How do weight limits for characters with incorporeal subtype work?

[Malistrae]

Let's say we have a character who has no Strength score due to being incorporeal. But it has the Ghostly Grasp feat from Libris Mortis.

"You can handle corporeal objects even while incorporeal.
Prerequisites: Cha 15, incorporeal subtype.
Benefi t: You can wear, wield, and otherwise use corporeal
items as though you were not incorporeal.
Special: Without this feat, an incorporeal creature can only
wear or wield items that have the ghost touch special ability."

My question is that how much weight a character like this could wear, wield or carry? I have seen no RAW solution, but if I had to homebrew it, I would say either Dexterity (since incorporeals make melee attack rolls with that) or Charisma (they use it for almost everything) substitutes Strength in this case.

[mabriss lethe]

I'm pretty sure that they default to Charisma but I don't particularly remember if that's true or if I'm making it up. Try rules compendium maybe?

[Necroticplague]

Let's say we have a character who has no Strength score due to being incorporeal. But it has the Ghostly Grasp feat from Libris Mortis.

"You can handle corporeal objects even while incorporeal.
Prerequisites: Cha 15, incorporeal subtype.
Benefi t: You can wear, wield, and otherwise use corporeal
items as though you were not incorporeal.
Special: Without this feat, an incorporeal creature can only
wear or wield items that have the ghost touch special ability."

My question is that how much weight a character like this could wear, wield or carry? I have seen no RAW solution, but if I had to homebrew it, I would say either Dexterity (since incorporeals make melee attack rolls with that) or Charisma (they use it for almost everything) substitutes Strength in this case.

N/A. You see, you're missing an important part about being incorporeal.

Any equipment worn or carried by an incorporeal creature is also incorporeal as long as it remains in the creature's possession.
So, anything a character with the Ghostly Grasp feat picks up becomes incorporeal itself, and thus has no weight.

[Jack_Simth]

N/A. You see, you're missing an important part about being incorporeal.

So, anything a character with the Ghostly Grasp feat picks up becomes incorporeal itself, and thus has no weight.

Mind you: Most incorporeal creatures also don't have a strength score, so you have to wonder how one defines what they can pick up in the first place....

[SangoProduction]

Mind you: Most incorporeal creatures also don't have a strength score, so you have to wonder how one defines what they can pick up in the first place....


A creature with no Strength score can’t exert force, usually because it has no physical body or because it doesn’t move.

If what they pick up is not made incorporeal, then they can't pick it up because they can't exert force. Incorporeal creatures/objects don't need force to move because they are....well...different actually...I was about to say "massless" but then they'd be zooming around at the literal speed of light, and would only be able to take 1 turn per some couple of hundreds of thousands.

[Platymus Pus]

At least a zipper and clay vases.

[OldTrees1]

1) Ghostly Grasp was written with primarily Ghosts in mind. Ghosts do have Str scores.
2) Ghostly Grasp refers to "as though you were not incorporeal". For non ghosts the last time they were not incorporeal was before they were incorporeal. RAW you can reference that Str score if you wish.
3) WotC poor editing amiright? Make a reasonable ruling like using 10 Str.

[Jack_Simth]

If what they pick up is not made incorporeal, then they can't pick it up because they can't exert force. Incorporeal creatures/objects don't need force to move because they are....well...different actually...I was about to say "massless" but then they'd be zooming around at the literal speed of light, and would only be able to take 1 turn per some couple of hundreds of thousands.
Meanwhile, the Ghostly Grasp feat specifically permits them to pick stuff up... although it's possible without the feat, due to things like Ghost Touch Armor, Ghost touch weapons, and the little fun fact that it's possible to enchant gauntlets as weapons even in core.

1) Ghostly Grasp was written with primarily Ghosts in mind. Ghosts do have Str scores.
They're one of the very few incorporeals that do, yes, and are the main reason I used the word "most".

2) Ghostly Grasp refers to "as though you were not incorporeal". For non ghosts the last time they were not incorporeal was before they were incorporeal. RAW you can reference that Str score if you wish.
3) WotC poor editing amiright? Make a reasonable ruling like using 10 Str.
Both perfectly fine rulings; pity there isn't a clear RAW in the mix.

[Thurbane]

I'm pretty sure that they default to Charisma but I don't particularly remember if that's true or if I'm making it up. Try rules compendium maybe?

I believe there is a rule buried somewhere in the MM (don't think it made it to SRD?) that for any creature with a non-score in the relevant ability (usually Con), you default to using Cha to calculate the DC of special attacks.

By RAW, this wouldn't apply to subbing out Cha for Str in regards to carrying limits, but I think it would be a reasonable house rule.