TEXT: Halflings
  17
  
  CREDITS
  Design: Kelly Pawlik, Victoria Jaczko
  Development & Editing: Scott Gable
  Art Director & Graphic Design: Marc Radle
  Cover Art: Pedro Potier
  Interior Art: Pedro Potier, Karl Waller
  Back Cover Art: Karl Waller
  Publisher: Wolfgang Baur
  Kobold Press, Midgard, Open Design, and their associated logos are trademarks of Open Design.
  Product Identity: The following items are hereby identified as Product Identity, as defined in the Open Game License 
  version 1.0a, Section 1(e), and are not Open Content: All trademarks, registered trademarks, proper names (characters, 
  place names, new deities, etc.), dialogue, plots, story elements, locations, characters, artwork, sidebars, and trade dress. 
  (Elements that have previously been designated as Open Game Content are not included in this declaration.)
  Open Game Content:  The Open content in this book includes the Winterfolk feats, Riverfolk feats, and Courtfolk feats. 
  No other portion of this work may be reproduced in any form without permission.  
  © 2020 Open Design LLC
  www.koboldpress.com
  TABLE OF CONTENTS
  “Winterfolk Halflings: The Hidden People of the Plains” by Kelly Pawlik  ...........................2
  “Riverfolk: The Scattered People of the Trade” by Victoria Jaczko .......................................12
  “Courtfolk: The Quiet People of the Covenant” by Victoria Jaczko ......................................22
  TM
  
  2
  throughout the lowlands of the Tunturi 
  Range, trusting the rugged terrain will keep 
  intruders from finding them.
  HEARTS OF ICE AND IRON
  Winterfolk homes are devoid of comforts, 
  befitting a people that has come to almost 
  relish hardship. When their lives become 
  too comfortable, winterfolk begin to fear 
  they have upset their ancestors and the land. 
  They seek out challenges with a zeal that 
  appears suicidal to others.
  Winterfolk rarely let their guard down 
  because a lapse in attention can spell 
  doom for themselves or their community. 
  Like their courtfolk and riverfolk cousins, 
  community means a great deal to winterfolk, 
  and they will give no quarter to any creature 
  that seeks to threaten the freedom and 
  security of their settlement. Otherwise, 
  winterfolk regard their southern kin with 
  disdain and sadness. They view other 
  halflings, perhaps erroneously, as frivolous, 
  lazy, and selfish.
  The life of a winterfolk child is as rugged 
  as that of an adult. From the time they 
  can walk, they are expected to keep up 
  with their family. As soon as they have 
  the strength to hold tools, fishing nets, 
  The Small Folk of Domovogrod
  The origins of the winterfolk are shrouded 
  in mystery. Sightings of them are so rare 
  in most parts of the world that some doubt 
  they exist at all. Sages debate whether or 
  not they were a distinct people prior to the 
  Great Retreat or if they were once courtfolk 
  or riverfolk halflings who broke away from 
  their kin when the elves departed. It is 
  assumed they were once loyal servants to 
  the elves like the courtfolk, and they still 
  bear a great deal of respect for elves and the 
  elfmarked, though they have little love for 
  the shadow fey. 
  Despite their scarcity, the winterfolk do 
  exist. They dwell in the northern portions 
  of the Rothenian Plains, particularly in 
  the Duchy of Domovogrod, north of 
  the Raven’s Road. Before the fall of the 
  Silver Mountain Kingdom, they lived in 
  comfortable huts and burrows in the hills. 
  When the giants sacked the kingdom, the 
  winterfolk were driven from their homes 
  into the rugged wilds. Because they are 
  almost always encountered while they 
  are hunting, many believe winterfolk are 
  nomadic. They are not. Small communities 
  of them hide their sod-roofed huts 
  WINTERFOLK HALFLINGS: THE 
  HIDDEN PEOPLE OF THE PLAINS 
  by Kelly Pawlik 
  
  3
  or weapons, they are taught how to use 
  them. Children are expected to hold their 
  obligations to family and settlement above 
  all other considerations. 
  Winterfolk are superstitious. When a 
  relative dies, they are cremated holding 
  four stones, two in each hand, and the 
  ashen remains are kept in an urn in a quiet 
  place. A candle is burned in honor of a dead 
  relative for four days following their death. 
  On the fourth anniversary of the death, the 
  winterfolk’s cremated remains are divided 
  into four parts and left to be scattered by 
  the wind in four different locations. If these 
  rituals can’t be followed, winterfolk wisdom 
  states that the dead will return as an ashen 
  ghost to slay their still living family unto the 
  youngest generation.
  Women are held in slightly higher esteem 
  than men within their settlements, and they 
  tend to hold most positions of importance 
  in their communities, though this is not 
  universally true. All are expected to 
  contribute equally to the family 
  unit, and men 
  are as likely to be found carrying young 
  offspring with them in leather and fur slings 
  while they work or hunt as women.
  WINTERFOLK SETTLEMENTS
  Winterfolk communities are most 
  commonly found in the craggy foothills of 
  the northern Rothenian Plains. Settlements 
  are always small, rarely numbering more 
  than two dozen individuals sharing a few 
  huts. Most colonies are comprised of a few 
  intermarried families, and rarely are more 
  than two or three generations represented. 
  Whatever crops the winterfolk can eke 
  out of the unforgiving soil grow amidst the 
  structures of the settlement. Winterfolk 
  never plant recognizable fields, nor do they 
  prune trees or bushes in the hopes that 
  creatures passing through the territory 
  mistake the chaotic jumbles of plants for 
  wilderness rather than cultivated orchards 
  and gardens.
  
  4
  Tools of the Winterfolk
  The heart of each community is the forge. 
  Winterfolk metalworking is done at low 
  temperatures and most communities have 
  at least one member capable of creating 
  masterful coldforged items. Tools crafted by 
  the winterfolk serve double duty as weapons 
  as well. Farmers and herders are loath to 
  overburden themselves by carrying spears 
  as well as spades, so the blades of shovels 
  and trowels are keenly edged. Rakes, hoes, 
  pitchforks, and picks are built sturdily 
  enough to split skulls as well as stones.
  The winterfolk have devised many tools 
  that can be used to both work the land and 
  fend off creatures that seek to harm them. 
  New Weapons
  Many of the tools forged by the winterfolk 
  can be used as weapons by simply 
  substituting the closest approximation. A 
  trowel acts as a dagger, a spade acts as a 
  battleaxe, and a pitchfork acts as a trident, 
  for instance. A few of the tools do not have 
  easy approximations however and are 
  detailed below.
  Climbing Adze. This tool is made of a sharp, 
  wide blade perpendicular to a short handle 
  with a leather thong to loop over the user’s 
  wrist. In addition to peeling the bark from 
  felled trees or removing buried stones from 
  the soil, a pair of climbing adzes gives the 
  wielder advantage on Strength (Athletics) 
  checks made to climb. 
  Hand Trebuchet. The metal pocket of a 
  hand trebuchet can be loaded with acid, 
  alchemist’s fire, holy water, or other small 
  containers of liquid. See the appropriate 
  entry for the ammunition used to determine 
  damage and other effects. As a melee 
  weapon, a hand trebuchet deals damage as 
  a club.
  Stone Rake. Settlers use stone rakes to 
  remove rocks and other obstructions 
  from the soil prior to planting or building 
  temporary structures. In combat, a creature 
  using a stone rake can make a special 
  melee attack to trip a creature up to two 
  sizes larger, knocking it prone. When 
  tripping a creature, the attacker makes a 
  Strength (Athletics) check contested by the 
  target’s Strength (Athletics) or Dexterity 
  (Acrobatics) check (whichever is more 
  advantageous for the target). If the attacker 
  is able to make multiple attacks with the 
  Attack action, the trip attack replaces one 
  of them.
  Whipsaw. A whipsaw is comprised of 
  razor-sharp teeth loosely riveted together 
  and attached to a T-shaped handle at each 
  end. Used as a tool, a whipsaw allows single 
  winterfolk to cut down a moderately sized 
  tree relatively quickly and effortlessly. Used 
  as a weapon, a whipsaw leaves grievous 
  bleeding wounds that require medical 
  attention to stanch. A creature that takes 
  damage from a whipsaw loses 1 hit point 
  at the beginning of each of its turns for 1 
  minute following the injury. A successful 
  NAME
  COST
  DAMAGE
  WEIGHT
  PROPERTIES
  Martial  Melee Weapons
  Climbing adze
  6 gp
  1d6 slashing
  3 lb.
  Light
  Stone rake
  10 gp
  1d8 piercing
  5 lb.
  Versatile (1d10), special
  Whipsaw
  15 gp
  1d8 slashing
  2 lb.
  Finesse, special
  Martial Ranged Weapons
  Hand trebuchet
  4 gp
  1d8 bludgeoning
  3 lb.
  Ammunition (60/240), special
  
