Starting equipment

[Grayson01]

Okay I am looking through the Index and Table of contents where can I find the contents of the "Packs" Burglars, Dungeoneer's, or Explorer's?

[Townopolis]

PHB 151​additional characters

[Grayson01]

PHB 151​additional characters

Thanks my brain completely skipped over the big green box

[Greylind]

I wonder if somebody with far more patience than me could run down a list of the weights of each pack. I did notice, however, that several of the packs are overloaded, two in particular come with ten torches and ten days of rations, which comes to 30 lbs, the stated limit of a backpack. I suppose some or most of the equipment may be hung on the outside in various loops and such, maybe on the straps as well, but there isn't any real room for anything additional.

[Townopolis]

Burglar's Pack = 47.5+ lb.


5lb. Backpack
2 lb. 1,000 ball bearings
? 10' string
- bell
- 5 candles
5 lb. crowbar
3 lb. hammer
2.5 lb. 10 pitons
2 lb. lantern, hooded
2 lb. 2 oil, flasks
10 lb. 5 days' rations
1 lb. tinderbox
5 lb. (full) waterskin
10 lb. 50' hemp rope, specifically noted as being tied to the outside of the backpack


Diplomat's Pack = 36 lb.


25 lb. chest
2 lb. 2 map cases
6 lb. fine clothes
- bottle of ink
- ink pen
1 lb. lamp
2 lb. 2 oil, flasks
- 5 sheets paper
- perfume
- sealing wax
- soap


Dungeoneer's Pack = 61.5 lb.


5 lb. backpack
5 lb. crowbar
3 lb. hammer
2.5 lb. 10 pitons
10 lb. 10 torches
1 lb. tinderbox
20 lb. 10 days' rations
5 lb. (full) waterskin
10 lb. 50' hemp rope, specifically noted as being strapped to the side of the pack


Entertainer's Pack = 38 lb.


5 lb. backpack
7 lb. bedroll
8 lb. 2 costumes
- 5 candles
10 lb. 5 days' rations
5 lb. (full) waterskin
3 lb. disguise kit


Explorer's Pack = 59 lb.


5 lb. backpack
7 lb. bedroll
1 lb. mess kit
1 lb. tinderbox
10 lb. 10 torches
20 lb. 10 days' rations
5 lb. (full) waterskin
10 lb. 50' hemp rope, specifically noted as being strapped to the outside of the pack


Priest's Pack = 18+ lb.


5 lb. backpack
3 lb. blanket
- 10 candles
1 lb. tinderbox
? alms box
? 2 blocks incense
? censer
? vestments
4 lb. 2 days' rations
5 lb. (full) waterskin


Scholar's Pack = 10+ lb.


5 lb. backpack
5 lb. book "of lore"
- bottle of ink
- ink pen
- 10 sheets parchment
? little bag of sand
? small knife

[Greylind]

Burglar's Pack = 47.5 lb.


5lb. Backpack
2 lb. 1,000 ball bearings
? 10' string
- bell
- 5 candles
5 lb. crowbar
3 lb. hammer
2.5 lb. 10 pitons
2 lb. lantern, hooded
2 lb. 2 oil, flasks
10 lb. 5 days' rations
1 lb. tinderbox
5 lb. (full) waterskin
10 lb. 50' hemp rope, specifically noted as being tied to the outside of the backpack


Diplomat's Pack= 36 lb.


25 lb. chest
2 lb. 2 map cases
6 lb. fine clothes
- bottle of ink
- ink pen
1 lb. lamp
2 lb. 2 oil, flasks
- 5 sheets paper
- perfume
- sealing wax
- soap


Dungeoneer's Pack coming soon

Thanks for these two and in advance for the rest!

[archaeo]

weights

I feel like ignoring the encumbrance rules is a long and proud tradition in D&D, and it's reflected by the perfunctory treatment it gets in the PHB.

[hawklost]

I am not sure that everything in a 'pack' is actually in the pack. I think it is a list of items the person takes with them all bundled nicely. A lot of the items like Rope might be hanging on the side of a pack and therefore not actually part of its weight limit. Same with the Waterskin (you would think they would hang it on their belt then leave something that could leak with all the other contents. And of course the backpack itself does not effect its own carrying capacity.

