raitalin
2011-04-21, 01:00 PM
Alright, we all know tracking Encumbrance sucks and it's boring, so a alot of DMs handwave it until a problem comes up.
These problems generally take one of two forms:
1. Awkward items with reasonable weight.
Sure a ladder is only 10 pounds, but how exactly do you carry it?
2. Too much weight
"I realize rope is important, but I'm unlikely to throw a challenge at you that requires a quarter mile of it."
In keeping with my DnDSAGA (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?p=10817411#post10817411) system's general simplification I thought I might try to tackle this problem by making the encumbrance rules simpler and a bit more realistic, without all the book keeping.
Encumbrance Points
Characters have a number of EP equal to ½ their Str score.
Containers take up EP, but allow the bearer to carry a number of small items without them taking up EP.
Small items (those marked with a *) do not take EP if they are in an appropriate container. When they are not stowed they take up 1 EP.
Negligible items (those marked with a -) mass is insignificant individually. 5 Negligible items count as a single small item.
50 GP is equal to one small item.
Light Load = ½ Str score, Medium Load = ¾ Str. Score, Heavy Load = Str. Score
Characters bearing a medium load are moved -1 CT and have their speed reduced by 1, characters bearing a heavy load are moved -3 CT, have their speed reduced to ½ and may not run or charge.
Containers
{TABLE=head]Container|Cost|EP
Backpack|2 gp|2 (20)
Backpacks may contain up to 20 small items.
Barrel| 2 gp |4 (100)
Barrels may contain 100 small items.
Case, map or scroll | 1 gp | 1 (50)
Map or Scroll cases may contain 50 sheets of paper, maps or scrolls.
Chest (empty) | 2 gp | 4 (50)
Chest may contain 50 small items.
Pouch, belt (empty) | 1 gp | 1 (5)
Belt pouches may contain 5 small items.
Quiver | 1 gp | 1 (30)
Quivers may contain 30 arrows or bolts.
Sack (empty) | 1 sp |2 (50)
Sacks may contain 50 small items. Folded sacks are *[/TABLE]
{TABLE=head]Item | Cost | EP
Basket (empty) | 4 sp | 1
Bedroll | 1 sp | 1
Bell | 1 gp | *
Blanket, winter | 5 sp | 1
Block and tackle | 5 gp | 1
Bottle, wine, glass | 2 gp | 1
Bucket (empty) | 5 sp | 1
Caltrops | 1 gp | *
Candle | 1 cp | -
Canvas (5 sq. yds.) | 1 sp| 1
Chain (10 ft.) | 30 gp | 1
Chalk, 1 piece | 1 cp | -
Crowbar | 2 gp | 1
Firewood (per day) | 1 cp | 4
Fishhook | 1 sp | -
Fishing net, 25 sq. ft. | 4 gp | 1
Flask (empty) | 3 cp | *
Flint and steel | 1 gp | -
Grappling hook | 1 gp | 1
Hammer | 5 sp | 1
Ink (1 oz. vial) | 8 gp | *
Inkpen | 1 sp | -
Jug, clay | 3 cp | 1
Ladder, 10-foot | 5 cp | 4
Lamp, common | 1 sp | 1
Lantern, bullseye | 12 gp | 1
Lantern, hooded | 7 gp | 1
Lock (very simple) | 20 gp | *
Lock (average) | 40 gp | *
Lock (good) | 80 gp | *
Lock (amazing) | 150 gp | *
Manacles | 15 gp | 1
Manacles, masterwork | 50 gp | 1
Mirror, small steel | 10 gp | *
Mug/Tankard, clay | 2 cp | *
Oil (1-pint flask) | 1 sp | *
Paper ( 10 sheets) | 1 gp | —
Pick, miner’s | 3 gp | 2
Pitcher, clay | 2 cp | 1
Piton | 1 sp | *
Pole, 10-foot | 2 sp | 3
Pot, iron | 5 sp | 2
Ram, portable | 10 gp | 4
Rations, trail (per day) | 5 sp | *
Rope, hempen (50 ft.) | 1 gp | 2
Rope, silk (50 ft.) | 10 gp | 1
Sealing wax | 1 gp | *
Sewing needle | 5 sp | —
Signal whistle | 8 sp| —
Signet ring | 5 gp | —
Sledge | 1 gp | 2
Soap (per lb.) | 5 sp | *
Spade or shovel | 2 gp | 2
Spyglass | 100 gp | 1
Tent | 10 gp | 4
Torch | 1 cp | 1
Vial, ink or potion | 1 gp | -
Waterskin | 1 gp | 1
Whetstone | 2 cp | *
Light Weapons | X | *
One-handed Weapons | X | 1
Two-handed Weapons |X | 2
Polearms |X | 3
Light Armor |X | 1
Medium Armor |X | 2
Heavy armor |X | 3
[/TABLE]
These problems generally take one of two forms:
1. Awkward items with reasonable weight.
Sure a ladder is only 10 pounds, but how exactly do you carry it?