  5
  DC 10 Wisdom (Medicine) check or 
  receiving any amount of magical healing 
  stops the bleeding. When not in use, a 
  whipsaw can be coiled and hung from its 
  wielder’s belt or pack.
  Hidden Places
  As befitting a race that values its privacy, 
  the winterfolk hold a special reverence for 
  several difficult to find locations scattered 
  about the Rothenian Plains. 
  Anguished Spire. This impossibly narrow 
  stone spire stands in the southeast foothills 
  of the mountainous region of the Rothenian 
  Plains, approximately 215 miles from the 
  Winter Tree. The near-constant wind, 
  blowing from the north, causes the spire to 
  emit a ghastly howl that has been described 
  by visitors as the howl of a colossal banshee. 
  Visitors who are 5–200 feet away from 
  the spire are deafened by the buffeting 
  winds. Creatures within 5 feet of the spire 
  find the air is calm and silent, even the 
  movement of cloth and the rustle of grass 
  underfoot is silenced. The spire was erected 
  by elven magisters shortly before the Great 
  Retreat and serves as a seal imprisoning 
  the rubezahl (see Tome of Beasts) warlord 
  Ghurrich and his army of lesser demons 
  and dark fey. If the spire is substantially 
  damaged or falls completely, Ghurrich’s 
  army will be released to wreak havoc on the 
  region. Malicious fey often bedevil mortals 
  that visit this location.
  Fingers of Forgetfulness. The water running 
  in this series of five short tributaries is 
  sluggish, black, and deathly cold. The River 
  Lethe taints this water, which is located 
  approximately 50 miles northeast of the 
  Winter Tree. Creatures who drink the 
  water of the Fingers must succeed at a DC 
  15 Constitution saving throw or become 
  poisoned. Such creatures forget everything 
  they experienced during the week prior to 
  drinking the water. An affected creature can 
  make a new saving throw every 24 hours 
  to overcome the effect and immediately 
  remembers everything the poison caused 
  them to forget. Winterfolk who have settled 
  near the Fingers of Forgetfulness use the 
  black water to poison their blades and 
  arrowheads. A creature struck by a weapon 
  treated with diluted black water must 
  succeed at a DC 12 Constitution saving 
  throw or be poisoned for 1 minute.
  Unseen Grove. Nestled beneath the ground 
  approximately 2 days travel northeast of 
  Olersheim, this copse of stunted spruce 
  trees is only accessible via a series of narrow 
  tunnels. That trees survive in this place at 
  all is only due to the finger-wide beams of 
  sunlight that penetrate the cavern ceiling. 
  Penitent winterfolk travel here to confess 
  their sins to the silent trees and sometimes 
  bury evidence of their misdeeds. A narrow 
  creek running with sweet, clean water bisects 
  the grove like a fine silver thread. Sometimes 
  the pilgrims visiting the grove aren’t simply 
  seeking peace of mind. Winterfolk who 
  have fallen into banditry sometimes hide 
  in the trees and victimize other visitors or 
  simply wait for them to leave and dig up any 
  valuable mementos left behind.
  Vistag’s Fall. Located at one of the highest 
  points of the central Tunturi Range, 
  over 10,000 feet above sea level, Vistag’s 
  Fall is rarely visited by civilized people. 
  The accused winterfolk traitor Vistag 
  Highbadger was executed for crimes he did 
  not commit by being thrown from this cliff. 
  Visitors to this location must scale a steep 
  shale-covered trail lined by jagged rocks 
  and hardy ferns. Climbers who examine the 
  ferns closely can find skeletal evidence of 
  people who failed the ascent or who have 
  met the Falls’ guardian. Vistag’s wraith 
  haunts this location every night, seeking to 
  avenge his wrongful death by visiting his 
  rage and malice upon any living creature he 
  comes across.
  
  6
  New Feats
  This section introduces a selection of feats 
  that allow you to further explore your 
  heritage as a winterfolk halfling.
  GIANT-FOE
  Prerequisite: Halfling (winterfolk)
  You are a bitter enemy of the giants and their 
  kin that have conquered the Silver Mountain 
  Kingdom. You gain the following benefits:
  • Increase your Strength score by 1, to a 
  maximum of 20.
  • You do not have disadvantage on attack 
  rolls using weapons with the heavy tag.
  • When a giant scores a critical hit against 
  you, it deals no additional damage.
  PART OF THE PACK
  Prerequisite: Halfling (winterfolk)
  The wolves of Domovogrod are never seem 
  to be far from your side and consider you to 
  be a packmate. As an action, you can howl 
  to summon a wolf to assist you. The wolf 
  appears in 1d4 rounds and remains within 
  50 feet of you until 1 hour elapses or until 
  
  7
  it dies, whichever occurs first. You cannot 
  control the wolf, though it will not attack 
  you or your companions and will attack 
  any creature you are engaging in melee 
  combat. If you are level 4 or higher when 
  you summon a wolf, there is a 50% chance 
  you will summon a dire wolf instead. At 
  the GM’s discretion, you may not be able 
  to summon a wolf if you are indoors or in a 
  region that wolves are not native to.
  Once you have summoned a wolf with this 
  feat, you must finish a long rest before you 
  can summon another wolf.
  RIMECASTER
  Prerequisite: Halfling (winterfolk)
  You have learned to adapt your elemental 
  magic to reflect your northern heritage. You 
  gain the following benefits:
  • When you use your action to cast a 
  spell, you can use your bonus action 
  to change the type of damage the spell 
  deals to cold damage.
  • When you cast a spell that deals cold 
  damage, you gain resistance to cold 
  damage until the start of your next turn.
  TUNDRA WALKER
  Prerequisite: Halfling (winterfolk)
  You are inured to the extreme cold 
  temperatures of your frigid northern home. 
  You gain the following benefits:
  • Increase your Constitution score by 1, to 
  a maximum of 20.
  • You are adapted to cold environments, 
  allowing you to automatically succeed 
  on Constitution saving throws to avoid 
  exhaustion while traveling through 
  regions where the temperature is at or 
  below 0 degrees Fahrenheit. 
  • If the frostbite and hypothermia 
  conditions (see Midgard Hero’s 
  Handbook) are used, you automatically 
  succeed on saving throws against 
  nonmagical sources of them.
  • You can move on slippery ice as though 
  it were normal terrain.
  • You do not contribute to the total weight 
  when calculating the weight tolerance of 
  thin ice you are moving across.
  New Background
  The new Silver Mountain Kingdom scout 
  background is suitable for winterfolk 
  halflings who hail from Domovogrod, 
  though human and huginn characters from 
  the region may find it suitable as well.
  SILVER MOUNTAIN KINGDOM SCOUT 
  When the giants of the Northlands sacked 
  the Silver Mountain Kingdom, you were one 
  of the lucky few who escaped into the wider 
  environs of Domovogrod. What you were 
  before the invaders came is inconsequential. 
  Now you spend your time planning and 
  executing strikes against your conquerors. 
  The harsh wilds of the north have melted 
  any softness from your body and spirit, 
  leaving only a hard determination as 
  unforgiving as the mountains themselves.
  Skill Proficiencies: Nature, Survival
  Language: Giant
  Equipment: A hunting trap, a tent, a tinder 
  box, a cold weather outfit, and a pouch 
  containing 10 gp
  Feature: Emergency Supply Cache
  While you are traveling in the Silver 
  Mountains, you can find and use small 
  supply caches left by other scouts. Caches 
  are small by necessity with a value that 
  doesn’t exceed 5 gp. A typical cache consists 
  of enough rations for four people for one 
  day, two full waterskins, two torches, plus 
  a dagger, a quiver of 20 arrows, or a case of 
  20 crossbow bolts. You can find a cache by 
  spending an hour searching. If you search 
  for more than one cache in a seven-day 
  period, the second takes two hours and a 
  successful DC 10 Wisdom (Survival) check 
  
  8
  to find. The Wisdom (Survival) check DC 
  increases by 5 for each cache sought after the 
  second. For example, if you are searching for 
  a fifth supply cache in a seven-day period, 
  you must search for two hours and make 
  a DC 25 Wisdom (Survival) check. If you 
  use the caches left by other scouts but never 
  leave supplies for others to use, you risk 
  gaining a negative reputation amongst your 
  fellow freedom fighters.
  Suggested Characteristics
  Silver Mountain Kingdom scouts tend to be 
  fatalistic with a grim sense of humor. When 
  they allow themselves a rare respite from 
  their struggle, they enjoy good food, strong 
  drink, and other pleasures of the flesh. 
  While they are executing an operation, 
  scouts are focused and almost unshakeable 
  in their determination to rid their homeland 
  of the giants that plague it.
  d8
  PERSONALITY TRAITS
  1
  I will return my people to this land.
  2
  The giants and their minions have ruined everything. We must stand against them.
  3
  The people of the south are soft and decadent. They cannot endure the trials we have.
  4
  We might as well drink and enjoy ourselves today. Our lives may be taken tomorrow.
  5
  I am death’s architect. My weapons are the tools of my trade.
  6
  My will is steel. I am not scared, no matter the size of my enemy.
  7
  This land sustains and preserves us.
  8
  I will not fall until all evil has been exterminated from the world.
  d6
  IDEAL
  1
  Pride. My skill at arms is enough to gain me all I desire. (Neutral)
  2
  Hate. My war starts with the giants, but it won’t end until we slaughter all the savage 
  races. (Evil)
  3
  Service. My obligation to my family comes first, then my duty to my people. (Lawful)
  4
  Freedom. I can do as I wish and roam where I may. No king or queen rules over me. 
  (Chaotic)
  5
  Piety. The gods spin our fates. We are but pieces in their games. (Neutral)
  6
  Partnership. We must care for our companions and trust they will care for us. (Good)
  d6
  BOND
  1
  I will free my kin who are being held in Vellarsheim.
  2
  When I slay a giant, I keep one of its smallest finger bones.
  3
  My husband keeps the home fires lit while I ply my trade.
  4
  This spear has been handed down from parent to child in my family for generations.  
  I will pass it to my first born when the time is right.
  5
  We are caretakers of the Winter Tree. If we preserve it, we earn passage to the Elflands.
  6
  Olersheim is the last bastion of civility in the region. I will protect it to the end.
  
  9
  d6
  FLAW
  1
  I speak with contempt to people who are not from the north.
  2
  One never knows when they will be in need. I steal a small bit of food from every 
  homestead I pass through.
  3
  I want to leave the north for warmer climates. We’ll never reclaim the Silver Mountain 
  Kingdom anyway.
  4
  I have killed travelers and made it appear as though giants were at fault.
  5
  I trust all the people of Domovogrod without question.
  6
  There is no law in the wilds. I will do as I wish with no fear of consequences. 
  
