Hobbit

The Hobbit is a type of creature that was created in JRR Tolkien's story of the same name, and was the race of creature that the main heroes of his trilogy the Lord of the Rings were.

The Hobbit is one of few races that have no mythological basis that are nonetheless widely used in fantasy settings. Many games (such as MUDs) have an option to choose a Hobbit, usually as a 7th race (or sometimes 8th if giants are allowed), alongside Elf, Dwarf, Orc, Goblin, Troll and Human. In spite of being an invented race, the Hobbit race has made a large impact in the fantasy setting.

Hobbits were essentially human-like but with large feet that were covered with hair, especially on the toes. Their feet were hardy and they did not ever wear shoes. They were fairly short, like a dwarf or perhaps even shorter (much shorter than humans), were peaceful, and generally had no great use. However, as described by Gandalf the wizard, Hobbits were able to move completely silently, making them excellent thieves. The silence is probably because of their feet and them not having to wear shoes. Hobbits became the focus of the Lord of the Rings trilogy, and represented people who felt that they were useless and pointless, making them feel that they could make a real difference to the world - or at least, that was the main aim of the series.

Hobbits are also known as halflings sometimes. They like beer, gardening, and smoking. Politically they are very provincial, xenophobic, and isolationist, though there have been exceptions to this tendency.

Famous Hobbits

• Bilbo Baggins
• Frodo Baggins
• Samwise Gamgee
• Meriadoc (Merry) Took
• Peregrin (Pippin) Took
• Bullroarer Took
• Rosie Cotton