D&D 5E How do you account for Dwarves in heavy armor using variant encumbrance?

[Shiroiken]

RAW, dwarves get nothing. I simply reduce the penalty by one step, so normal encumbered does nothing, heavy encumbered is as encumbered. Max encumbered is as normal.

 

[Ancalagon]

Dwarves get to ignore encumbrance rules

 

[CubicsRube]

Wouldn't the easiest ruling be that dwarves don't count the weight of the armor they wear towards encumbrance?

 

[Hriston]

Am I interpreting this correctly?

No, when you use the encumbrance variant, you ignore the Strength column of the armor table, so no one's speed is reduced by heavy armor. Instead, your speed is reduced if you are encumbered, on which the dwarven trait has no effect.

 

[Maxperson]

Dwarf's get the ability:

"Speed. Your base walking speed is 25 feet. Your speed is not reduced by wearing heavy armor."

Using variant encumbrance:

"If you carry weight in excess of 5 times your Strength score, you are encumbered, which means your speed drops by 10 feet."

The way I read this, if your Dwarf is carrying 1lb below the encumbered threshold without any armor and the he puts on his plate he still has full movement correct? It is like the plate does not count as weight for movement purposes. Likewise, since this applies only to heavy armor, if the same Dwarf donned leather he would be slowed by 10 feet.

Am I interpreting this correctly?

I would not allow that. It does not say, "Speed. Your base walking speed is 25 feet. Your speed is not reduced due to the weight of heavy armor."

"Heavy Armor. Heavier armor interferes with the wearer's ability to move quickly, stealthily, and freely. If the Armor table shows "Str 13" or "Str 15" in the Strength column for an armor type, the armor reduces the wearer's speed by 10 feet unless the wearer has a Strength score equal to or higher than the listed score."

Dwarves just aren't affected by the bold portion there. If a, 14 strength dwarf that was unencumbered put on plate, he would not slow down. If he was 1 pound under encumbrance and put it on, he would not slow down due to wearing heavy armor without the appropriate strength, but he would slow down due to encumbrance. A non-dwarf in the same circumstance would drop 10 feet for not being strong enough for the armor and 10 more feet for the encumbrance.

 

[Helldritch]

I would not allow that. It does not say, "Speed. Your base walking speed is 25 feet. Your speed is not reduced due to the weight of heavy armor."

"Heavy Armor. Heavier armor interferes with the wearer's ability to move quickly, stealthily, and freely. If the Armor table shows "Str 13" or "Str 15" in the Strength column for an armor type, the armor reduces the wearer's speed by 10 feet unless the wearer has a Strength score equal to or higher than the listed score."

Dwarves just aren't affected by the bold portion there. If a, 14 strength dwarf that was unencumbered put on plate, he would not slow down. If he was 1 pound under encumbrance and put it on, he would not slow down due to wearing heavy armor without the appropriate strength, but he would slow down due to encumbrance. A non-dwarf in the same circumstance would drop 10 feet for not being strong enough for the armor and 10 more feet for the encumbrance.

This is my understanding too. I would rule the same.