Centaurs and carrying capacity

[ChimericDream]

In the centaur monster description, it states that "lifting and carrying limits double those of Medium characters". However, in the carrying capacity section of the SRD, large quadrupeds are listed as being able to carry 3x the limit for a medium character. Is this a mistake, or is it intentional? I'd think that general carrying capacity for a centaur would be considered the same as a quadrupedal creature, since, you know... it is.

Thoughts?

 

[Michael Silverbane]

A centaur carries twice as much as a medium creature because it is a Large creature... It should also carry three times as much as a bipedal creature because it is quadrapedal... So it should carry six times (or four times, depending on if this is regular multiplication or D&D multiplication) as much as a Medium-sized bipedal creature, since it is a Quadrapedal Large creature...

Later
silver

 

[ChimericDream]

Well, the way the carrying capacity is written, a large quadrupedal creature carries 3x more than a medium biped. Since I think that's the direction you're leaning (which is sort of along the same lines as what I was thinking), that's what I'm going with.

 

[robberbaron]

I guess it depends how the centaur is carrying the load.

If it is carrying it in its arms, then I'd think the max load should be the same for a normal person. If, however, the load is on its back (a passenger, saddle bags, etc.) then I think it should be the 3x load.

Could get complicated so I'd probably rule 2x normal load as an acceptable average.

 

[frankthedm]

A centaur carries twice as much as a medium creature because it is a Large creature... It should also carry three times as much as a bipedal creature because it is quadrapedal... So it should carry six times (or four times, depending on if this is regular multiplication or D&D multiplication) as much as a Medium-sized bipedal creature, since it is a Quadrapedal Large creature...

Later
silver

No. Large quadrepeds get x3 load capacity. That's it.

Bigger and Smaller Creatures
The figures on Table: Carrying Capacity are for Medium bipedal creatures. A larger bipedal creature can carry more weight depending on its size category, as follows: Large ×2, Huge ×4, Gargantuan ×8, Colossal ×16. A smaller creature can carry less weight depending on its size category, as follows: Small ×¾, Tiny ×½, Diminutive ×¼, Fine ×1/8.

Quadrupeds can carry heavier loads than characters can. Instead of the multipliers given above, multiply the value corresponding to the creature’s Strength score from Table: Carrying Capacity by the appropriate modifier, as follows: Fine ×¼, Diminutive ×½, Tiny ×¾, Small ×1, Medium ×1½, Large ×3, Huge ×6, Gargantuan ×12, Colossal ×24.

 

[robberbaron]

Would it matter that the centaur is effectively a hexapod with the front two legs used as arms?