  10
  Winterfolk Magic
  Spellcasters are rare amongst the winterfolk. 
  Most take up professions as rangers, 
  wanderers, and warriors, though some few 
  join a druidic circle or a bard’s college. 
  Fewer still take up the mantle of a wizard or 
  sorcerer, and the odd individual who trades 
  power for service as a warlock is destined 
  to become an outcast of his community. 
  Despite their lack of magical mastery, the 
  winterfolk have developed a small number 
  of spells which are usually passed from 
  master to apprentice.
  SPELL LISTS
  The spell lists are organized by class. Each 
  spell also indicates its school, tradition, 
  domain, pact, or other origin. Check with 
  your GM to find out which spells are 
  allowed in your campaign.
  BARD SPELLS
  2ND LEVEL
  Lure Prey (winterfolk)
  CLERIC SPELLS
  3RD LEVEL
  Hearth and Home (halfling)
  6TH LEVEL
  Spirit of the Hills (winterfolk)
  DRUID SPELLS
  2ND LEVEL
  Lure Prey (winterfolk)
  3RD LEVEL
  Hearth and Home (halfling)
  PALADIN SPELLS
  5TH LEVEL
  Unerring Mark (winterfolk)
  RANGER SPELLS
  2ND LEVEL
  Lure Prey (winterfolk)
  3RD LEVEL
  Hearth and Home (halfling)
  5TH LEVEL
  Unerring Mark (winterfolk)
  6TH LEVEL
  Spirit of the Hills (winterfolk)
  SPELL DESCRIPTIONS
  These spells are well-known among the 
  winterfolk, but rarely shared with outsiders.
  HEARTH AND HOME
  3rd-level conjuration (halfling)
  Casting Time: 1 action
  Range: Touch
  Components: V, S, M (two warm pebbles)
  Duration: 8 hours
  While under the effects of this spell, your 
  body radiates a pleasant heat to a range of 5 
  feet. For the duration, you do not gain levels 
  of exhaustion from exposure to extreme 
  cold weather or from the effects of extreme 
  hunger or starvation. 
  At Higher Levels: Casting hearth and home 
  using a spell slot of 4th level or higher allows 
  you to affect one additional creature per 
  level of the spell slot used. For instance, if 
  you use a 5th-level spell slot to cast this spell, 
  you can affect three creatures you touch.
  LURE PREY
  2nd-level enchantment (winterfolk) [ritual]
  Casting Time: 1 minute
  Range: 1 mile
  Components: V, S, M (a wishbone)
  Duration: Concentration, up to 1 hour
  The location in which you cast this spell 
  becomes too enticing for small game to 
  resist. At the end of the casting time, the 
  
  11
  caster breaks the wishbone in two and 
  places both pieces on the ground. Within 
  2d6 minutes, 1d6 beasts of challenge rating 
  0 arrive at the spell location. The animals 
  lured by the spell are all of the same type 
  and are of species native to the region 
  and environs in which the spell is cast. 
  Creatures drawn to the location remain 
  there for the duration or until attacked. 
  While usually cast to draw food creatures 
  to a location, enterprising winterfolk just as 
  often use lure prey to bring small creatures 
  through locations they suspect are trapped 
  or to use the summoned animals to distract 
  or draw the attention of larger creatures.
   At Higher Levels: If lure prey is cast with a 
  4th-level spell slot, at the caster’s choice, it 
  summons 2d6 beasts of challenge rating 0 or 
  1d6 beasts of up to challenge rating 1. If it is 
  cast with a 6th-level spell slot, it summons 
  4d6 beasts of challenge rating 0 or 1d6 
  beasts of up to challenge rating 2.
  SPIRIT OF THE HILLS
  6th-level necromancy (winterfolk)
  Casting Time: 1 action
  Range: Self
  Components: V, S
  Duration: Concentration, up to 1 minute
  Ancestral energies surround and fill you, 
  transforming you into a paragon of the 
  winterfolk. While under the effects of spirit 
  of the hills, you have advantage on attack 
  rolls and saving throws. You also have 
  resistance to cold and fire damage as well as 
  bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing damage 
  from nonmagical weapons. 
  If you fail a Constitution saving throw to 
  maintain concentration on this spell, you 
  can elect to take 1 point of exhaustion once 
  the duration ends in order to maintain 
  concentration on it. If you choose to stop 
  concentrating on the spell, the ancestral 
  spirits depart you in a rush, dealing 1d10 
  force damage per round remaining in the 
  duration to all creatures within 15 feet of 
  you. Creatures damaged by this use of the 
  spell can make a Constitution saving throw 
  to take half damage.
  UNERRING MARK
  5th-level divination (winterfolk)
  Casting Time: 1 action
  Range: Self
  Components: V, S, M (an arrowhead flecked 
  with dried animal blood)
  Duration: 1 round per level
  You are suffused with the spirits of 
  your ancestors, who guide your attacks. 
  While under the effects of this spell, your 
  ranged weapon attacks hit their target 
  automatically with no attack roll. Targets 
  with three-quarters cover or total cover are 
  not affected by this spell. When calculating 
  your ranged weapon damage, you subtract 
  1 from each damage die rolled to determine 
  the total damage dealt. While under the 
  effects of this spell, you cannot strike a 
  critical hit against a creature with a ranged 
  weapon attack.
  At Higher Levels: If you cast this spell using 
  a 6th-level spell slot, the decrease to your 
  weapon’s damage is negated, and you deal 
  damage as normal for the weapon used. If 
  you cast unerring mark using an 8th-level 
  spell slot, all creatures standing within 10 
  feet of you gain the benefit of the spell when 
  they make ranged attacks.
  
  12
  F
  rom ramshackle patchwork barges to 
  the decks of fishing boats and smuggling 
  vessels, riverfolk halflings are found along 
  the greatest rivers of the Crossroads... and 
  some of the less great. The gruff barge pilot 
  in the wide-brimmed hat, predicting a 
  river with near-prescient skill; the singer, 
  stamping out rhythms on the deck while 
  belting out bawdy songs; the charming 
  huckster, swindling the big folk out of their 
  savings for promises and trinkets with 
  a gleam in his eye—all different but all 
  riverfolk and all making their sometimes 
  contentious homes wherever the current 
  takes them. 
  Barge-Born
  Riverfolk are, by their own description, 
  not as “fussy” as the courtfolk, bowing 
  in Arbonesse, or their stodgy winterfolk 
  cousins, scavenging in the Rothenian Plains 
  and farther north. Riverfolk laugh more, 
  drink more, fight more, and by their own 
  consideration, have much more fun. They 
  have dark coloring all around, various 
  shades of woody browns from hair to eyes to 
  skin. They blend as well with a dark alley as a 
  ship’s deck. Men and women dress similarly 
  RIVERFOLK: THE SCATTERED 
  PEOPLE OF THE TRADE
  by Victoria Jaczko 
  in practical working clothing, mostly tough 
  canvas or leather shirts and pants, and 
  favor hefty, good-quality work gloves. Most 
  riverfolk don some type of hat as a preferred 
  accessory, from the floppy, wide-brimmed to 
  caps bearing jaunty duck feathers. Riverfolk 
  are small, as all halflings, a little stockier 
  although more graceful than most.
  Most riverfolk are found along the River 
  Argent, especially around Zobeck and its 
  neighbors, but wherever river routes are 
  good, they go. These halflings have made 
  themselves a home in most every river port 
  where they’ve been permitted to spread. 
  Zobeck, Magdar, the Seven Cities, and even 
  Krakova—riverfolk found they can do a 
  brisk business with the dead if one doesn’t 
  get squeamish—regularly have riverfolk in 
  their ports.
  Preternatural Navigators
  The courtfolk have it that the riverfolk and 
  winterfolk were servitors like them but 
  forsook their oaths following the Great 
  Retreat and lost their connection to the 
  Summer Lands. Riverfolk put no stock in 
  this story; according to them, the riverfolk 
  were once the only type of halfling there 
  
  13
  was, and most riverfolk now are descended 
  from the ones who didn’t get wooed by 
  elven promises. As to why the elves took 
  interest is a subject seldom brought up 
  to outsiders: the riverfolks’ birthright, an 
  inherent connection to the mysterious ley 
  lines of Midgard. 
  Riverfolk don’t claim any type of powerful 
  arcane culture, now or ever, but they sense 
  ley lines the way others can sense a storm 
  brewing without a cloud in the sky. Some 
  even learn to follow them, accessing the 
  shadow roads for brisk travel or even 
  last-ditch hiding places. Most take 
  the presence of a ley line as a sign to 
  be cautious and nothing more. That 
  connection, however, must have 
  surprised the elves and maybe even 
  intimidated them—and so they took 
  some riverfolk as favored servants in pretty 
  cages and slowly warped that power into 
  the glamour the courtfolk now possess. 
  Those halflings who fled into their ranks 
  following the Great Retreat regained their 
  ley line connections over time but lost their 
  glamour and longevity. According to the 
  riverfolk, that’s all the proof they need of 
  the truth.
  
  14
  Rough and Tumble
  Riverfolk love matching strength and wits 
  against the big folk—and against each 
  other too, if the drinks are flowing. Their 
  favorite competitive game is barrel walking 
  along their decks or on the piers, a display 
  of physical prowess. Riverfolk excel at it, 
  and they’re glad to show off to romantic 
  interests or challenge others, especially 
  if money is involved. If riverfolk have a 
  major weakness, it’s money; they aren’t 
  attracted to luxury comforts so much as 
  their frequent hobnobbing with big folk has 
  taught them that money is the surest way to 
  respect and freedom. This has given them a 
  predilection to gambling, typically unable to 
  resist a card or dice game. While halflings 
  are notoriously lucky, they can push that 
  luck to the limit. Once it runs out—well, 
  there’s more than one reason why riverfolk 
  make a habit of crime.
  Riverfolk have shrewd business minds, and 
  they go where the risk-reward ratio is best. 
  Smuggling proved a natural fit for them, 
  especially once they sorted out that few 
  non-halflings could tell them apart. Barges 
  keep complex smuggling schedules that 
  operate primarily through word-of-mouth 
  with illegal cargo seldom being shipped on 
  the same barge more than twice in a row. 
  The patchwork barges the big folk deride 
  as floating eyesores are perfect smuggling 
  vessels: they are infuriatingly hard to search 
  as they go against typical construction 
  layouts and have many hidden pockets and 
  secret trapdoors impossible to distinguish 
  from the main ship. In the time it takes to 
  search one halfling barge that may have no 
  smuggled cargo on it, two more have time 
  to load up contraband and leave.
  Few dare suggest the halfling barges be 
  outlawed altogether however. Despite the 
  complaints against smugglers, riverfolk are 
  more notable for their remarkable capability 
  in forging rivers, and few others can with 
  the same efficiency. They’ve been welcome 
  sights in remote areas in need of food and 
  common goods and in the larger cities and 
  kingdoms for the rare goods and news they 
  bring back. 
  Animal Ken
  Most barges utilize draft mules to haul 
  their boats upstream, but the going is 
  notoriously slow and tedious. Riverfolk, 
  however, enjoy a knack with animals that 
  persuades their mules to work as part of 
  the team. Riverfolk mules are efficient and 
  determined, hauling their barges upstream 
  faster with less goading and few mishaps. 
  When asked if they use magic to get their 
  animals to behave, riverfolk just shrug and 
  say everyone works better when shown 
  proper respect.
  This knack extends beyond draft animals. 
  Riverfolk fishermen enjoy bountiful catches, 
  reeling in fish while big folk swear the 
  river’s gone barren. Birds like to roost on 
  riverfolk boats and homes and tend to bring 
  small gifts when they visit, ranging from 
  seeds to shiny coins. This respect goes both 
  ways; while riverfolk seldom farm or tend 
  gardens, they regard rivers with reverent 
  consideration. Anyone showing cruelty to 
  animals or polluting the rivers with filth 
  or garbage are quickly introduced to the 
  business end of a riverfolk pole. 
  Some riverfolk explore these bonds further, 
  leaving the hectic river-trade lifestyle for 
  a while and becoming rangers and druids 
  with special interest in river ecology. Stories 
  circulate about a riverfolk barge being 
  helplessly ravaged in rapids, only to have 
  the waters separate around it with one wave 
  from a halfling druid abord, and of greedy 
  fishermen poaching fish in strained areas 
  being overcome by schools of river sharks, 
  the largest ridden by a riverfolk ranger. 
  