[Scirocco]

Stock encumbrance rules are so generous that even fairly weak characters should rarely if ever run over their limit (STR score x15, so even an 8 STR has a carrying capacity of 120).

[pwykersotz]

I don't really understand why encumbrance rules get ignored so often. I use them in my games. They aren't tracked to the pound or anything, but it allows players to ballpark what they can take with them. Maybe if they're imposed zealously it would get annoying, but I find they're useful as a guideline.

Besides, in earlier editions when your strength got up to 314, it was bragging rights to know you could lift as much as Superman. :smallsmile:

[Slipperychicken]

I don't really understand why encumbrance rules get ignored so often.

Because some of us don't like tracking dozens of numbers in an effort which is either pointless or results in a choice between discarding equipment or sucking until we reach town.

[MrUberGr]

Well, we don't track every single item, but for example the barbarian would be carrying the two-foot, solid gold statue , his bedroll, and his weapon, while the halfling would have his belongings and a couple of other stuff. I think it's plain boring otherwise.

As for the packs, they do have everything stated, but that doesn't mean everything is in the backpack. For example the rope is tied to it's side, and the bedroll over or underneath.

[archaeo]

I feel like lots of campaigns run on "We're not going to worry too much about the numbers until you try to cart a statue around as a halfling." So long as the PCs stay within the realm of reason, it's not really necessary to account for every lb.

[pwykersotz]

I feel like lots of campaigns run on "We're not going to worry too much about the numbers until you try to cart a statue around as a halfling." So long as the PCs stay within the realm of reason, it's not really necessary to account for every lb.

Pretty much this. I guess it's just the distinction between which ballpark is used. We calculate our max loads and don't worry too much about it unless there's cause to wonder. As an example, my group fought 40 bandits total a few games ago. If they had looted every single weapon and piece of armor, they would have been burdened. However, they instead each armed and armored themselves completely, and took a few extra weapons here and there. Weight didn't come up once, and they knew they weren't going to be able to realistically carry everything so they prioritized. Best of both worlds in my opinion.

[Ramshack]

Pretty much this. I guess it's just the distinction between which ballpark is used. We calculate our max loads and don't worry too much about it unless there's cause to wonder. As an example, my group fought 40 bandits total a few games ago. If they had looted every single weapon and piece of armor, they would have been burdened. However, they instead each armed and armored themselves completely, and took a few extra weapons here and there. Weight didn't come up once, and they knew they weren't going to be able to realistically carry everything so they prioritized. Best of both worlds in my opinion.

I have to agree with these, my group doesn't count the numbers, if it's in the realm of possibility we play on, if players try carrying an entire dragon carcass to sell then there's a problem.

[Kerilstrasz]

I as Dm , ask my players on a regular basis to check their "weights"..
like every session before we start playing.

After each of them have a vague idea how much more they can carry, i just say:
" If you have the extra "weight space" to keep item X with you go ahead, if you don't give it to someone else"

With that said, i always keep at the back of my mind to check "suspicious" character sheets for mistakes while
the group is doing something that doesn't need my undivided attention.

[Slipperychicken]

I mean, if I were to track equipment weights, I'd just set up an Excel spreadsheet to track individual items with and tell me which encumbrance category my character has. I'd ask the DM to tell me the weight of each equipment item when my character picks it up.

Either that, or I'd more-or-less rip off ACKS' encumbrance system: Characters can carry up to [20 +/- Strength modifier] in Big Items. Carrying half your limit gives you medium encumbrance, and carrying your full limit is Maximum encumbrance. Having a different size category or being quadrupedal affects encumbrance limits as normal. A big item (generally 7-14lbs) is something like a weapon, a shield, a backpack, a set of clothing, a musical instrument, a 10ft pole, a 50ft length of rope, etc, and each big item is equal to 1. A "small item" counts as 1/6th of a big item, and could be a book, a pot, a bag, a dagger, a single item of clothing, a brick, one hundred coins, a bundle of 20 arrows, etc. An inconsequential item (like a single arrow or a single sheet of paper) doesn't count against encumbrance at all until it's bundled together, in which case it's considered a small item. Larger objects (like statues) are typically a number of units equal to their weight in pounds divided by 10.