Editing Hobbits (section)

==Combat?==
Put bluntly, Hobbits don't like fighting. Being a peaceful and rural people whose greatest ambitions usually end with a lot of good food and a comfortable nap, they're thoroughly disinterested in any of this "glory", "honor," and "adventure" nonsense the tall folk are so fond of, and also tend to scorn adventure as a rule. They also weren't people who killed for sport, only going hunting when they needed to. Combined with their sheltered existence, this mentality caused them to believe Middle-earth was a peaceful place with plenty for everyone to enjoy life, and that peace and plenty were the right of all sensible folk to have. Obviously, this is a dangerously misinformed view, but in the Hobbit's defense, this attitude was encouraged by the fact that the Shire, one of the largest Hobbit-inhabited areas in Middle-Earth, was basically a pastoral paradise where the weather tended to be mild and packs of hungry wolves roaming the countryside were only heard of in old tales from their grandfathers. Needless to say, they were quite surprised to learn that beyond the borders of the Shire there were entire armies of violent Orcs and men lead by evil overlords who wanted to conquer the world.

This might lead some to believe that Hobbits are weak and easily pushed around, easy prey for a would-be conqueror or a band of raiders looking to make sport of them. This is only ''kind of'' true though. While obviously not good in melee combat as a rule and no match for most members of the bigger races in a direct fight, this does not make the Hobbits helpless. The Shire was only invaded twice in recorded history, but both times it ended very, ''very'' badly for the invaders, who learned a very painful lesson on how "peaceful" and "avoids violence" doesn't mean "helpless". Back in the days before the Shire was established the world was a rather harsh place where the Hobbits needed to fight to defend themselves, and if they were as weak and soft as they appear at first glance then they never would have survived until the present day. And while it is certainly the case that the armies of Mordor or Isengard would have steamrolled them given the chance, bear in mind that those were the same factions whose might posed a threat to the entirety of Middle-Earth and who almost overran the greatest kingdoms of Men. 

Hobbits make perfect scouts, thieves, archers, and ambushers due to their agility, keen eyesight, excellent hand-eye coordination, and preternatural aptitude for sneaking and not being found when they don't want to be. Like their cousins, Men, Hobbits have crazy good aim when shooting and throwing things, and are perfectly capable of hurling a stone with enough force to break someone's head open. And despite what we said above, they can be surprisingly effective in melee combat, usually when fighting to protect someone they care about, as they can use their small size, speed, and deceptive stealth to catch enemies off-guard. It also bears mentioning that Bandobras "the Bullroarer" Took, one of Pippin's great great great something grand uncles, invented golf by literally knocking the then Goblin King's head off with a warhammer and having it land in a hole like a good fifty meters away (or at least, that's how the story goes).

Furthermore, for all their love of good food and laziness Hobbits were made of pretty stern stuff and capable of enduring hardship with enough fortitude to astonish anyone unfamiliar with them; they could handle grief, hostile weather, murderous foes, and lack of good food and drink with incredible aplomb. And their lack of ambition makes it difficult for the Enemy to tempt them. The powers of good chose to entrust Hobbits with the destruction of the One Ring because of their willpower, and it worked out in the end. In general, Hobbits are much more "corruption proof" than most of the other races (examples of which are detailed below).