  15
  River Workers 
  Away from the elven courts and Rothenian 
  Plains, riverfolk are the most common 
  halflings other races meet. They still labor 
  under the stigma of being “little people” and 
  get taken for servants, holdovers from their 
  courtfolk cousins’ dedication to indenture. 
  As such, riverfolk have to fight for decent 
  shifts in river docks across the big cities, 
  and when they don’t get overlooked entirely 
  for crewing the barges and riverboats, they 
  often get saddled with thankless cooking 
  and cleaning work or used for their 
  small size for hard-to-reach repairs. As 
  much as they can, riverfolk prefer joining 
  barges manned by their own kind, but 
  riverfolk with the funding to run their own 
  operations aren’t common. The ones that do 
  more often than not have patchwork boats 
  put together with mixes of new material 
  and those harvested from wrecked or 
  decommissioned vessels—but if it floats, a 
  riverfolk will make it work.
  Riverfolk work hard on the docks, boats, 
  and barges along the River Argent and 
  the other major rivers through Krakova, 
  Magdar, and the Seven Cities. The comings 
  and goings of riverfolk from port to port 
  means their population numbers are 
  seldom counted, but they’re there. They are 
  fishermen, warehouse workers, shipwrights, 
  carpenters, smugglers, hucksters, pilots, and 
  more, almost all of them eking out livings 
  from the river or adjacent to it. A smattering 
  of riverfolk can be found making a go at 
  other professions inland, but the reasoning 
  for sticking to the rivers is simple: they’re 
  good at it, and it’s one of the few places a 
  halfling might find respect.
  The dream of many young riverfolk is to 
  own their own river barge one day, whether 
  freshly built or pieced together from scrap 
  and determination. The great barges on 
  
  16
  the Argent are almost tiny kingdoms 
  unto themselves with the captain as its 
  monarch and where riverfolk rule is law. 
  Not that most riverfolk have any interest 
  in ruling anything, but it presents a unique 
  opportunity to be able to live as they like and 
  not be obligated to put up with any big folk 
  nonsense. Other races finding themselves 
  working on or with passage booked on a 
  halfling barge ought to show a little respect: 
  the riverfolk like to deal with rudeness by 
  letting the river teach the manners.
  Rivers of Shadow
  As of late, new opportunities have been 
  surfacing for the riverfolk barges. For 
  those willing to move cargo down shadier 
  corridors than even the most nefarious 
  smuggling route, shadow fey coin is being 
  spent, and they’re being very generous with 
  it. In exchange for shifting cargo—not all of 
  it mere objects—between Zobeck and the 
  Shadow Realm via the river-bound shadow 
  roads, a riverfolk barge captain can come 
  into significant wealth and power. Despite 
  the temptation, many suspicious riverfolk 
  judge such bargains as too good to be true—
  just a case of some other type of elf finding 
  a way to make halflings serve. They closely 
  observe those who’ve made such deals, 
  waiting and watching to see how quickly 
  their newfound success flounders. 
  Eye on the Prize
  Riverfolk are among the most 
  adventuresome halflings in Midgard. They 
  can be impressed with tales of daring, 
  valor, and—maybe most of all—promises 
  of terrific wealth. It takes effort to woo a 
  riverfolk away from their rivers, but with 
  a notion of buying their own boat, buying 
  their own dock, or simply elevating their 
  kin out of criminal activity to survive, 
  money makes a powerful lure. Their natural 
  connections to the world make them potent 
  druids and rangers, but their slippery, tough 
  lot in life also lends them well to professions 
  as a fighter, rogue, or scoundrelly bard. 
  Riverfolk Names
  Riverfolk are an independent lot and often 
  jostled about among other races, like it or 
  not. To maintain cultural ties, they favor 
  giving their children older names of their 
  ancestors or clever riverfolk heroes (mostly 
  smugglers and captains). These names 
  give way to nicknames quickly, a means of 
  maintaining some control in the world—big 
  folk don’t get the satisfaction of knowing 
  their true names. Family names evoke a 
  mix of natural themes and boat life and are 
  combined elements from both mother and 
  father. For example, if Margo Whitebottle 
  and Rennie Halfknot have a son, they 
  might name him Lothaire Halfbottle, called 
  “Louie.” Riverfolk believe honoring their 
  ancestry is important and don’t care if it 
  makes their genealogy difficult for anyone 
  else to follow.
  MALE GIVEN NAMES AND NICKNAMES
  Alain “Lain”, Amaury “Murry”, Augustin 
  “Gus”, Basile “Bas”, Bertrand “Bert”, Casimir 
  “Cas”, Corentin “Cory”, Cyrille “Cy”, Daniel 
  “Dany”, Diodore “Dio”, Edgard “Eddy”, 
  Fabrice “Fabe”, Francis “Frank”, Gabin 
  “Gabe”, Ghyslain “Gish”, Guillame “Guy”, 
  Honore “Rene”, Jeremie “Remy”, Jonathan 
  “Jon”, Leonide “Leo”, Lothaire “Louie”, 
  Marcellin “Marc”, Maximilien “Max”, 
  Nicodeme “Nick”, Osric “Oz”, Placide “Cid”, 
  Raphel “Rafe”, Renaud “Rennie”, Rodolph 
  “Rudy”, Sylvestre “Sly”, Theophile “Theo”, 
  Valerian “Val”, Yezekael “Zeke”
  FEMALE GIVEN NAMES AND NICKNAMES
  Amandine “Amy”, Apolline “Polla”, 
  Beatrice “Trixie”, Cassandra “Cassie”, 
  Doriane “Dori”, Emilienne “Emma”, 
  Eveline “Evie”, Florentine “Flora”, Franseza 
  “Frankie”, Genevieve “Vivi”, Giselle 
  “Gigi”, Gwendoline “Gwen”, Heloise 
  
  17
  “Ella”, Isabeau “Izzy’, Jacquette “Ketta”, 
  Jocelyn “Josie”, Lilou “Lily”, Lorette “Etta”, 
  Madeline “Maddy”, Magalie “Mags”, 
  Majorlaine “Margot”, Myriam “Ry”, 
  Nicolette “Nikki”, Noemi “Em”, Penelope 
  “Penny”, Rosemonde “Rosie”, Roxanne 
  “Roz”, Syvilanne “Sylvie”, Tiphaine “Tip”, 
  Victorine “Vicky”, Zephyrine “Zee”
  RIVERFOLK FAMILY NAMES
  Argentford, Brookway, Craneship, 
  Draughtbank, Eelprow, Finderfish, 
  Greendrift, Halfeddy, Jetfrog, Knotreed, 
  Loamford, Mistwood, Newtford, Otterflow, 
  Prowflood, Quicknot, Riverbottle, 
  Silverbrook, Turtlebarge, Underriver, 
  Whitedrift, Youngwood
  Riverfolk Halfling Traits 
  Riverfolk are city halflings, usually 
  growing up on docks, fishing boats, and 
  the patchwork barges. Most are more at 
  home on a temperamental river than on 
  solid ground, and riverfolk seldom fear 
  drowning. Despite their urban natures, 
  riverfolk maintain a strong connection with 
  natural forces. Riverfolk halflings have the 
  following two traits and one modification in 
  addition to the standard halfling traits.
  Alignment. Most riverfolk are somewhere 
  between chaotic good and chaotic neutral. 
  They are free spirits, independent-minded, 
  and chafe beneath the rules and restrictions 
  others place on them. Some emerge as 
  underdog champions, climbing their way 
  through society to make things better for 
  others, while others prefer to enjoy what 
  they can get from a society that doesn’t want 
  to give them anything.
  Sure-Footed. You’re tough and strong 
  despite your small size, no stranger to hard 
  work, labor, and working muscle against 
  the will of a river. Your Strength score 
  is increased by 1. Additionally, you are 
  adept at maintaining your balance on wet 
  decks; you have advantage on Dexterity 
  (Acrobatics) checks to keep your balance. 
  Slippery surfaces are not considered difficult 
  terrain for you.
  River’s Child. You have advantage on 
  Strength (Athletics) checks to swim. 
  Additionally, you add twice your Wisdom 
  bonus on your Wisdom (Animal Handling) 
  checks with advantage if the animal is native 
  to rivers or nests in riverbanks. You can 
  sense ley lines that cross or run parallel to a 
  river within 1 mile of you but gain no other 
  benefit to tap into or unlock it. 
  Riverfolk Feats
  Riverfolk halflings have developed the 
  following feats.
  CONNECTIONS
  Prerequisite: Halfling (riverfolk), Charisma 
  10 or higher
  Riverfolk have many diverse kin scattered 
  across river ports in the Crossroads. When 
  you need something badly, you know if you 
  just ask around enough, you’ll find a cousin 
  who knows someone who knows someone 
  else who might be able to help you out:
  • Increase your Charisma score by 1, to a 
  maximum of 20.
  • Whenever you are in an area with a 
  halfling population, you can make a 
  Charisma (Persuasion) check (DC 15 
  in areas with 1,000 or more halflings in 
  residence, DC 20 if 100–999, and DC 
  25 if less) to get in touch with distant 
  kin who can provide you with a service. 
  As long as the particular service or 
  item is available in the area, you can 
  purchase it from your connection 
  with a 5% reduction in cost for every 
  5 you exceeded the DC on your check. 
  In regions with more courtfolk and 
  winterfolk halflings, you may still make 
  the check, but these connections are far 
  weaker; you have disadvantage on your 
  Charisma (Persuasion) check. 
  
