Chapter 1 - Class - Character Kits - Halfling Kits
Homesteader
This is a doughty brand of halfling that, by his or her very nature, represents a departure from the halfling norm. Often a young and unattached individual, either male or female, the Homesteader is a halfling who sets out to found a new farmstead in a region of wilderness or abandoned land. Another common homesteading situation involves a young couple, recently married and previously living in a very crowded burrow. Such small folk, if adventurous enough in spirit, can find immediate rewards to homesteading.
Rarely will a Homesteader challenge an established authority over an area--if humans or orcs have laid claim to a fertile valley, for example, the Homesteader will probably look elsewhere for his or her plot. Hillshire Haven is an example of how halfling communities can grow through the actions of Homesteaders. Many halfling villages have grown around the individual plot of a brave Homesteader--and indeed, unlike many human frontiersmen, the halfling Homesteader welcomes the company of his or her fellows and will actively recruit other halflings to live nearby.
The Homesteader is a hardy halfling, willing to work harder than the average farmer and to accept a certain reduction in the comforts of his or her life--at least, temporarily. His or her ideal, however, is to have a comfortable burrow and cheerful batch of neighbors by the time he or she reaches old age.
The halfling Homesteader must have a Strength of at least 12 and an Intelligence or Wisdom of at least 12.
Roads to Adventure: The Homesteader's most common route to adventure is in the enacting of his or her goal: seeking out free land, clearing it, and defending it against any who might care to take it away. However, once the farm is established, the Homesteader is likely to embark on a long journey, visiting many farflung halfling communities in the attempt to recruit other settlers to come and join him or her. Indeed, this journey can involve several years of travel and often forms the seeds of an epic tale that becomes the cornerstone of the community's history--if the community survives, that is.
Also, the very trek involved in reaching the homestead can form a grand adventure for the brave halflings who seek unsettled land. By nature curious, the Homesteader might pass through a lot of different locales in the search for the perfect steading. The adventures and obstacles of such an epic journey can easily create the foundation of a great character history.
Role: Homesteaders are responsible for much of the expansion of the race across the known worlds. Most halfling villages can trace their history back to a hardy Homesteader couple, and these individuals tend to be revered by the generations who have followed in their footsteps. This matriarch or patriarch will be honored and feted in his or her old age and regarded as a prime source of interesting stories. This is regarded as nothing less than a just reward for one who took such risks and endured such hardships in order to bring another halfling community into being.
Commonly, a halfling that sets out on a homesteading adventure will take at least one stone from his or her family fireplace along on the journey. Then, when he or she finally builds his or her own place, this stone will be used as a key part of the new hearth.
Weapon Proficiencies: The Homesteader should be proficient in either the short bow or the sling and should also have a melee weapon proficiency with the knife or short sword.
Bonus nonweapon proficiencies: Agriculture or Animal Handling is a bonus proficiency to all characters who select the Homesteader kit. In addition, the character can select either Hunting or Fishing as an additional bonus proficiency.
Recommended nonweapon proficiencies: This character has need of a wide variety of skills; some of the more useful include Carpentry, Rope Use, Weather Sense, and Survival. Others can be tied to the type of farming the Homesteader intends to do: a shepherd can benefit from Weaving, a dairyman from Cheesemaking, any herdsman has a use for Leatherworking, and a grain-grower can profit from a knowledge of Baking? or Brewing, for example.
Equipment: There is no specific item of equipment universal to halfling Homesteaders. Many of them will have a handcart or small wagon, however, to carry their belongings on the quest for the perfect plot of land. Additionally, a beast of burden such as a pony or mule or animals that produce something useful (a few ducks, chickens, or geese; a dairy cow or goat; a few sheep) can be worth their weight in gold. Animals large and steady enough to pull the cart can prove of double value when the homestead is finally reached.
Special Benefits: The Homesteader who carefully selects his or her land, works hard at tending it, and then travels far and wide to recruit settlers is likely to end up a very wealthy halfling, having earned the respect of the new community and a place in the local histories. In effect, he or she exchanges a lot of hard work and difficulties at a young age for the chance to be treated very well when he or she grows old. Other intangible benefits can include such grandiose attainments as having a town named after you, or the simple satisfaction of seeing well-plowed fields and a thriving village where there was none before.
Special Hindrances: The primary hindrance to the hardy Homesteader is that he or she has to do just about everything on his or her own--he or she does not have a community of skilled neighbors to draw upon for help, barter, and advice.
