Short answers, pulled from the story.
The halfling race first appeared in the original Dungeons & Dragons rulebook in the year 1974. Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson created the diminutive, home-loving people who dwelt in hollowed hills and possessed a natural talent for burglary. The name hobbit was so synonymous with their identity that early players used it interchangeably with the game's terminology.
The name hobbit was changed to halfling to avoid copyright infringement following a cease and desist order from the Tolkien Estate. TSR, the company behind the game, was forced to rename the race two years after its 1974 introduction. This legal maneuver severed the direct link to Tolkien's literary legacy while preserving the core nature of the creature.
The original Monster Manual of 1977 introduced three distinct subraces: the hairfoot, the stout, and the tallfellow. Each subrace possessed unique traits that set them apart from one another within the game mechanics. These early classifications established the foundation for the race's evolution across subsequent editions.
In the Dark Sun setting, the halfling took on a form that was so alien to the traditional image that it sparked controversy and debate among critics and players alike. The wiry halflings of Athas seldom exceeded three and a half feet in height and lived in shaman-ruled settlements in the jungles beyond the mysterious Ringing Mountains. As the oldest race on Athas, most of them became barbaric cannibals while a handful inhabited the Pristine Tower.
Yondalla is the chief halfling goddess and a member of the game's third edition core pantheon. She represents protection, fertility, the halfling race, children, security, leadership, diplomacy, wisdom, the cycle of life, creation, family, and familial love. She is depicted as a strong female halfling with red-golden hair, looking determined and proud, dressed in green, yellow, and brown, and carrying a shield.
Regis, a halfling rogue member of the Companions of the Hall led by Drizzt Do'Urden, appeared in The Crystal Shard in 1988. He was an example of a noteworthy halfling character featured in a series of novels based on the Forgotten Realms campaign setting. Regis set himself apart by carrying a crystal pendant he could use to charm people and ended up saving the day in the final battle.