How much does a backpack hold?

[Xeriar]

You have to consider that D&D's weights are way off. Example: D&D bastard swords are 15 lbs., while RL ones are 2-3 lbs. (Source: Museum Replicas Limited) I'm not sure what else is off, but that's a pretty big difference.

Greatswords are 15 lbs, historically they were about 8-10 lbs though there is a claymore from the ~8th century that weighed 15 pounds.

D&D has been improving in this arena, as it is some touching up is all that's needed now (though John Wick defending the longsword weighing 40 pounds and a katana weighing 8 was great fun)

 

[jester47]

Also, keep in mind that the D&D 3e weights also take into consideration bulk. So, somthing that takes 8 lbs IRL (like a greatsword) gets inflated with weight due to bulk. I think it was Reynolds that was saying this. That the "weights" in D&D are actually "bulk/weight points." This costs realism, but makes things a little easier when it comes to game play.

Aaron.

 

[Antoine]

There was a radio guy in WWII who, weighing 135 libs, carried 180 pounds of gear. While a pack is only going to take so much wear period, I imagine 130 pounds of water is not out of the question.

Probably not.
Anyway, how much gear a guy can carry around is handled elsewhere in the d20 rules.
The point was to approximate how much load you can stuff INSIDE an average backpack.
Which will also help carry several more pounds on the outside (woodaxe, pick, blanket, bedroll, poles, tent, spare weapon, you name it…).

And there's a lot of gear to carry apart from the loaded backpack, the more so when adressing a fighter type D&D adventurer.

 

[Nighthawk]

Hmm, I am away from home, so I cannot check, but I thought the listed values for equipment were for encumbrance purposes, not weight alone. Did that change or am I mistaken in my thought to begin with?

 

[Aaron2]

Also, keep in mind that the D&D 3e weights also take into consideration bulk. So, somthing that takes 8 lbs IRL (like a greatsword) gets inflated with weight due to bulk. I think it was Reynolds that was saying this. That the "weights" in D&D are actually "bulk/weight points." This costs realism, but makes things a little easier when it comes to game play.

I can't see how making weights include some undisclosed "bulk factor" can possibly make things easier. What about using TK to move weapons around? Mage Hand doesn't care about bulk.

Also, why are weapon the only thing with this mysterious Bulk Factor?

They should just admit that their weights are wrong and fix them. If DMs want to enforce bulkiness it should be up to them.


Aaron

 

[Tywyll]

Also, why are weapon the only thing with this mysterious Bulk Factor?

They should just admit that their weights are wrong and fix them. If DMs want to enforce bulkiness it should be up to them.

Aaron

Not when you have sacks weighing 2 pounds, no, weapons aren't the only things. I've always assumed it was the unwritten 'bulk' factor, but its still obnoxious.

 

[Aaron2]

Not when you have sacks weighing 2 pounds, no, weapons aren't the only things. I've always assumed it was the unwritten 'bulk' factor, but its still obnoxious.

My book shows sacks at 1/2 pound. Empty backpacks are 2 pounds.


Aaron

 

[Norfleet]

Of course, you do realize that many D&D weight figures are, in fact, completely arbitrary? That the designers kinda pulled these figures out of their asses, and as such, they have only the crudest possible approximations to reality, and that most people don't really have a very solid mental image of how much a pound or kg weighs?

If you want to get more reasonable approximations of this, what you should do is take ACTUAL items which are similar to the described items, and weigh them, and try to stuff them into a backpack. No amount of eyeballing will give you an accurate idea of how much stuff you can actually put into a backpack. In fact, knowing how to pack is a skill in itself, as I find you can fit an appalling amount of crap inside of a seemingly tiny backpack. Just look all the stuff women have in their purses. You can fit a surprisingly large amount of stuff inside of a backpack, and still have enough room to put a whole fish in.