Encumberance issues

[0-hr]

I'm making up a gnomish wizard in a campaign where extradimensional containers are not allowed - thus weight has suddenly become an important factor.

So, first off, you get to wear one set of clothes for free (no weight) correct?

Also, what do scrolls weigh? I plan on carrying a couple dozen, bound into a book - so would 1/4th the weight of a 100pg spell book (3 lbs) be accurate?

And lastly, do sheathes for weapons count for encumberance? I can't even find them in the book...

 

[Ogrork the Mighty]

Sheathes are included in the weight of the weapon.

If you're going to calculate the weight of scrolls, I'd suggest 2/100 = 0.02 lbs per page, or 50 sheets to a pound. My reasoning is a 100-page book is 3 pounds; subtract the weight of the spine and binding and that leaves about 2 lbs. This is a rough estimate.

Since you're playing a gnome, make sure to read the encumbrance section of the PH b/c small creatures have reduced carrying capacity. We've got a kender in our game and he gets the shaft when it comes to carrying gear. We had to house rule that a lot of his gear weighs 3/4 normal just so that he would have a reasonable carrying capacity.

 

[0-hr]

Ya, it really hurts that every book I carry weighs 3 lbs, but I guess the big folk would carry wee little spellbooks if it were otherwise.

Where I really got the shaft was thinking "Hey I'm short, I'll carry a Rod of (Lesser) Empowerment for a staff! That will be cool." Yea right, the damn thing weighs 5 lbs where a small quarter staff would only weigh 2!

 

[Shallown]

Do what I did. Get a well trained dog as a pack animal.

I played a woodsman type caster with a 9 strength. Even without armor and such I loaded up quick so I got a dog to carry stuff that I needed but didn't need in a fight.

Later

 

[Patryn of Elvenshae]

EDIT: Double post.

 

[Patryn of Elvenshae]

Make sure he's a combat-trained riding dog and get some cross-class ranks in Handle Animal.

Trip attacks are helpful if something ever gets in your face.

And then you can throw some barding on him, as well.

 

[nhl_1997]

I easily could be wrong about this since I don't have the book in front of me, but I believe scrolls have no weight. However, where are the scrolls being kept? Are they loose in a cloak pocket or in a backpack? That's okay, but I hope you do not get wet (or burnt.)

Scroll cases do have a weight (of one pound).

 

[Ogrork the Mighty]

IIRC, scrolls don't have a listed weight. But if you're carrying around a lot of them, IMO it's fair for a DM to assign a weight to them.

 

[Patryn of Elvenshae]

It would probably be equal to the weight of paper which is, what, roughly 200 sheets to the pound in D&D?

 

[CRGreathouse]

Since you're playing a gnome, make sure to read the encumbrance section of the PH b/c small creatures have reduced carrying capacity. We've got a kender in our game and he gets the shaft when it comes to carrying gear. We had to house rule that a lot of his gear weighs 3/4 normal just so that he would have a reasonable carrying capacity.

[1] Weight figures are for Medium weapons. A Small weapon weighs half as much, and a Large weapon weighs twice as much. (p. 117)

[1] Weight figures are for armor sized for Medium characters. Armor fitted for Small characters weighs half as much, and armor fitted for Large characters weighs twice as much. (p. 123)

[1] These items weigh one-quarter this amount when made for Small characters. Containers for Small characters also carry one-quarter the normal amount. (p. 129)