D&D General Huge Equipment Lists: Good, Bad, or Ugly?

[Oofta]

You sleep "fine"? Are you using a sleep tracking device to see how good the rest you're getting actually is? A lot of folks function chronically under-rested, and it's definitely not good for us. I don't mean to get into personal stuff or give you a health lecture, but it's very common for folks to underestimate how bad their sleep is.

I have a sleep number bed, it does indeed tell me how well I sleep. At first it was 10-15 points below my average, once I got used to the situation I've been sleeping fine.

I agree that how realistic we want to get with this stuff is a matter of subjective preference.

If I want a quasi-realistic game I'd probably say sleeping in gambesons is ok, but nothing heavier. And folks would have to deal with somewhat compromised protection (grab your helmet and shield and go!) during night attacks.

From a player perspective it results in vast disparities. I will never understand the penalties DMs put on PCs in heavy armor because they're 5-10% less likely to be hit by a weapon attack. I've run into DMs in the past that simply hated heavy armor and would go out of their way to screw over people that used it.

In any case, it's just a pet peeve. If I find myself in a game where I'm penalized for wearing heavy armor I just won't play a strength based PC unless they're a barbarian.

 

[LordBP]

Full ancient or medieval armor is not the same as modern military kit.

True, but I would say the modern military kit is worse than even full plate due to the fact that it's a lot more weight and it's all on the upper body (mainly the back if you have a rucksack for a long patrol).

For a light infantryman from the US, a normal load without rucksack is probably in the 40-60 pound range and a full combat load is probably in the 120-160 pound range depending on the person's role.

 

[Micah Sweet]

Without going into details, I've spent the last month sleeping propped up wearing a brace (hopefully done next week) and have to sleep on my back which I kind of hate. Yet while it can be uncomfortable but I still sleep fine.
Being uncomfortable is not the same as impossible. Armor as represented in D&D is not realistic, I don't know why some people insist on specific levels of realism in a game where many of the armor types never existed.

I never said impossible, I said they are not the same. And again, there are different ways and different levels of realism as regards armor, just like everything else. I don't assume current WotC D&D is the only way to do it, and neither does this thread.

 

[Micah Sweet]

You sleep "fine"? Are you using a sleep tracking device to see how good the rest you're getting actually is? A lot of folks function chronically under-rested, and it's definitely not good for us. I don't mean to get into personal stuff or give you a health lecture, but it's very common for folks to underestimate how bad their sleep is.


I agree that how realistic we want to get with this stuff is a matter of subjective preference.

If I want a quasi-realistic game I'd probably say sleeping in gambesons is ok, but nothing heavier. And folks would have to deal with somewhat compromised protection (grab your helmet and shield and go!) during night attacks.

This is basically how Level Up, a version of 5e, does it.

 

[Stormonu]

I've been to several SCA events with folks in (modern reproductions) armor sacked out asleep. People in plate laid out or in chain sitting up. It's obvious it isn't comfortable long term, but if you're in the mind - or tired enough - it can be done.

The big problem is spells make so many pieces of equipment redundant or worthless past about level 3. If certain spells didn't exist or were much harder to acquire, the usefulness of various equipment would be greater. At least for those tables that get a kick out of it. Having the right equipment for a delve could very much become a mini-game in its own right that gives a real boost to the exploration column of play. (It'd definitely be worthy of a game supplement)

It could be helpful if more items had tangible mechanical effects, such as energizing or enabling special skill uses (10 foot poles giving a bonus to Investigation checks to find weight activated or tripwire traps, for example). Especially if they could be scaled through quality, proficiency or some other mechanic that keeps them relative at higher levels of play. Though I suspect there would be push-back from many DMs because the bonus stacking would get out of hand (and/or the caveats would be an arm's length long and frustrating to remember).

 

[LordBP]

For those that want to read up, I've linked to a study done back in 2018 on the US military and the loads that soldiers have to carry.

The Soldier’s Heavy Load

History of the soldier loads.

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/258883795_The_History_of_the_Soldier's_Load

 

[Zaukrie]

Tiny lists....I assume my PCs have stuff unless it seems like an adventurer wouldn't.

 

[jmartkdr2]

I never said I know, but it seems like it would matter to some degree and I tend to err on the side of things making logical sense (to me at least until I learn differently) over making things easier for players when I don't feel it makes sense that they should.

People I know who have slept in armor say it's quite doable if not particularly comfortable, but they did it and were still fit enough to fight the next day.

 

[Tonguez]

If its interest and useful the equipment list can be fun, otherwise just give me kits - ie if I take a Climbers Kit I dont really need to know it contains 10 special pitons, a hammer, boot tips, gloves, carabiners, hooks, 50 foot rope, and a harness…

 

[Micah Sweet]

People I know who have slept in armor say it's quite doable if not particularly comfortable, but they did it and were still fit enough to fight the next day.

Fair enough, but that doesn't mean there were no ill effects.