Halfling Subraces; what're the possibilities?

[QuietBrowser]

Halflings are, well, let's be honest; they're one of the flatter races in canon. Even way back in AD&D, when they had three subraces (Hairfoot, Stout, Tallfellow), these were just rip-offs of Tolkien's three breeds of hobbit (Harfoot, Stoor and Fallohide), with Stouts being "dwarfy" halflings and Tallfellows being "elfish" halflings.

But... when you think about it, an underlying theme of halflings has always been that they're a fairly integrationist race; they don't wage wars, they don't conquer, they prefer to live in peace alongside others. So, it actually makes a lot of sense that halflings would be as prone to subraces as elves - it's just, in the halfling's case, these are a result of culturally assimilating alongside (and/or interbreeding with) other humanoid races.

So, with that in mind... what kind of subraces do you think there could be for halflings?

My own thoughts so far...

Tallfellows: Swift, silent and sylvan halflings of the deep forest.

Stronghearts: Assertive, aggressive and driven halflings, reputed to have human blood.

Riverrunners: River-dwelling charmers/tricksters ala 4e halflings.

Greenlings: Orc-blooded halflings, vicious, feral and tough.

Stareyes: Halflings with a racial aptitude for magic, sometimes reputed to have gnomish, elven or human blood.

 

[Blue]

In a homebrew setting I ran two campaigns in, the Halflings were the only sentient race native to the world. And they originally came from underground, so I had a dark halfling origin race, along the lines of the standard Underdark-type races but not inherently evil. (Also, I didn't have an underdark.)

It made sense for the settings cosmology.

 

[Gilladian]

My campaign world has no gnomes. So I will be introducing a foresty, more elfy halfling in my next campaign, which has a substantilly wilderness setting.

 

[Eltab]

- Plains halflings, based on US Great Plains tribes and/or the capital-N Nomads of the Asian steppes, might tend towards Druid and/or Ranger
- Not really a race but social group (or anti-social group?), more-educated halflings strike out from their homes who learn magic (Wizards) from the societies around them
- Also not really a race but a social group: Clerics / Paladins of the Halfling racial pantheon, who take seriously their charge to look out for the good of others.
- Halfling sorcerers could be of any bloodline, given that halflings like to meet and mix with outsiders

 

[Paul Farquhar]

Chubbychaps: These halflings have been bread especially for the cooking pot. They willingly accept their fate, there is no higher achievement than to be eaten!

 

[MechaTarrasque]

It is time for the darkling (Shadowfell Halfling) playable subrace. [I would suggest a Feywild-derived one, but I think that steps too much on the gnomes gimmick.]

How about the half-goblin Halfling (seems a little more likely than the half orc one)?

I wouldn't mind seeing tiefling, aasimar, and genasi-like subraces: the impling (poisonous tail), cherubim (Halfling with wings), and I am coming up with a blank on a name for the elemental-based Halfling.

 

[Gardens & Goblins]

I basically want molemen. Well, molehalfmen..lings.

Molelings!

Burrow through soft earth, great darkvision, light blindness. Fondness for world domination.