Gravity and Carry limits!

[alanek2002]

So, as it has just become important to note...

How does being in a low or no gravity environment affect your carrying lmits? (Light load, max load, etc.)

This is important because teleport allows you to bring along objects you are touching, so long as they don't exceed your max load... which is based on weight instead of mass. And I so happen to be potentially trying to teleport something in space well out of my normal range if it was on the ground. Moderately cheesy, I know, but curious to see if it should work.

[Mordaedil]

It's important to note that space doesn't exist in D&D. The planet might be round, but there's no outer space or other planets. D&D operates on planar theory, so going too far up, would just put you on the Astral plane, if you can survive the layer of thin air and bypass the anti-magic zone.

Until you add Spelljammer, and then you have ships where you can still breathe in space, so...

[Uncle Pine]

Manual of the Planes (3.0, unupdated) page 9 on alternate gravities:

The gravity of this plane is much more
intense than the Material Plane. As a result, Balance,
Climb, Jump, Ride, Swim, and Tumble checks suffer a –2
circumstance penalty, as do all attack rolls. All item
weights are effectively doubled, which might affect a
character's speed. Weapon ranges are halved.
A character's Strength and Dexterity are not affected,
but these ability scores don't let the character do as much.
This limitation applies to both travelers from other planes
as well as natives, though the natives know of the
limitation and plan accordingly.
You can double or triple the heavy gravity effect for
particular planes, though they won't be popular destinations
with adventurers.
Characters who fall on a heavy gravity plane take 1d1o
points of damage for each 10 feet fallen, to a maximum of
2odl0 points of damage.

The gravity of this plane is less intense
than on the Material Plane. As a result, creatures find that
they can lift more, but their movements tend to be
ungainly. Characters on planes with the light gravity trait
suffer a –2 circumstance penalty on attack rolls and
Balance, Ride, Swim, and Tumble checks. All items weigh
half as much. Weapon ranges double, and characters gain a
+2 circumstance bonus on Climb and Jump checks.
Strength and Dexterity don't change as a result of light
gravity, but what you can do with such scores does change.
These advantages apply to travelers from other planes as
well as natives.
Falling characters on a light gravity plane take 1d4
points of damage for each 10 feet of the fall, to a maximum
of 20d4 points of damage.
You can choose to decrease gravity even further,
doubling or tripling the effect for that particular plane.

Individuals in a plane without gravity
merely float in space, unless other mechanisms (such as
magic or force of will) are available to provide a direction
for gravity's pull. An example of a plane with no gravity is
the Astral Plane, where everyone gets around by simply
imagining themselves moving in a particular direction.

The strength of gravity
is the same as on the Material Plane, but the direction is
not the traditional “down” toward the ground. It may be
down toward any solid object, at an angle to the plane
itself, or even upward, creating a chandelierlike world
where everyone has to hang on or be thrown out into the
void.
In addition, objective directional gravity may change
from place to place. The direction of “down” may vary, so
individuals may suddenly find themselves falling upward
(similar to the reverse gravity spell) or walking up walls.
Travelers on planes with objective directional gravity
tend to be cautious. No one wants to discover the hard way
that the 100-foot corridor ahead has become a 100-footdeep
pit.

The strength of
gravity is the same, but each individual chooses the
direction of gravity's pull. Such a plane has no gravity for
unattended objects and nonsentient creatures. This can be
very disorienting to the newcomer, but is common on
“weightless” planes such as the Plane of Air.
Characters can move normally on a solid surface by
imagining “down” near their feet. For pockets of matter in
the Elemental Plane of Air, this is the most common way
to generate one's own gravity. If suspended in midair, a
character “flies” by merely choosing a “down” direction
and “falling” that way.

The epic spell Nailed To The Sky (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/epic/spells/nailedToTheSky.htm) provides a precedent for how to handle being high up in orbit outside the atmosphere, but as far as I know there's no hard rulings on the matter.

[King of Nowhere]

Manual of the Planes (3.0, unupdated) page 9 on alternate gravities:






The epic spell Nailed To The Sky (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/epic/spells/nailedToTheSky.htm) provides a precedent for how to handle being high up in orbit outside the atmosphere, but as far as I know there's no hard rulings on the matter.

those rules are real crap. in double gravity your body is heavier, so even if you aren't carrying anything at all you still suffer movement speed reduction. And -2 to jump? really? Ever tried jumping while carrying on your shoulders someone as heavy as you are?

Anyway, I would suggest teleportation uses mass. In fact, I liked it much better the older version that just gave you a weight limit based on caster level. made much more sense physically. As for encumbrance, I'd maybe raise all weight limitations by 50% in zero gravity, but no more than that; mass is still mass, and having to accelerate a greater mass makes you less agile. You can carry a lot of load with little effort, but you can't effectively fight or tumble while carrying it.

