D&D General Backpacks and Sacks Carrying Capacity and Dimensions

[Vince_Snetterton]

This is like saying that since someone likes eating apples one time, they should also like eating oranges everyday. They are not remotely the same in terms of effort, frequency, taste, and reward - at least not for many, if not most people.

As for things like ammunition, I do think there should be some system in place for dealing with the possibility of running out (some people like an ammo die, my groups keep actual track) but it should be as detailed or abstracted as the group is comfortable with.

I, too, in general, have an old school vibe with my DM style - but I also feel like there have always been a range of player preferences that have been at odds with my style since the 80s - this is nothing new. People complained about keeping track of encumbrance back in 1E days. I first ran across an ammo die optional rule in 2E, clearly because some people didn't like keeping track of arrows, some people prefer VTTs and D&D Beyond because it keeps track of that stuff for you. I also know "new school" players for whom part of the fun is detailing where every bit of gear is on their body and how, even though there are other game preferences that make us a bad match for playing together.

For me, sometimes the puzzle of "how are we gonna carry all this stuff?" can be fun - but that fun (again for me) has diminishing returns. I don't want to spend time at the table figuring it out in a detailed way every session - and I don't like assigning homework for between sessions (even though some things, like leveling up - are best done then, so it is not always avoidable).

The thing is, and I believe you agree with me on this, is that once the baseline, (the initial homework) is done, re: the weight of items being carried, or tracking ammo, or rations, maintaining those numbers are trivial.

You fire an arrow, you subtract it from the quantity on your sheet (5 seconds work). You eat a day's rations, you reduce your rations by 1 (5 seconds work) AND you subtract 1 or 2 pounds from the weight you are carrying (also 5 seconds work). You come across a hoard of loose coins, mostly copper. NOW you have to have a conversation in group about how to carry that.

 

[LordEntrails]

Why don't you just use a digital character sheet? Any of the good ones will track encumbrance for you and the players and then you get what you want (tracking the minutia) and the majority of players get what they want (not tracking minutia).

 

[Vince_Snetterton]

Why don't you just use a digital character sheet? Any of the good ones will track encumbrance for you and the players and then you get what you want (tracking the minutia) and the majority of players get what they want (not tracking minutia).

I am old school. I always use paper and pencil when I play or DM. But I would be screaming at the tide coming in if I tried to stop players from using digital char sheets. If the good ones so indeed track this stuff, even more reason why players should not whine about it.

 

[toucanbuzz]

We handle backpacks, sacks, etc., by using slot encumbrance. If you track what comes in starter backpacks, it matches quite well. Encumbrance is as much a matter of space as it is weight.

 

[el-remmen]

The thing is, and I believe you agree with me on this, is that once the baseline, (the initial homework) is done, re: the weight of items being carried, or tracking ammo, or rations, maintaining those numbers are trivial.

You fire an arrow, you subtract it from the quantity on your sheet (5 seconds work). You eat a day's rations, you reduce your rations by 1 (5 seconds work) AND you subtract 1 or 2 pounds from the weight you are carrying (also 5 seconds work). You come across a hoard of loose coins, mostly copper. NOW you have to have a conversation in group about how to carry that.

I just don't assume that what is trivial for me is trivial for everyone.

 

[Vince_Snetterton]

I just don't assume that what is trivial for me is trivial for everyone.

Are you going to suggest that subtracting 1 from a number is not trivial?

 

[el-remmen]

Are you going to suggest that subtracting 1 from a number is not trivial?

I think I just did suggest that for some people it may not be. Thus groups should figure out what works for them by compromising.

 

[Vince_Snetterton]

I think I just did suggest that for some people it may not be. Thus groups should figure out what works for them by compromising.

How does a player add or subtract from dice rolls on a constant basis without being able to master "x-1"?

 

[J.Quondam]

Unless a game is tightly focused on survival, I'm generally not terribly interested in nitpicky, per-ounce encumbrances. On the other hand, I usually won't not consider weight/bulk at all in D&D, because, imo, having the risk of losing a pack, or less effective combat, or forced choices (like take the treasure versus take their comrades' body) makes for a better game. Genre depending, of course.

I prefer more abstract encumbrance systems, where items (or bundle of items) take up limited slots*; and/or are tracked probabilistically, eg, any item used might be the last. Abstract encumbrance still gives opportunities to impose interesting decisions on characters, without the fiddliness of tracking the weight and volume of every last doodad on their person.


* Slot systems are especially nice, imo, because they are easily translated into physical cards or tokens that make the tracking easier to adjust than numbers on a character sheet.

 

[Khel]

I would like to say this and give a brief example, 1st: i'm not saying make it difficult or time consuming but...... here is the example- if a person has a strength of 16 then we know that 16 x 15 lbs= 240 lbs able to carry. All i'm saying is that I think that me as a player and or a DM should either give the DM or the players an idea that HEY go ahead carry it BUT a backpack will still only carry by 2e rules 50 lbs which now leaves the rest to be sorted out I don't need to know all of it just that you are aware, and that you have come up with the means to do it. because whether walking through a Dungeon or the Forest 240 lbs held in your arms like fire wood , will not as we all know leave you to attack or defend.
Again i'm very understanding and know that it can an does become time consuming, and that's why I say just as long as you know how much each thing can carry and that you have enough to be able to do so and to be able to attack or defend then the time consumption goes down.
Personal feeling here the OLD way......... the NEWER want what the Video games give you quick fast battles an we are done ...... the use of using the mind to me has gone down a lot. *And Yes all the above could be carried by Magic but there again how much magic is in your Game. Lastly if you look at the example in the POST about a Military backpack that can carry 120 lbs why can't we make one in the Game....... get it magically made to act like the Hewards handy haversack or a bag of holding........... we can!!!!! WILL cost but hey. Sorry Lengthy again........ I cam up with bandoliers that held potions....... my wands had a thin wire attached at the end you held and secured to my wrist that way, let go pull sword or able to cast spell....Heck I even came up with special boots that held 3 arrows on the outside of them........all ways to carry more and less time consumption ......and in MY book just because it says you can doesn't mean you can.......an old DM taught me that.