Halflings, Hobbits, and Hins, oh my! or.. So what's a nice hobbit like you doing in a 2 bit gin joint like this?

Hobbit, Halfling, Hin.. *sorry to the respective licensed properties holders*

These are a few names of my most favorite things. Those plucky little humanoids J.R.R. created, and D&D kinda, sorta, stole. Halflings.

I am a true fan of this race, as my brother is a die hard Warforged fan(Tho I can not see that. Must be a Gearhead thing???)

My first true run in with the little fellers, was a copy of the Hobbit I found, and the LoTR Trilogy in my closet when I was 7 or so. I loved the picture of Smaug on the cover, and read that book in and out, well as best as a 7 year old could. Bilbo, Bilbo Baggins *yes, sing the DAMN song* and hIs Cousin Frodo (that I could wrap my head around at that time)But hey, they were small like I was, probably the same shape (tho I was a rake when I was tiny). And full of food.. Mmm, has second breakfast been served yet??

Then came D&D, yes that most dreaded of things, a game of the Imagination. Well, my head was in Shire. So here came Bolo Baggins, yet another cousin of the most famous Hobbits of them all. :)
He was thief, ranger, fighter all in one.. Had every weapon hew could and couldn't have. Frak the encumbrance rules. 7ooo lbs is a light load right?

Sadly, later on, I did stray from them for a while with Waer Earnbran , my Half Elf ranger. He got to be a god. But my heart was with the little squirt, he felt large and clunky.

Then I had a run in Bolo again, in '94-96. This time a Proudfoot, not FEET! and his amazing riding Mountain goat, Zepe. Which was halfling for "Elf Scourge", or that was how our local elf figured it meant. Sadly he was short lived.

Then came, my crowning achivement.. Derris Thornhill, (third edition D&D) a rogue like none before, a hard living, child pretending rogue, who had the hots for a human Bard called "Melianthe", and gave her the adventure of a life time. LOL *wink wink*
and even tho dying the most "humourous, yet painful death", rezzing as a dwarf, then switching back in one of the layers of hell.
And I just recently rezz'ed Derris, in DDO ( Khyber Server, yo!) as Dyrris ( I can not believe someone took that name!!)
Anyhoo, try them out, they are hella fun.

Gotta run, and do the DDO thang.

Remember the Shire,
Chad

P.S. BTW, when The first LoTR movie came out, I felt my eye mist, when I first saw the Shire. was like coming home. LOL.