adventurer, and they don’t necessarily revolve around class choice.
Elf, Halfling, and Dwarf by Larry Elmore (www.larryelmore.com). From the Mentzer edition Basic D&D Player's Book. © Larry Elmore, all rights reserved.
What if your character concept isn’t possible due to the rigid structure found in Basic D&D? Here are two suggestions to work around those limitations, using a halfling magic-user as an example:
Think Outside the Box
You could claim something like your magic-user is a halfling, even if your DM doesn’t allow this type of hybrid character. Perhaps there’s a reason why you lack abilities standard to halflings – for example, you’ve toiled for decades under the oppressive watch of a powerful wizard who, luck would have it, passed away abruptly, leaving you his haunted tower, a dusty old spellbook with most of the pages removed, and a mysterious quest. You’ve never spent any time with other halflings, so you’ve never learned any of the skills or talents typical of halflings. None of this needs to impact or influence the game’s mechanics; it’s just important to consider it in terms of character concept.
In this version, you don’t gain any of the halfling’s benefits – no bonus to AC against large creatures, for example, and no talent for hiding outdoors – but you’re able to roleplay the type of character you’d like, at least.
Think Outside the Rules
Alternatively, you could work with your DM to develop new options that allow for your unique character. In Basic D&D, you may build a halfling with spellcasting ability similar to an elf, but with a -1 to strength. Or you could start with a Magic-User, sprinkle in some halfling traits (such as hiding) and impose limits on spellcasting (like fewer spells), or penalties on other ability scores or saving throws.
Ultimately, the most important thing is to see past the arbitrary limits of Basic D&D, and explore the full range of possibilities in ways you might not have previously considered.
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The Secret DM™ is just an average guy, trying to navigate the complexities of a successful career, a happy marriage, and raising a daughter…all while secretly rescuing damsels from fire-breathing dragons. Visit him at www.facebook.com/secretdm or www.thesecretdm.com, or contact him at: thesecretdm@gmail.com. Happy Adventuring!
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