Level Up (A5E) Purchasing, Carrying, and Expiring Supply

[RocjawCypher]

I assumed what the writers intended was "You can carry a number of days’ Supply equal to your Strength modifier score ...."

Otherwise, it just makes no sense that everyone can carry 10 days food and water without any encumbrance penalties; and many martial toons will be carrying 14-18 days food without any issue. It makes the entire system moot if you use the raw strength score, rather than the modifier.

That was my thought as well! But at the same time, that orc wouldn't be able to carry 6 supply, and an average human at 10 str couldn't carry any at all...

I think I'm going to end up doing something along the lines of "Your rations expire after 1 week. However, Barrow Bread can keep rations stable for up to a month- but accidents can still damage it." That way for short journeys, players are slightly incentivized not to waste gold- losing 2 or 3 gp. because you over bought isn't a big punishment, but for the first tier, it's enough to keep them frugal. Then, at later tiers when you might set out on a months long journey you can cough up 2.5 gp per supply, making it so they actually feel the pinch- 75 gp for a month long journey is enough to make a tier two think about foraging.

Edit: Additionally, once you get to Tier 3-4, you're likely facing threats that can take enough of your supplies out that the 8-20 carry limit can still be threatened even for only a short journey. If you think of supplies as an abstraction of "What you need to travel through a region each day" rather than just food, you can also have higher tier regions require more supply per day in the form of torches, salves, and protective garbs.

 

[tetrasodium]

I assumed what the writers intended was "You can carry a number of days’ Supply equal to your Strength modifier score ...."

Otherwise, it just makes no sense that everyone can carry 10 days food and water without any encumbrance penalties; and many martial toons will be carrying 14-18 days food without any issue. It makes the entire system moot if you use the raw strength score, rather than the modifier.

I thought the same and was pretty sure I saw a strength mod min1 preview or hint at one point.

 

[VelvetHobo]

What, so someone with an 8 in their Strength score can carry -1 Supply, and you need strength 12 to carry a packed lunch?

I mean, the negative is obviously nonsensical and is easily dismissed. And yes, 12 to carry a packed lunch. Is that the best outcome? Likely not. But when you account for the fact that it is "free" and allows you to use your encumbrances for other gear and items it starts to make more sense. Like any game dynamic, it does not perfectly reflect the real world.

 

[MarkB]

I mean, the negative is obviously nonsensical and is easily dismissed. And yes, 12 to carry a packed lunch. Is that the best outcome? Likely not. But when you account for the fact that it is "free" and allows you to use your encumbrances for other gear and items it starts to make more sense. Like any game dynamic, it does not perfectly reflect the real world.

Except that there is no mechanism to carry any supply at the expense of carrying less gear. If your party's net Strength bonus is less than the number of creatures in the party, they can't even carry a day's worth of supplies between them - and this in a game where a balanced party needn't necessarily include any strength-based characters at all. In what way does that make sense?

 

[Staffan]

You could do Str/2 instead, which might seem more reasonable.

 

[VelvetHobo]

Except that there is no mechanism to carry any supply at the expense of carrying less gear. If your party's net Strength bonus is less than the number of creatures in the party, they can't even carry a day's worth of supplies between them - and this in a game where a balanced party needn't necessarily include any strength-based characters at all. In what way does that make sense?

Supply has a weight of 2lbs (pg.329).
Page 330 suggests that if you carry zero supply, you have room for an additional bulky item.
Page 373 provides rules for hiring porters to carry only supply - which is quite reflective of real world adventuring (eg. Mountaineering) and provides a way for any party of any build to carry sufficient supply without encroaching on normal encumbrance.

Supply is a mechanic that tries to both simplify the tracking of food and water, and to give it more importance in the exploration pillar. I don't see any rule that says you cannot use your normal encumbrances to carry more supply and since it is given a specific weight, it seems to me that you absolutely can choose to carry 15 days supply at the cost of 30 lbs of other gear.

 

[tetrasodium]

Except that there is no mechanism to carry any supply at the expense of carrying less gear. If your party's net Strength bonus is less than the number of creatures in the party, they can't even carry a day's worth of supplies between them - and this in a game where a balanced party needn't necessarily include any strength-based characters at all. In what way does that make sense?

A mount can carry half it's strength in supply/bulky items & not need to consume any as long as it can spend an hour a day grazing()AG341.

Depending on if you look at the statblock or the AG341 table an 8 gp mule has a strength of 12 or 14 & if pulling a 15gp cart can carry 40 supply.

 

[Rune]

Of note: most of the bulk and weight of a portion of supply should be in the liquid (whether water or the more traditional alcoholic traveling potables). The traveler will need considerably more of that than food during the journey. Spoilage for such shouldn’t be an issue, nor for dried/preserved rations like cheese, nuts, or salted meats.

Scavenged foods (and water) would be more of a concern. Either outright bad from the start, or quick to spoil (even water can have growth in it, which is why alcohol was preferred for travel in our own history).

Personally, I’d have scavenged supply spoil overnight if uncooked, 3 days if cooked but not preserved, and no general duration for preserved food (special conditions may apply). If kept in very cold or very arid conditions, they’d last twice as long. In very warm (but not arid) and/or very humid conditions, I’d divide it by three.

Also note: dried foods that get soaked are no longer dried.

 

[MarkB]

Of note: most of the bulk and weight of a portion of supply should be in the liquid (whether water or the more traditional alcoholic traveling potables). The traveler will need considerably more of that than food during the journey. Spoilage for such shouldn’t be an issue, nor for dried/preserved rations like cheese, nuts, or salted meats.

Scavenged foods (and water) would be more of a concern. Either outright bad from the start, or quick to spoil (even water can have growth in it, which is why alcohol was preferred for travel in our own history).

Personally, I’d have scavenged supply spoil overnight if uncooked, 3 days if cooked but not preserved, and no general duration for preserved food (special conditions may apply). If kept in very cold or very arid conditions, they’d last twice as long. In very warm (but not arid) and/or very humid conditions, I’d divide it by three.

Also note: dried foods that get soaked are no longer dried.

All very good points, though regarding the alcohol, it only takes a small amount to kill bacteria in water so long as the source is reasonably fresh (running water or melted snow), so even a relatively small supply of strong spirits can go a long way in 'freshening up' any water scavenged along the way.

 

[Rune]

All very good points, though regarding the alcohol, it only takes a small amount to kill bacteria in water so long as the source is reasonably fresh (running water or melted snow), so even a relatively small supply of strong spirits can go a long way in 'freshening up' any water scavenged along the way.

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