Encumbrance

[Voadam]

I'm also still kind of tempted by something like Ulfgeir suggested, that will force them to track what's carried where; rather than only how much. But I know there's only so much of this crap they will tolerate so I might have to dial that back.

Tell them to just think through where they are carrying things and to be able to describe it. Let them know you want the visuals to be cool, but not ridiculous. That should generally eliminate things like the spear and sword and longbow and quiver and shield on their back next to the backpack.

 

[Shiroiken]

One of the problems I've run across with most encumbrance systems is that they often focus on weight, not logistics. You've only got 2 hands and only so much body space to hang things from, making that often a greater limitation than pure weight. Even systems that try to use container capacity (such as 5E D&D) often have these aspects ignored. Because of this I'm a big fan of a slot style system based on where things are.

 

[Myth Master]

IME&O, aside from players falsifying dice rolls in their characters' favor, pretending your character still has arrows, bolts, sling short, etc. to fire after they are already used up, and continuing to pretend your character is eating or drinking long after the stores of food and water they purchased have been consumed, are the ONLY ways to actually “cheat” in playing an RPG.
The same goes for refusal to account for HOW and WHERE your character is carrying that dizzying array of weapons, supplies, and gear.
How do you know when you need an additional packhorse, or a cart or wagon to carry equipment and supplies if you don't account for weight (ENC) and location?
How do you know how heavy a travois, cart or wagon is and whether or not you r character(s) or beasts of burden can pull it/them unless you pay attention to ENC?

 

[Fenris-77]

If the game demands you account for how and where then you do. Many games don't. In the latter it's not cheating to be carrying X, it's just the rules.

 

[Myth Master]

If the game demands you account for how and where then you do. Many games don't. In the latter it's not cheating to be carrying X, it's just the rules.

The principle remains, and IMO&E remains true, regardless of whether the practice is hard-wired into the rules or not.

An RPG setting requires not just internal consistency but a clear connection and correspondence to the base-line physical realities of life – and I am not speaking in regards to beer-n-pretzels, cartoon-like games, nor narrative-based story-telling or "cinematic" games.

 

[Bawylie]

I like this one from Spiked Goblin Punch:

PCs have a number of Inventory Slots equal to their Strength that they can use to carry items on their person. Very small items don’t count.
An Inventory Slot can hold:
• 3 Tiny Weapons
• 1 One-handed Weapon
• Heavy Weapons take 2 slots
• A Bow or X-bow
• Quiver
• 3 Bottles
• A Lantern
• Light armor is 2 slots, medium is 3, heavy is 4.

The first 3 Inventory Slots are Belt/Quick Slots that can be accessed at any time, but it takes 1 round to retrieve an item from any other Inventory Slot.

Fatigue takes up 1 Inventory Slot. You get fatigue by fighting, overland travel, and other strenuous activities. You remove it by resting. They’ve got encumbrance penalties for going over your slot budget but I ignore that and just say you’re too tired to carry more.

Kind of makes things like carts and hirelings and donkeys important. In practice, just marking boxes or stacking chips. Very easy to use and track.

 

[MNblockhead]

Its funny, D&D Beyond and VTT character sheets make tracking encumbrance easy. But we still barely pay attention to it. I find I am a complete hypocrite when it comes to encumbrance. I like the idea of tracking it but I don't enjoy enforcing it in practice.

At this point in this old DM's gaming career, I employ the "eyeball method". Now and then I'll eyeball it and if a character is looking kinda silly in how much stuff s/he's carrying around, I'll apply encumbrance penalties. If the player objects, I am completely open to changing my mind. They just need to show me the calculated weight and where they are carrying everything, that what they have in packs and bags of holding fit according to weight and volume limits. Generally, most players will just accept my ruling than bother. Those that don't are using digital character sheets that make tracking encumbrance easy and they pretty much police themselves.

I've never found the need to come up with a slot-based system or other alternative way of tracking encumbrance. All are much more work for me than my eyeballing it and much more work for the players, because D&D Beyond and VTT character sheets support RAW encumbrance rules for 5e out of the box and calculate everything.

Even if we were running 5e with pencil and paper, I would use the P&P Eyeball Method, which is the DM eyeballs it with the occasional debate over why it is logical for the gnome to carry the content of a castle's armory on his back. If encumbrance became such an issue that I would need the players to keep strict weight records, or records slots, on their paper character sheets, I'd probably suggest that I may not run the type of game they would be most happy with and suggest they they join me when I next run a game that uses digital tools.