2. Too much weight
"I realize rope is important, but I'm unlikely to throw a challenge at you that requires a quarter mile of it."
In keeping with my DnDSAGA (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?p=10817411#post10817411) system's general simplification I thought I might try to tackle this problem by making the encumbrance rules simpler and a bit more realistic, without all the book keeping.
Encumbrance Points
Characters have a number of EP equal to ½ their Str score.
Containers take up EP, but allow the bearer to carry a number of small items without them taking up EP.
Small items (those marked with a *) do not take EP if they are in an appropriate container. When they are not stowed they take up 1 EP.
Negligible items (those marked with a -) mass is insignificant individually. 5 Negligible items count as a single small item.
50 GP is equal to one small item.
Light Load = ½ Str score, Medium Load = ¾ Str. Score, Heavy Load = Str. Score
Characters bearing a medium load are moved -1 CT and have their speed reduced by 1, characters bearing a heavy load are moved -3 CT, have their speed reduced to ½ and may not run or charge.
Containers
{TABLE=head]Container|Cost|EP
Backpack|2 gp|2 (20)
Backpacks may contain up to 20 small items.
Barrel| 2 gp |4 (100)
Barrels may contain 100 small items.
Case, map or scroll | 1 gp | 1 (50)
Map or Scroll cases may contain 50 sheets of paper, maps or scrolls.
Chest (empty) | 2 gp | 4 (50)
Chest may contain 50 small items.
Pouch, belt (empty) | 1 gp | 1 (5)
Belt pouches may contain 5 small items.
Quiver | 1 gp | 1 (30)
Quivers may contain 30 arrows or bolts.
Sack (empty) | 1 sp |2 (50)
Sacks may contain 50 small items. Folded sacks are *[/TABLE]
{TABLE=head]Item | Cost | EP
Basket (empty) | 4 sp | 1
Bedroll | 1 sp | 1
Bell | 1 gp | *
Blanket, winter | 5 sp | 1
Block and tackle | 5 gp | 1
Bottle, wine, glass | 2 gp | 1
Bucket (empty) | 5 sp | 1
Caltrops | 1 gp | *
Candle | 1 cp | -
Canvas (5 sq. yds.) | 1 sp| 1
Chain (10 ft.) | 30 gp | 1
Chalk, 1 piece | 1 cp | -
Crowbar | 2 gp | 1
Firewood (per day) | 1 cp | 4
Fishhook | 1 sp | -
Fishing net, 25 sq. ft. | 4 gp | 1
Flask (empty) | 3 cp | *
Flint and steel | 1 gp | -
Grappling hook | 1 gp | 1
Hammer | 5 sp | 1
Ink (1 oz. vial) | 8 gp | *
Inkpen | 1 sp | -
Jug, clay | 3 cp | 1
Ladder, 10-foot | 5 cp | 4
Lamp, common | 1 sp | 1
Lantern, bullseye | 12 gp | 1
Lantern, hooded | 7 gp | 1
Lock (very simple) | 20 gp | *
Lock (average) | 40 gp | *
Lock (good) | 80 gp | *
Lock (amazing) | 150 gp | *
Manacles | 15 gp | 1
Manacles, masterwork | 50 gp | 1
Mirror, small steel | 10 gp | *
Mug/Tankard, clay | 2 cp | *
Oil (1-pint flask) | 1 sp | *
Paper ( 10 sheets) | 1 gp | —
Pick, miner’s | 3 gp | 2
Pitcher, clay | 2 cp | 1
Piton | 1 sp | *
Pole, 10-foot | 2 sp | 3
Pot, iron | 5 sp | 2
Ram, portable | 10 gp | 4
Rations, trail (per day) | 5 sp | *
Rope, hempen (50 ft.) | 1 gp | 2
Rope, silk (50 ft.) | 10 gp | 1
Sealing wax | 1 gp | *
Sewing needle | 5 sp | —
Signal whistle | 8 sp| —
Signet ring | 5 gp | —
Sledge | 1 gp | 2
Soap (per lb.) | 5 sp | *
Spade or shovel | 2 gp | 2
Spyglass | 100 gp | 1
Tent | 10 gp | 4
Torch | 1 cp | 1
Vial, ink or potion | 1 gp | -
Waterskin | 1 gp | 1
Whetstone | 2 cp | *
Light Weapons | X | *
One-handed Weapons | X | 1
Two-handed Weapons |X | 2
Polearms |X | 3
Light Armor |X | 1
Medium Armor |X | 2
Heavy armor |X | 3
[/TABLE]