  18
  • You can, at any time in a population 
  center with halflings, make a Charisma 
  (Persuasion) check against a DC 
  20 to see if you know anyone there. 
  (Populations that are mostly courtfolk 
  or winterfolk impose disadvantage 
  on this roll.) If you succeed, you find 
  someone you know who is friendly 
  to you; they will not provide you aid 
  of any significant gold value, but may 
  share local information, directions, a 
  free hot meal, or a place to sleep or hide 
  for the night.
  LEY FERRYMAN
  Prerequisites: Halfling (riverfolk), 
  Intelligence or Wisdom 13 or higher
  All riverfolk can sense ley lines when they 
  intermix with rivers, but most of your kin 
  use this knowledge to show caution and 
  respect. You prefer to refine this sense to 
  take advantage of the paths that ley lines 
  open up to you:
  • Increase your Intelligence or Wisdom 
  score by 1, to a maximum of 20.
  • You have advantage on Wisdom 
  (Survival) checks to avoid becoming lost 
  in any realm that contains ley lines.
  • You do not incur a penalty on your 
  Intelligence (Arcana) checks on Shadow 
  Road Lore.
  • While traveling a shadow road on 
  a river, you reduce your travel time 
  to a destination by 1d2 days + your 
  Intelligence modifier (to a minimum 
  travel time of 1 day).
  UNDERFOOT
  Prerequisites: Small size or smaller, Strength 
  13 or higher
  You excel at tripping up taller races and 
  sending them to the ground:
  • Increase your Strength score by 1, to a 
  maximum of 20.
  • While wielding a quarterstaff or barge 
  pole, you have advantage on Strength 
  (Athletics) checks to trip a creature up 
  to two sizes larger than you.
  • If using the fighter class Trip Attack 
  Battle Master maneuver with a 
  quarterstaff or barge pole, your target 
  has disadvantage on their Strength 
  saving throw to avoid being knocked 
  prone.
  Riverfolk Equipment
  Barge poles (or quant poles) are about 10 feet 
  long with a cap at one end and a prong at 
  the other. Primarily used to propel or steer 
  barges through the water, the forked prong 
  at one tip prevents the pole from sinking 
  into muck in the riverbed. Barge poles can 
  be wielded as a bludgeoning weapon or 
  used to stab with the prong for 1d4 piercing 
  damage. Barge poles are clumsy weapons 
  at best, even in the hands of riverfolk who 
  have learned to wield them. In the hands of 
  anyone but a riverfolk halfling, a barge pole 
  is an Improvised Weapon and deals 1d4 
  bludgeoning damage. Riverfolk may wield 
  barge poles as simple weapons.
  WEAPON
  COST
  DAMAGE
  WEIGHT
  PROPERTIES
  Simple  Melee Weapons
  Barge Pole 
  1 sp 
  1d6 bludgeoning 
  7 lb. 
  Heavy, special, two-Handed
  
  19
  Riverfolk Magic Items
  Riverfolk halflings make special use of the 
  following items.
  RIVER TOKENS
  Wondrous items, rare
  These pebbles can be shaped like salmon, 
  river clams, or iridescent river rocks. 
  Regardless of the form, all give a distinctive 
  shine in sunlight and radiate a scent of 
  fresh, roiling water no matter how long it’s 
  been on dry land. These tokens seem sturdy 
  with light handling but crumble easily if you 
  attempt to crush them.
  You can crush a token into a river to calm 
  the waters ahead to a gentle current for 1 
  hour. Hostile creatures within the river or 
  lairing on the riverbanks nearby (within 500 
  feet) are soothed by the power in the token. 
  
  20
  They must make Wisdom saving throws 
  (DC 15) to be able to take any hostile 
  actions for 1 hour; attacking an affected 
  creature ends this effect immediately. 
  Once crumbled, the river token is 
  consumed. 
  SMUGGLER’S COAT
  Wondrous item, very rare  
  (requires attunement)
  When you attune yourself to this coat, 
  it conforms to you in a color and style 
  befitting your race and local culture. It 
  has no visible pockets, but they appear if 
  you place your hands against the side of 
  the coat and expect pockets. Once your 
  hand is withdrawn, the pockets vanish 
  and take anything placed in them to an 
  extradimensional space. A smuggler’s coat 
  can hold up to 40 pounds of material in up 
  to 10 different extradimensional pockets. 
  Nothing can be placed inside the coat that 
  won’t fit in a pocket. You can withdraw a 
  specific item at will; when reaching for it, 
  the correct pocket appears. 
  If you desire, you can concentrate on 
  keeping all pockets visible on the coat; 
  there are four pockets, two on each side, on 
  the outer coat, four on the inside, and two 
  pockets in each sleeve. The pockets remain 
  visible while you maintain concentration on 
  doing so.
  A smuggler’s coat is resistant to most 
  damage, but deliberately shredding it, 
  incinerating it, or otherwise subjecting it to 
  massive damage can obliterate the coat and 
  everything in it, though an artifact inside a 
  smuggler’s coat will manifest elsewhere. 
  Detecting the magic of a smuggler’s coat 
  will not reveal the magical auras of any 
  items it is containing.
  Placing the coat with in another 
  extradimensional space, such as a bag of 
  holding, or vice versa will destroy both 
  items and create a gate to the Astral Plane. 
  The gate originates where the one item was 
  placed inside the other. Any creature within 
  10 feet of the gate is sucked through it and 
  deposited in a random location on the 
  Astral Plane. The gate then closes. The gate 
  is one-way only and can’t be reopened.
  Riverfolk Class Options
  Riverfolk halflings have made certain classes 
  all their own.
  BARD: COLLEGE OF THE ARTS
  Those who have been burned by a bard 
  of “the arts” know exactly what sort of art 
  is conveyed by the name: the art of the 
  swindle, the con, and the huckster. 
  Con artistry isn’t a profession all riverfolk 
  claim, but the ones who do are very good at 
  it. Halflings are an underestimated lot, and 
  their happy-go-lucky dispositions, size, and 
  apparent harmlessness makes them easy 
  to trust. These hucksters take advantage of 
  these traits to humble the big folk. The more 
  noble ones among them are inclined to 
  target haughty, greedy people who make life 
  difficult for the lower classes, taking them 
  down a few pegs to teach a lesson. Other 
  hucksters, however, are more concerned 
  with making money, and the only line they 
  won’t cross is swindling their own kin—if 
  even that.
  In seedy riverside taverns, on rollicking 
  boat parties, or off in dens and bazaars of 
  dubious repute, so often are bards of this 
  college found. When one “artist” recognizes 
  another, they are quick to swap tales and 
  tricks and the names of previous marks 
  and potential dupes they haven’t gotten to 
  yet. Unless of course the bards in question 
  have made rivals of each other by lingering 
  too long in a similar trade in the same 
  place: then it can become a feud where one 
  attempts to discredit the other before they 
  both are found out.
  
  21
  MISDIRECTION 
  When you join the college of the arts at 
  3rd level, you learn the secret of keeping a 
  target’s eyes everywhere but on what your 
  hands are doing: 
  • You gain proficiency in Dexterity 
  (Sleight of Hand) if you do not have it 
  already. 
  • You have advantage on any Dexterity 
  (Sleight of Hand) check to engage in an 
  act of legerdemain or manual trickery, 
  such as to conceal an item, make it 
  “disappear,” or plant an item elsewhere. 
  • As a bonus action, you can conceal or 
  draw a light weapon that weighs no 
  more than 1 pound. 
  FAST-TALK 
  Starting at 3rd level, you learn the secret 
  that what you say matters less than how 
  you say it. You can expend one use of 
  Bardic Inspiration and spend your entire 
  action talking to a target. Whether feigning 
  acquaintance, asking questions, or simply 
  jumping from one non-sequitur to another, 
  your target must make a Wisdom saving 
  throw against your spell save DC. On a 
  failure, the target has the charmed condition 
  and disadvantage on Perception checks 
  for as long as you continue talking, up to 1 
  minute (after the first round, treat this as 
  maintaining concentration). Attacking the 
  target breaks the effect immediately as does 
  leaving the target’s line of sight or rendering 
  the target unable to hear or understand 
  you. Potentially hostile actions the target 
  notices allow another saving throw with 
  advantage. The effect ends at the start of the 
  target’s turn once you stop speaking or lose 
  concentration. 
  HECKLE 
  Beginning at 6th level, you can expend one 
  use of Bardic Inspiration as a bonus action 
  to heckle your target, a creature no more 
  than 60 feet away from you, peppering 
  them with insults, clever repartee, or actual 
  rotten produce. Your target must make a 
  Wisdom saving throw against your abuse. 
  On a failure, the target subtracts an amount 
  equal to your Bardic Inspiration die on their 
  next attack roll, saving throw, or skill check, 
  but the target gains advantage on their next 
  attack roll against you. The effects only 
  apply on the target’s next roll. 
  MASTER OF LIES 
  Starting at 14th level, your lies and 
  falsehoods have become so convincing that 
  you yourself believe them half the time: 
  • Checks made against you to discern 
  your deceits have disadvantage.
  • You have advantage on all Charisma 
  (Deception) checks. 
  • Magical divinations from spells or 
  items that can detect falsehoods or 
  elicit the truth struggle to pierce your 
  deception. Against such methods, you 
  have advantage on any such effect that 
  grants you a saving throw, and against 
  effects without a saving throw, there is a 
  50% you are determined to be truthful 
  and a 25% chance the effect refuses to 
  function at all.
  
