D&D 5E Magic item weights aren't listed in DMG

[Scorpio616]

So the 1e/2e ogre (9 feet tall, 300-350 pounds) needed to eat more adventurers to reach average weight?

Yeah, that's scrawny for 9'. But they were based on those old plastic cavemen and the illo even showed rib.

 

[Stalker0]

This is actually very easy to figure out. As we all know, E=mc2. Magic is energy, so all we have to do is determine the raw magical energy of each item, then convert that to mass. Lastly of course, we will adjust based on the gravity of the current setting to convert the mass into weight.

Simple!

 

[mach1.9pants]

I have it on good authority the answer to the weight of magic items is 42

 

[delericho]

Thoughts?

Well, I wish it did, because that's the sort of thing that's useful to a decently-sized subset of players.

That said, I have no intention on using encumbrance rules in 5e, so it doesn't bother me too much: it would have been a "nice to have", but no more than that.

(And, in general, I find the encumbrance rules in D&D, at least since 3e, to be almost absurdly generous. If I were to use some sort of encumbrance rule it would be based less on the weight a character can carry, and more on the practical question of where they carry all this stuff - with a key consideration being that getting things out of backpacks/sacks should take a significant amount of time.)

I'm not sure how to assign weight to them, unless I refer to a prior edition, like 3rd or perhaps PF. What's your take?

I would suggest putting together a "cheat sheet" for common magic items (potions, scrolls, wands), probably by looking back at earlier editions. Other magic items are hopefully sufficiently rare that you can look those up (or pick a figure) when actually assigning them in treasure.

 

[jadrax]

Calculating this for my height, 70 inches, gives a typical weight of 173.6 pounds. That's almost spot on for a normal weight for me.

I'd increase the total weight the formula gives you for really short humanoids like a halfling that might be wider proportionally than a human and maybe decrease it slightly for a really tall humanoid.

A 9 foot Ogre should weigh 637 pounds. So maybe 550-600?

A 3'6" halfling is 37 pounds so maybe 45 to simulate a pudgier dude?

The listed racial factors for build are Halflings x 1.5, Dwarves x 1.77, Orcs x 1.3, Elves x 0.75

These are applied as a modifier to the final result.

Ogres are pretty portly in the illustrations, I assume they would be heavier than a normal build, not lighter.

Rolemaster Companion 1 (circa 1985) has the formulae and adjustments for both the typical races and for various materials.

Indeed ;o)

On Page 66 to be precise.

 

[Grazzt]

The listed racial factors for build are Halflings x 1.5, Dwarves x 1.77, Orcs x 1.3, Elves x 0.75

These are applied as a modifier to the final result.

Ogres are pretty portly in the illustrations, I assume they would be heavier than a normal build, not lighter.



Indeed ;o)

On Page 66 to be precise.

Looks like 3.5 got close with the stone golem using these formulas. The clay golem though, little less than half what it should be (if you figure the average large clay golem stands 8 feet tall).

 

[jadrax]

I make it that the 8 foot clay golem should be 1333 pounds, so yes 600 pounds is quite light.

[C for clay is 140 for those without the book: C is the weight of a cubic foot of the material.]

Some of the more useful C values (which might also be helpful with regards to the OP) are:
Brass/Bronze = 550
Lead = 710
Steel = 500
Diamond = 200
Ice = 57.2
Clay =180
Bone = 115
Oak = 47
Iron = 445
Silver = 655
Granite = 170
Gold = 1,205
Wax = 112
Porcelin = 150

 

[Umbran]

The clay golem though, little less than half what it should be (if you figure the average large clay golem stands 8 feet tall).

Terra cotta is usually very light for its size.

 

[Grazzt]

Terra cotta is usually very light for its size.

Terra cotta golem, with a flower pot-shaped head, and a poisonous flower (miniature tri-flower frond or something) growing out of its head could be....cool? Well, interesting for sure.

 

[Bupp]

Terracotta pie!
[video]system of a down-vicinity of obscenity: http://youtu.be/-If2r9ENQfA[/video]