[Psyren]

Starfinder has easier to grok rules for carrying stuff and gravity effects, since you're expected to encounter changing (or zero!) gravity much earlier on than you would in D&D/PF. Basically every item in the game has a "bulk" score, with some being negligible ("-"), some being light bulk ("L") and some being a number. Every 10 light bulk items = 1 bulk, rounding down (so 19 light bulk still equals 1 bulk.) A rough guideline is that every 5-10 pounds = 1 bulk, items weighing a few ounces are negligible (don't track unless you carry an unreasonable amount), and everything in between is Light.

Bulk limits affect you as follows:

Half your Strength score or less = no effect
More than half, up to your Str score = Encumbered
Greater than your Strength (must be involuntary, e.g. changing gravity) = Overburdened

Then for various gravity environments (zero, low, standard, high, extreme) you simply multiply your bulk limit by various numbers - no table needed.

[Telok]

The problem with starfinder also being that either creatures don't have bulk or you can't carry another person. In addition since you can't carry/lift more than your rated bulk you can never be encumbered to the point where you can only move 5' at a time.

Honestly, just wing it. It's faster and you almost can't be any worse at it than the published rules.

[alanek2002]

Manual of the Planes (3.0, unupdated) page 9 on alternate gravities:






The epic spell Nailed To The Sky (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/epic/spells/nailedToTheSky.htm) provides a precedent for how to handle being high up in orbit outside the atmosphere, but as far as I know there's no hard rulings on the matter.

Ooh, thanks for the find! It's nice to have bearing in the rules for what I did.

Heh. Greater Teleportation: The New FTL system of choice in futuristic D&D settings.

[Psyren]

The problem with starfinder also being that either creatures don't have bulk or you can't carry another person.

That is similarly simple - you already have the total bulk of all their gear at your fingertips, so all you need is a static number for the creature themselves based on their size and shape. This isn't prescribed because Starfinder is a game where all kinds of alien shapes can be encountered (and other variables, like whether the creature is conscious or not) but it can still be estimated fairly readily - particularly if your alternative suggestion is just to "wing it" regardless.


In addition since you can't carry/lift more than your rated bulk you can never be encumbered to the point where you can only move 5' at a time.

You can't voluntarily do that actually. It can still be done to you, e.g. if you take strength damage or the gravity changes around you.

[Uncle Pine]

Ooh, thanks for the find! It's nice to have bearing in the rules for what I did.

Heh. Greater Teleportation: The New FTL system of choice in futuristic D&D settings.

If you're interested in sci-fi x D&D stuff, nothing prevents you from using the rules in Stronghold Builder's Guide to build a space- or even planarship, whether you want it as small as a single room or as huge as the Enterprise... just remember to grab some magical aid when you build it, or it'll get pricey. :smallwink:

[BWR]

It's important to note that space doesn't exist in D&D. The planet might be round, but there's no outer space or other planets. D&D operates on planar theory, so going too far up, would just put you on the Astral plane, if you can survive the layer of thin air and bypass the anti-magic zone.

Until you add Spelljammer, and then you have ships where you can still breathe in space, so...

Um, no. Plenty of D&D settings have actual space with vacuum and planets and moons and suns and distant stars. I have no idea what you base your assumption on.

[King of Nowhere]

The problem with starfinder also being that either creatures don't have bulk or you can't carry another person. In addition since you can't carry/lift more than your rated bulk you can never be encumbered to the point where you can only move 5' at a time.

Honestly, just wing it. It's faster and you almost can't be any worse at it than the published rules.

this STILL doesn't take into account the increased weight from your own body. If you want any decent simulation of high gravity, you have to add your own body mass to the amount you're carrying.

[Telok]

Really, just wing it.

Starfinder also doesn't adjust carrying capacity for size or anything. An 18 Str horse in that game is (by the rules) over-encumbered if a 190 lb. person mounts up. It's a pretty ugly little problem that you run into with the drone riding saddle modification.

[alanek2002]

Really, just wing it.

But how do I wing it in space? :P

If you're interested in sci-fi x D&D stuff, nothing prevents you from using the rules in Stronghold Builder's Guide to build a space- or even planarship, whether you want it as small as a single room or as huge as the Enterprise... just remember to grab some magical aid when you build it, or it'll get pricey. :smallwink:
Ooh. Didn't remember it had those options, thank you.

Um, no. Plenty of D&D settings have actual space with vacuum and planets and moons and suns and distant stars. I have no idea what you base your assumption on.
It confused me as well; especially since using custom campaign settings is practically standard.

[Psyren]

Starfinder also doesn't adjust carrying capacity for size or anything. An 18 Str horse in that game is (by the rules) over-encumbered if a 190 lb. person mounts up.

"The rules" say no such thing; the bulk guidelines are for objects, not creatures. Again, if you're going to suggest "winging it", having a starting point (the combined bulk of that person's gear) is better than wanking from thin air.

[Mordaedil]

It confused me as well; especially since using custom campaign settings is practically standard.
There's exceptions, like Forgotten Realms, but generally most D&D settings don't make mention of space and since you are dealing with a game that features deities as real beings and the like, space as we know it, not existing, is entirely possible. I realized after the fact that it came across as more final than I had intended. My apologies.