  22
  N
  o creature epitomizes the art of 
  graceful service like the courtfolk, 
  an accomplishment these halflings take 
  with great (but quiet) pride. Courtfolk are 
  defined by their dedication and deference 
  to the great elven courts of old, but their 
  identities are in flux in the wake of the 
  Great Retreat. Now their oaths are sworn 
  to the variable moods and personalities of 
  scattered elfmarked lords, to the humans 
  in large cities who see halflings as a simple 
  labor force, and to rare elves who are not 
  quite what they once were. Centuries of 
  elven absence have been difficult on the 
  courtfolk, but they, like all halflings, have 
  proven capable of adapting to a world that 
  no longer needs them as they were. 
  Fey-Touched Finery
  Courtfolk are as small in size and stature as 
  any halfling. Their long proximity to elves 
  and the Elflands shows in their complexion, 
  usually pale and freckled with light-colored 
  eyes and curly mops of hair. Courtfolk 
  prefer neat, well-tailored clothing (most of 
  which they make themselves) with touches 
  of elven inspiration apparent without ever 
  COURTFOLK: THE QUIET PEOPLE 
  OF THE COVENANT 
  by Victoria Jaczko 
  descending into gaudy imitation. Men 
  typically wear baggy trousers and tight 
  vests and women favor flowing skirts with 
  bodices. Colors are pastel or forest tones 
  and muted, befitting a servant, but never 
  drab. Elven jewelry is common among 
  halflings of any gender as are smoking 
  pipes. Courtfolk women particularly favor 
  pipes of unique design.
  Courtfolk are not motivated by material 
  wealth or luxury, finding genuine 
  contentment in simple things, but what they 
  do keep, they desire to be of fine quality. 
  They take pains to care for their clothing, 
  family heirlooms, musical instruments, work 
  implements, and other valued possessions. 
  History of Servitude
  The provenance of the courtfolk—indeed, 
  all halflings—is the subject of speculation, 
  and one the halflings themselves are 
  curiously unconcerned with solving. Some 
  suspicious humans maintain halflings were 
  once human servants, but frequent exposure 
  to the Elflands and the magic there left 
  them stunted and enthralled to the fey. An 
  occasional mage postulates the halflings 
  
  23
  were wholly created as 
  elven servitors, made 
  up partly of Midgard’s 
  substance and given 
  life by fey magic.
  The courtfolk 
  themselves laugh off 
  such claims. They 
  maintain they are 
  simply halflings, but 
  unlike the reclusive 
  winterfolk and sly riverfolk, 
  they did not break faith with the 
  covenant they forged, by choice, 
  with the great elven lords and ladies 
  of old. The courtfolk are what halflings 
  should be, they claim, and their 
  pitiable offshoot cousins are defined by 
  their loss of purpose. 
  Numerous families of courtfolk once 
  served elven courts from Arbonesse to 
  Valera and every holding in between. 
  They were expert craftsmen, faithful 
  seneschals, discreet handmaids, efficient 
  butlers, reliable messengers, unexpected 
  bodyguards, and talented gardeners 
  such that their elven masters trusted few 
  others with their breathtaking gardens 
  and courtyards. While never ostentatious, 
  halflings whose families served since the 
  earliest days of the elves’ arrival bore a 
  certain prestige among their own, respect 
  owed for the lengths of their good service. 
  Most of these families disappeared in 
  the Great Retreat with their lords and 
  ladies, separated from friends and kin. 
  Those remaining behind honored their 
  oaths, lingering in the fading courts and 
  subservient to elfmarked descendants of 
  once-mighty rulers. Time wore on, and a 
  seed of sorrow took root in the courtfolk, 
  though hidden by deference and cheery 
  service. The names of kin gone since the 
  Last Horn are recorded among them from 
  generation to generation and repeated in 
  their private songs and stories. 
  Servants Without Masters
  Courtfolk enjoy long lives, lingering in 
  a pleasant old age for up to 350 years, a 
  century longer than most halflings do. 
  Most have a parent or grandparent who 
  remembers the old courts and passed down 
  their stories, mannerisms, and a keen sense 
  of loss. As such, adapting to newfound 
  freedom in only one or two generations has 
  proven difficult for those who remained 
  after the Last Horn. As observed with 
  some small bitterness, those halflings who 
  abandoned their duties and wandered 
  away, becoming winterfolk and riverfolk 
  elsewhere, seem to have had less trouble. 
  Only the secluded River Court and 
  the Imperatrix’s own Royal Court still 
  maintain families of courtfolk servants 
  in significant numbers. Outside of the 
  
  24
  remaining courts, courtfolk struggle to 
  maintain their family identities against 
  their oaths, scattered as they are among 
  elfmarked fiefs and baronies. Worse off 
  still are the greater numbers of courtfolk in 
  the young kingdoms, working as common 
  servants to humans and other races without 
  the mutually beneficial arrangements 
  enjoyed under their old elven masters. 
  Courtfolk families try to stick together in 
  these circumstances, but kinship ties tend 
  to unravel while serving those who neither 
  understand nor are inclined to learn the 
  necessities of courtfolk family relationships. 
  Courtfolk without holdings or patrons 
  to serve sometimes find places to settle as 
  families. Reywald, a popular destination, 
  has so many halflings that it supports Little 
  Reywald, a halfling and gnome village north 
  of the city. It’s not the elven courts, but for 
  many courtfolk, it’s good enough to serve in 
  the city and come home to family. Others 
  realize they are very much stuck—nothing 
  more than leftover servants for others to use.
  In recent decades—and virtually unheard 
  of before then—some courtfolk, primarily 
  castoffs from the still-functioning courts 
  or the rare halfling who emerges from the 
  military with exemplary service, spearhead 
  a business enterprise with their family. 
  These businesses number a mere handful 
  in Dornig and less in the Crossroads. Still 
  beholden to courtfolk nature, such business 
  attempts orient toward hospitality and 
  service: artisan shops, bakeries, inns, plant 
  nurseries, taverns, and the like. Breaking 
  from the mold as servants and underlings is 
  difficult. In order to do so, courtfolk must 
  overcome dismissive attitudes toward their 
  role as servants, which is uncomfortable 
  for them. They aren’t predisposed to be 
  ashamed by their lives of service. As a result, 
  even successful courtfolk accept less than 
  what they deserve and settle for subsistence. 
  Hospitality, Home, and Hearth
  Courtfolk maintain servitude was never 
  forced upon them but freely chosen. This 
  belief, true or not, gives them a sense of 
  agency and relevance to their servitude. The 
  profound delight the courtfolk derive from 
  being of service to others and in performing 
  a job well stems from knowing they have 
  controlled their destiny. 
  Service is an honor to the courtfolk. The 
  halfling reverence for hearth and home 
  is as strong in them as any other, but the 
  courtfolk extend this reverence into the 
  notion of powerful hospitality: as natives 
  of this realm, they considered it a duty and 
  a privilege to make the elves, guests from 
  the other side of Midgard, feel welcome, 
  comfortable, and cared for in a world not 
  their own. Service comes to the courtfolk 
  out of compassion rather than fear or awe 
  (although certainly individual courtfolk may 
  come to fear or worship their masters based 
  on treatment), but it is deeply unseemly of 
  a servant to point out what good service 
  they provide. Courtfolk seldom discuss with 
  others the importance of their role and find 
  contentment in any reward, praise, or even 
  an acknowledging nod from their patrons.
  When exemplifying their role as perfect 
  servants, someone could be excused for 
  not noticing a courtfolk at all: they excel in 
  drawing attention away, focused on their 
  masters, and in moving through the world 
  with quiet, unassuming grace. The same 
  observer might be intrigued to discover 
  courtfolk have rich private lives of their own.
  Courtfolk have a practical, down-to-
  earth culture, appreciating simple things 
  like healthy gardens, a good book, cheery 
  music, and the company of friends. When 
  the courts they served could support it, they 
  made their homes in partially underground 
  burrows, all part of a greater community. 
  A courtfolk home needed to accommodate 
  multiple generations under one roof. In 
  
  25
  recent times, more courtfolk take their 
  lodgings wherever available where they are 
  serving or increasingly attempt to establish 
  their own homesteads and villages as they 
  carve out new places in the world.
  Gatherings are important to courtfolk. 
  Servitude is usually a year-round affair, 
  and getting halflings together for stories, 
  matchmaking, and reinforcing ties can be 
  difficult. Family connections are vital for 
  a courtfolk’s well-being; no one but their 
  own kin can truly understand the joys 
  and sorrows of being called to service. All 
  courtfolk are invited to gatherings, whether 
  or not they can officially prove kinship. 
  Unlike the stately and organized affairs they 
  help orchestrate in elven courts, courtfolk 
  gatherings are much more informal as 
  details shift with the whims of their patrons 
  and courtfolk adjust accordingly.
  At a minimum, a courtfolk celebration 
  must have lively music, excellent food and 
  drink, the freshest flowers, sunshine, and 
  as many kin, friends, and pets as can be 
  gathered into one place. Most matchmakings 
  are made at courtfolk gatherings as one of 
  the few times when a couple can be in one 
  place to receive blessings from both families.
  In the Elven Courts
  Within the courts of the River King and 
  the Imperatrix, courtfolk serve elfmarked 
  (or less commonly true elven) patrons with 
  all the cheer and skill of their historical 
  reputations. These are often the oldest 
  yet remaining courtfolk families with the 
  greatest prestige, but for all that, they have 
  their hands full. Those with the Imperatrix’s 
  Royal Procession in Reywald have had no 
  end of logistical and political nightmares 
  thrust upon them since she fell into 
  slumber. The maintenance of the Great 
  Procession, politely redirecting petitioners 
  and emissaries to other parties, and keeping 
  alert eyes on suspicious characters who 
  might see opportunities in the Imperatrix’s 
  indisposition consumes nearly all their 
  time. What time they do have is taken up 
  by their own kin who live in and around 
  Reywald as common servants. The courtfolk 
  in the Great Procession currently can’t turn 
  around without yet another distant cousin 
  angling to be added to the Royal Court’s 
  servant retinue.
  The River Court is largely withdrawn 
  from most affairs as are now the courtfolk 
  families who serve it. Here perhaps more 
  so than anywhere, the relationship between 
  courtfolk servant and elven master has 
  continued with the least disruption. 
  This idyllic existence has a complication 
  however; as the elder generation of 
  courtfolk have passed, the seclusion of the 
  River Court has come into stark relief. The 
  courtfolk here have had little contact with 
  their kin outside of it, and many years pass 
  without even hearing about a courtfolk 
  gathering. Even if they did, many fear to 
  leave and visit in case there is any risk of 
  being unable to return. Courtfolk weddings 
  and births have diminished here, and the 
  families—among the eldest yet remaining 
  on this side of Midgard—fear their current 
  generation may be the last, yet setting off 
  and away from the last true bastion of elven 
  glory is even more terrifying. 
  These troubles compound the heartache 
  courtfolk feel for their long-lost kin and 
  way of life. Little news travels between the 
  realms anymore, and what does is about 
  elven politics and concerns, not servants. 
  Whatever is transpiring in the Summer 
  Lands, the courtfolk know nothing of how 
  their long-vanished kin are faring. The 
  recent resurgence of elves in Arbonesse has 
  given them hope however that perhaps at 
  last things may return to how they were. To 
  some courtfolk though, beginning to flex 
  newfound independence, this is more of a 
  worry than a hope.
  
