D&D 5E Encumbrance

[Warunsun]

Deep down I believe that if the designers actually intended us to track encumbrance, they would have given weights for the equipment packs.

I mean seriously, has anyone totalled them up?

Yes. Further, using Variant encumbrance encourages the player to dump items out of their background gear they would never need for their play-style.

 

[Warunsun]

I'm just not sure it's really any easier to create custom systems where you are tracking item slots or numbers of items of particular types, etc.

Actually, it can be a nightmare. LOL.

When my gamers started playing Castles & Crusades we tried their Equipment Value system. At first blush it seems reasonable to read. However, in implementation it was a nightmare. We stuck with it for a while and eventually I had to implement a system almost identical to the 5th Edition Variant Encumbrance for everyone's sanity. About the only difference under C&C I was envisioning coins being a more reasonable roman size instead of the over-sized gold pirate Doubloons often pictured in D&D stuff. So I let them have 100 coins to a pound.

When we started our D&D game I just used the standard coin weights listed in the 5E books.

 

[Warunsun]

If using Variant Encumbrance, how does the dwarvish racial trait interact?
I'm inclined to not count the armour weight when figuring the weight carried.

This is exactly how I have done it. I have them totally everything up including their armor weight but subtract it off again before considering encumbrance.

The funny thing is during the campaign the only character that reported to a dungeon heavily encumbered was the party dwarf. He was carrying pretty much everything he found including a bunch of stuff he'd never use. After a good laugh he dug a hole in the ground and put some of the extra stuff in it and other garbage he chucked. I have seen our bard and cleric both leave a dungeon heavily encumbered but they also reconsidered the extra junk they were carrying. So for my campaign it has been a plus.

 

[designbot]

If using Variant Encumbrance, how does the dwarvish racial trait interact?

I made the tracking sheet referenced elsewhere in this thread.

The rules do not specify how the dwarf's racial feature works with variant encumbrance. Based on the rules for standard encumbrance, and similar rules in earlier editions, I think a good compromise would be to say that the dwarf does not suffer any speed penalty for being encumbered or heavily encumbered, but they do have disadvantage on ability checks, attack rolls, and saving throws that use Strength, Dexterity, or Constitution when they are heavily encumbered, and they cannot carry more than the standard carrying limit.

 

[EvanNave55]

Deep down I believe that if the designers actually intended us to track encumbrance, they would have given weights for the equipment packs.

I mean seriously, has anyone totalled them up?

I did, and I'm playing a character who is (pretending) to be a merchant. Plus ivve bought and am carrying every item I think id have from my background so ended up totalling up what was somewhere between 50-100 items. Only reason I can bring all this stuff (despite most of it being small things like soap or candles) is because I have a cart with me.

Id give you the list but I dont have my character sheet with me.

P.s. sorry for any spelling errors typing from a nook.

 

[Kobold Stew]

I did, and ...
Id give you the list but I dont have my character sheet with me.

P.s. sorry for any spelling errors typing from a nook.

No worries! Pot them when you can.