  26
  Into Darkness
  Courtfolk are strongly tied to their elven 
  patrons, even following them during the 
  Great Retreat. When the elves proved 
  corruptible during the Sorceress’s Revolt 
  and fell to shadow, many of their servants 
  followed as proven by the gnomes and 
  pixies serving in the Moonlit Courts. The 
  courtfolk however were a notable exception; 
  when their masters turned to dark powers, 
  their courtfolk fled to the remaining elven 
  lines. There is no record of any significant 
  population of halflings serving in the 
  Shadow Realm. While seldom investigated, 
  it is surmised that the courtfolk dedication 
  to hospitality and selflessness, combined 
  with inclinations toward contentment, 
  renders them immune to Shadow 
  temptations of ambition and greed. 
  Despite this, they aren’t incorruptible. 
  While they cannot be swayed to dark 
  powers with usual tactics, there is a growing 
  population of courtfolk in Zobeck who have, 
  since the Great Retreat and splintering of 
  their families, been unable to find their own 
  way. To them, serving the shadow fey—
  serving any elf—is preferable to serving no 
  one. These courtfolk are faded reflections 
  of themselves, their sunny attitudes and 
  energy muted and buried beneath a jaded 
  cynicism. They remain excellent servitors 
  but have lost the spirit of hospitality: the 
  shadow fey send them to infiltrate targets’ 
  households as mere servants, but they act as 
  spies, rumor mongers, thieves, and in rare 
  cases, poisoners with expert knowledge of 
  deadly herbs.
  Creating a Future
  The courtfolk adventurer is less absurd than 
  it seems, but their adventures tend to be 
  motivated by one of two things: loyalty to 
  an ally or generating money to look after 
  their families. Service doesn’t pay well, 
  and forward-thinking, younger courtfolk 
  see that without wealth their families are 
  going to continue being splintered apart 
  in service to those who seldom appreciate 
  them. Courtfolk aren’t motivated by greed 
  but are shrewd enough to weigh the risks 
  and rewards of adventuring and choose 
  appropriately.
  If unable to be with their families, 
  courtfolk gravitate toward powerful 
  personalities. They are picky in this, seeking 
  good, benevolent people, but once they’ve 
  chosen to befriend someone, that’s it. A 
  courtfolk is a dauntless ally and comrade-
  in-arms and never aims to steal the credit 
  for their friends’ derring-do. Their loyalty 
  and practicality make them faithful 
  companions in the heart of a dungeon as 
  much as an intrigue-steeped noble court. 
  Courtfolk Names
  Courtfolk names have an obvious elven 
  influence, mired as they have been in 
  elven culture for generations. Their given 
  names are shorter than elves’ but with a 
  notably softer and lilting flair than other 
  halflings. Family names are borrowed 
  from the common names of the elf that the 
  family first served as vassals and prefixed 
  by of. The older the lineage, the more the 
  family’s prestige. Sometimes a courtfolk’s 
  primary role is added to the end of their 
  name, especially since the Great Retreat as 
  more courtfolk lose touch with their family 
  lineages. A River Court courtfolk might be 
  named Silla of Stars-Cook, but in Hirsh-
  Dammung, she is probably just Silla Cook. 
  
  27
  MALE NAMES
  Adan, Alis, Aran, Aus, Berri, Carr, Darris, 
  Errian, Ervio, Galin, Immerin, Ivello, Luc, 
  Pael, Perin, Rai, Ral, Ren, Rian, Soven, 
  Taris, Tham, Thel, Van, Varr
  FEMALE NAMES
  Adie, Annas, Andra, Bethry, Cae, Dania, 
  Elle, Felosa, Jelen, Keyle, Lathe, Lea, Merri, 
  Mia, Naia, Netha, Phia, Quilla, Rynn, 
  Shanna, Silla, Thea, Valla, Vara, Xan
  FAMILY NAMES
  Autumn, Brooks, Chase, Dances, Eyes, 
  Flower, Gem, Hawk, Journey, Keys, Leaf, 
  Moon, Night, Oak, Petals, Quick, River, 
  Stars, Tower, Vale, Whisper, Young 
  Courtfolk Halfling Traits 
  Courtfolk are at home in elven courts 
  and politics and have had generations to 
  practice the art of remaining unnoticed 
  until needed. They also care deeply for their 
  companions and for the natural world, 
  making them excellent in supportive roles. 
  They make good rogues, though they care 
  little for stealing, but also excel as bards, 
  druids, or sorcerers, thanks to their innate 
  glamour. Courtfolk have the following 
  two traits and modification in addition to 
  standard halfling traits.
  Age. Courtfolk are the longest-lived of the 
  halfling subraces, perhaps owing to their 
  close association with elves. Courtfolk are 
  elderly by their second century but enjoy 
  relatively pleasant and unhindered old age 
  well past 300 years.
  Boon Companion. You are   quick to step 
  in and help your friends, and you have a 
  knack for knowing exactly how to best do 
  it. When you work with an ally to complete 
  a task or take the Help action in combat, 
  your ally adds a d4 to their check or attack 
  roll (this includes the second roll made 
  with advantage).
  Wee Glamour. You are—ever so slightly—
  imbued with a bit of elven magic. You move 
  with grace, your laugh is always pleasant, 
  and colors are more vibrant on you. Your 
  Charisma score increases by 1, and you 
  have advantage on saves against spells of the 
  enchantment school. 
  VARIANT COURTFOLK TRAITS:  
  SHADOW SERVITORS
  Those courtfolk who elect to serve shadow 
  fey are usually broken spirits to start with, 
  and over time, the cracks in their souls 
  become filled with something darker.
  Disquiet. You still look like your old self, 
  but your mind is changed by the knowledge 
  you’ve accepted—and you’re not sure it’s for 
  the better. Your Intelligence score increases 
  by 1. Additionally, something in your eyes 
  makes people uneasy around you. You 
  have advantage on Charisma (Intimidate) 
  and Charisma (Deception) checks against 
  humanoids. 
  Silent Steps. You’ve always been adept at 
  evading notice, but now your own shadow 
  seems to muffle the noise you make. You 
  can cast the silence spell once per day 
  centered on yourself, which you can end 
  at any time by speaking. Additionally, 
  you always have advantage on Dexterity 
  (Stealth) checks made to be quiet.
  Courtfolk Background:  
  Court Servant
  Courtfolk are a long-lived race, and old 
  habits have been hard to shake. The majority 
  of courtfolk, even independent now, were 
  once servants at some point in their lives. 
  These halflings are experts in complex 
  social dynamics and knowledgeable in elven 
  history and customs.
  Skill Proficiencies: Insight, Nature
  Tool Proficiencies: One artisan’s tools set of 
  your choice
  
  28
  Languages: Elven
  Equipment: One artisan’s tools set of your 
  choice, a unique piece of elven jewelry, a 
  set of fine clothes, a handcrafted pipe, and 
  a belt pouch containing 20 gp
  FEATURE: SERVANT’S INVISIBILITY 
  The art of excellent service requires a balance 
  struck between being always available and 
  yet unobtrusive, and you’ve mastered it. If 
  you do not perform a visible action, speak 
  or be spoken to, or otherwise have attention 
  drawn to you for at least 1 minute, creatures 
  nearby have trouble remembering you are 
  even in the room. Until you speak, perform 
  a visible action, or have someone draw 
  attention to you, creatures must attempt 
  a Wisdom save (DC 8 + your Charisma 
  modifier + your proficiency bonus) to 
  notice you. Otherwise, they will conduct 
  themselves as though you aren’t present 
  until either attention is drawn to you or one 
  of their actions would take them into or 
  adjacent to the square you occupy. 
  
  29
  d8 PERSONALITY TRAITS
  1
  Unless I must speak, I hold my breath while serving others.
  2
  It takes all my effort not to show the effusive emotions I feel when I help others.  
  Best to quietly serve.
  3
  It’s getting harder to tolerate the prejudices of those I serve daily.
  4
  Though the old ways are hard to give up, I want to be my own boss. I’ll decide my path.
  5
  Serving my family and friends is the only thing I truly care about.
  6
  City life is killing my soul. I long for the old courtly ways.
  7
  It’s time for my fellows to wake up and be taken advantage of no longer.
  8
  It’s the small things that make it all worth while. I try to be present in every moment.
  d6
  IDEAL
  1
  Family. My family, whether the one I come from or the one I make, is the thing in this 
  world most worth protecting. (Any)
  2
  Service. I am most rewarded when I know I have performed a valuable service for 
  another. (Good)
  3
  Sloth. What’s the point of helping anyone when we’ve been discarded? Our existence is 
  an elven joke. (Chaotic)
  4
  Compassion. I can’t resist helping anyone in need. (Good)
  5
  Tradition. Life under elven rule was best, and things should be kept as close to their 
  ideals as possible. (Lawful)
  6
  Joy. The pursuit of happiness is the only thing worth serving anymore. (Neutral)
  d6
  BOND
  1
  My family needs me to provide for them. They mean everything to me, which means 
  I’ll do whatever it takes.
  2
  My kin have served this holding and its lords and ladies since before the Great Retreat. 
  I serve them faithfully to make my lineage proud.
  3
  I can’t read the inscriptions on this odd elven ring, but it’s all I have left of my family 
  and our history of loyal service.
  4
  I’m with the best friends a halfling can ask for, so why do I feel so lonesome and 
  homesick?
  5
  I’ve found a profession where my skills are put to good use, and I won’t let anyone 
  bring me down—I’m already short enough.
  6
  I found peace in a special garden filled with beautiful life, but I only have this flower to 
  remind me. Someday I’ll remember where to find that garden.
  
  30
  Courtfolk Feats
  Courtfolk halflings have developed the 
  following feats.
  ADAPTABLE MAGIC
  Prerequisite: The ability to cast at least one 
  spell
  You possess great finesse with magic, either 
  by virtue of generations of ancestral service 
  in elven courts or potentially knowledge 
  gleaned from service to the Shadow:
  • You learn one Metamagic option of 
  your choice from among those available 
  to the sorcerer class.
  • If you already have sorcery points, you 
  gain one more. Otherwise, you have two 
  sorcery points, which recharge after a 
  long rest. 
  Courtfolk Magic Items
  A few specialized enchanted items circulate 
  among courtfolk families, either created 
  by them or created for them, and most are 
  intended to make their jobs more pleasant 
  and efficient.
  SENESCHAL’S GLOVES
  Wondrous item, rare  
  (requires attunement, see below)
  These white gloves have elegant tailoring 
  and size themselves perfectly to fit your 
  hands. A pair of seneschal’s gloves must 
  d6
  FLAW
  1
  I would rather serve darkness than serve no one.
  2
  I’m afraid of taking risks that might be good for me.
  3
  I believe elves are superior to all other races, and I’m not afraid to share that truth.
  4
  I always do as I’m told, even though sometimes I don’t think I should.
  5
  I know what’s best for everyone, and they’d all be better off if they’d follow my advice.
  6
  I can’t stand seeing ugly or depressing things. I’d much rather think happy thoughts.
  be attuned not only to a person but to a 
  specific, habitable place with walls, a roof, 
  and doors. To attune to a place, the gloves 
  must be left in the location from one dawn 
  to the next. The gloves cannot be attuned 
  to a creature until they have attuned to a 
  location although they can still be worn.
  While you wear the gloves, you may 
  unlock any nonmagical lock within 
  the attuned location by touch, and any 
  mundane portal you open while wearing 
  these gloves will open silently. 
  As an action, you may snap your fingers 
  and every nonmagical portal within 30 feet 
  of you will immediately close and lock itself 
  (if possible) so long as it is unobstructed. 
  (Obstructed portals remain open.) Once 
  used, this ability cannot be used again until 
  the next dawn.
  STORYTELLER’S PIPE
  Wondrous item, rare (requires attunement)
  This long-shanked wooden smoking pipe 
  is etched with leaves along the bowl. It 
  is serviceable as a typical pipe, but as an 
  action, you can blow out smoke and shape 
  it into wispy images and manipulate them 
  as silent image with a range limited to the 
  10-foot cone in front of you and images no 
  larger than a 5-foot cube. The smoky images 
  last for 3 rounds before fading, but you can 
  continue blowing smoke to create more 
  until the pipe burns through the smoking 
  material in it. 
  
  31
  Additionally, if you use the storyteller’s 
  pipe’s command word, you may blast a 
  cloud of hazy, choking smoke in a 30-foot 
  cone in front of you. Creatures within the 
  haze have half-cover and must attempt 
  DC 15 Constitution saving throws or be 
  afflicted with debilitating coughing and 
  wheezing, unable to speak or cast spells with 
  verbal components and gaining one level of 
  exhaustion, for 1 minute.
  Courtfolk Spells
  Of all halflings, the courtfolk are the most 
  magically adept. 
  WHISPERING GARDENS
  2nd-level transmutation
  Casting Time: 10 minutes
  Range: Self (120-foot radius)
  Components: V, S, M (a garden at least 
  10-ft.-by-10-ft. large with cultivated, 
  healthy vegetation to use as a focus)
  Duration: 1 hour
  You meditate within a garden and 
  share your consciousness with 
  the plants within it. For the next 
  hour, all sounds, including speech, 
  within the garden come to you as 
  soft whispers through this link. 
  These whispers are actual sounds 
  and can be drowned out in 
  loud environments, potentially requiring a 
  Perception check (DC 15 for a noisy tavern 
  equivalent or DC 20 for combat). In a quiet 
  environment, it is possible for others to 
  hear the whispers if they are within 5 feet 
  of you and make a successful Perception 
  check against your spell save DC. Only 
  sounds inside the garden’s boundaries 
  (determined by gates, fencing, hedges, or 
  where cultivated plants give way to wild 
  growth) are transmitted. The boundaries of 
  the spell are set at the time of casting. After 
  that, you may leave the spell’s area of effect 
  and maintain your link with the garden. 
  This spell transmits sounds with as much 
  accuracy as possible while remaining a 
  whisper. It does not convey individual 
  voices or identify the source of the noise. 
  This spell cannot be cast within range of 
  sentient plants.
  
  32
  OPEN GAME LICENSE Version 1.0a 
  The following text is the property of Wizards of the Coast, 
  Inc. and is Copyright 2000 Wizards of the Coast, Inc 
  (“Wizards”). All Rights Reserved. 
  1. Definitions: (a)”Contributors” means the copyright 
  and/or trademark owners who have contributed Open 
  Game Content; (b)”Derivative Material” means copyrighted 
  material including derivative works and translations 
  (including into other computer languages), potation, 
  modification, correction, addition, extension, upgrade, 
  improvement, compilation, abridgment or other form 
  in which an existing work may be recast, transformed or 
  adapted; (c) “Distribute” means to reproduce, license, rent, 
  lease, sell, broadcast, publicly display, transmit or otherwise 
  distribute; (d)”Open Game Content” means the game 
  mechanic and includes the methods, procedures, processes 
  and routines to the extent such content does not embody 
  the Product Identity and is an enhancement over the prior 
  art and any additional content clearly identified as Open 
  Game Content by the Contributor, and means any work 
  covered by this License, including translations and derivative 
  works under copyright law, but specifically excludes Product 
  Identity. (e) “Product Identity” means product and product 
  line names, logos and identifying marks including trade 
  dress; artifacts; creatures characters; stories, storylines, plots, 
  thematic elements, dialogue, incidents, language, artwork, 
  symbols, designs, depictions, likenesses, formats, poses, 
  concepts, themes and graphic, photographic and other 
  visual or audio representations; names and descriptions 
  of characters, spells, enchantments, personalities, 
  teams, personas, likenesses and special abilities; places, 
  locations, environments, creatures, equipment, magical or 
  supernatural abilities or effects, logos, symbols, or graphic 
  designs; and any other trademark or registered trademark 
  clearly identified as Product identity by the owner of the 
  Product Identity, and which specifically excludes the Open 
  Game Content; (f) “Trademark” means the logos, names, 
  mark, sign, motto, designs that are used by a Contributor 
  to identify itself or its products or the associated products 
  contributed to the Open Game License by the Contributor 
  (g) “Use”, “Used” or “Using” means to use, Distribute, 
  copy, edit, format, modify, translate and otherwise create 
  Derivative Material of Open Game Content. (h) “You” or 
  “Your” means the licensee in terms of this agreement.
  2. The License: This License applies to any Open Game 
  Content that contains a notice indicating that the Open 
  Game Content may only be Used under and in terms of 
  this License. You must affix such a notice to any Open 
  Game Content that you Use. No terms may be added to 
  or subtracted from this License except as described by the 
  License itself. No other terms or conditions may be applied 
  to any Open Game Content distributed using this License. 
  3. Offer and Acceptance: By Using the Open Game 
  Content You indicate Your acceptance of the terms of this 
  License. 
  4. Grant and Consideration: In consideration for 
  agreeing to use this License, the Contributors grant You 
  a perpetual, worldwide, royalty-free, nonexclusive license 
  with the exact terms of this License to Use, the Open Game 
  Content. 
  5. Representation of Authority to Contribute: If You 
  are contributing original material as Open Game Content, 
  You represent that Your Contributions are Your original 
  creation and/or You have sufficient rights to grant the rights 
  conveyed by this License. 
  6. Notice of License Copyright: You must update the 
  COPYRIGHT NOTICE portion of this License to include 
  the exact text of the COPYRIGHT NOTICE of any Open 
  Game Content You are copying, modifying or distributing, 
  and You must add the title, the copyright date, and the 
  copyright holder’s name to the COPYRIGHT NOTICE of any 
  original Open Game Content you Distribute. 
  7. Use of Product Identity: You agree not to Use 
  any Product Identity, including as an indication as to 
  compatibility, except as expressly licensed in another, 
  independent Agreement with the owner of each element of 
  that Product Identity. You agree not to indicate compatibility 
  or co-adaptability with any Trademark or Registered 
  Trademark in conjunction with a work containing Open 
  Game Content except as expressly licensed in another, 
  independent Agreement with the owner of such Trademark 
  or Registered Trademark. The use of any Product Identity 
  in Open Game Content does not constitute a challenge to 
  the ownership of that Product Identity. The owner of any 
  Product Identity used in Open Game Content shall retain all 
  rights, title and interest in and to that Product Identity.
  8. Identification: If you distribute Open Game Content 
  You must clearly indicate which portions of the work that 
  you are distributing are Open Game Content. 
  9. Updating the License: Wizards or its designated 
  Agents may publish updated versions of this License. You 
  may use any authorized version of this License to copy, 
  modify and distribute any Open Game Content originally 
  distributed under any version of this License. 
  10. Copy of this License: You MUST include a copy of 
  this License with every copy of the Open Game Content 
  You Distribute. 
  11. Use of Contributor Credits: You may not market or 
  advertise the Open Game Content using the name of any 
  Contributor unless You have written permission from the 
  Contributor to do so. 
  12. Inability to Comply: If it is impossible for You to 
  comply with any of the terms of this License with respect 
  to some or all of the Open Game Content due to statute, 
  judicial order, or governmental regulation then You may 
  not Use any Open Game Material so affected. 
  13. Termination: This License will terminate 
  automatically if You fail to comply with all terms herein and 
  fail to cure such breach within 30 days of becoming aware 
  of the breach. All sublicenses shall survive the termination 
  of this License. 
  14. Reformation: If any provision of this License is held 
  to be unenforceable, such provision shall be reformed only 
  to the extent necessary to make it enforceable. 
  15. COPYRIGHT NOTICE 
  Open Game License v 1.0a Copyright 2000, Wizards of 
  the Coast, Inc. 
  System Reference Document 5.0 Copyright 2016, 
  Wizards of the Coast, Inc.; Authors Mike Mearls, Jeremy 
  Crawford, Chris Perkins, Rodney Thompson, Peter Lee, 
  James Wyatt, Robert J. Schwalb, Bruce R. Cordell, Chris 
  Sims, and Steve Townshend, based on original material by 
  E. Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson.
  Midgard Hero’s Handbook. © 2018 Open Design LLC; 
  Authors: Chris Harris, Dan Dillon, Greg Marks, Jon Sawatsky, 
  Michael Ohl, Richard Green, Rich Howard, Scott Carter, and 
  Shawn Merwin.
  Midgard Worldbook. Copyright © 2018 Open Design 
  LLC. Authors: Wolfgang Baur, Dan Dillon, Richard Green, 
  Jeff Grubb, Chris Harris, Brian Suskind, and Jon Sawatsky.
  Tome of Beasts. Copyright 2016, Open Design; Authors 
  Chris Harris, Dan Dillon, Rodrigo Garcia Carmona, and 
  Wolfgang Baur.
  Warlock 17: Halflings. Authors: Kelly Pawlik, Victoria 
  Jaczko. © 2020 Open Design LLC.
  
  SUPPORTED BY 
   $9.99 
  Printed in USA
  
SOURCE: textdata/thevault/Dungeons & Dragons [multi]/5th Edition (5e)/3rd Party/Kobold Press/Warlock/Warlock #17 - Halflings.pdf