RPG Evolution: Weight, What?

Picture courtesy of Pixabay.​

This mantra echoes through the mind of any experienced backpacker, a constant negotiation between necessity and comfort, safety and speed. Extended wilderness trips demand meticulous packing, where every item is weighed, scrutinized, and often grudgingly left behind. Philmont Scout Ranch taught me some strict guidelines: carry no more than 30% of your body weight. This isn't just a suggestion; it's a foundation for endurance and injury prevention. Yet, when factoring in essential consumables like food and water, this is no easy task. Here's what I learned the hard way.

The Relentless Math of the Pack​

Achieving that ideal 30% body weight target is a constant battle against gravity and temptation. As I experienced on the hike, even with fierce discipline, sacrifices are inevitable. Getting my base pack weight down to 35 lbs. often meant leaving behind creature comforts. A lightweight, foldable chair might seem like a luxury, but after miles on the trail, the promise of a comfortable seat can become a powerful motivator (I gave up mine in favor of an inflatable pad, no regrets there). Rain pants, initially deemed optional to save ounces, were sorely missed when a sudden downpour hit, leading to the beginnings of hypothermia (a LOT of regret about that one!). Every item, from an extra pair of socks to a favorite snack, adds to the total, forcing hikers to prioritize ruthlessly. It's a stark lesson in minimalism, where every personal item must justify its existence in ounces, not just in utility.

The Consumable Conundrum​

Even after stripping down to the bare essentials, the true weight challenge emerges with food and water. Water weighs approximately 2 lb. per liter; Philmont recommended 5 liters minimum per person (10 lbs). For a ten-person crew, even with careful rationing and planning for resupply, the initial water weight is substantial. Add to that the necessary caloric intake—around 3,000 calories per day per person for high-intensity activity (approximately 5 more lbs), which for a group of ten, translated to a considerable mass of food and cooking gear that must be carried. For my Philmont trek, these essentials pushed my pack weight past a daunting 50 lbs.

The good news is that this load doesn't remain static. As food is eaten and water is consumed, the pack naturally lightens, providing a small, much-anticipated psychological boost each day. The bad news is that this reduction is temporary. Strategic resupply at streams and camps is crucial, meaning the pack weight constantly fluctuates. We'd start the day off lighter, only to refill water at a river crossing and find the weight inceased, necessitating careful planning for where and when to carry maximum load.

Carrying the Burden​

The real-world struggle of managing pack weight finds a direct parallel in D&D's encumbrance and overland travel rules. Characters in D&D aren't immune to the laws of physics, and their carrying capacity can, depending on the campaign, affect adventurers quite a bit.

In D&D 5th (2024) a creature's normal carrying capacity is its Strength score multiplied by 15 pounds. For instance, a character with a Strength of 10 can comfortably carry up to 150 lbs, while a burly Strength 16 character can manage 240 lbs. However, many Dungeon Masters opt to use the Variant Encumbrance rules from the 2014 version, which add granular penalties for progressively heavier loads. Under these optional rules, a 50 lb. pack can quickly become a significant hindrance, even if it's below the absolute maximum carrying capacity.

• If a character carries weight in excess of 5 times their Strength score, they become encumbered, reducing their speed by 10 feet. For example, a character with a Strength of 8 would become encumbered at 40 lbs, meaning a 50 lb. pack would immediately reduce their movement. Even a Strength 10 character carrying 50 lbs would find their speed reduced by 10 feet.
• Should they carry weight exceeding 10 times their Strength score, they become heavily encumbered, suffering a 20-foot speed reduction and Disadvantage on D20 Tests involving Strength, Dexterity, and Constitution. While a 50 lb. pack wouldn't typically make a character heavily encumbered unless their Strength score was very low (e.g., 5 Strength makes 50 lbs heavily encumbered), the first tier of encumbrance is a common reality.

Overland travel further complicates this. Traveling at a normal pace covers 24 miles per day for 8 hours of marching, but this assumes relatively unencumbered movement. If a character is encumbered or heavily encumbered, their reduced speed translates directly to covering less ground each day, burning more resources (food, water, torches), and increasing exposure to random encounters.

We hiked 30 miles over 5 days at Philmont (not counting the first day at basecamp where we sleep over, and the fact that we spent half-days hiking on the second and last day), meaning our average daily travel was 6 miles per day. This was despite significant elevation changes (7,908' to 8,246') and the heavy 50 lb. packs. With 8 hours of travel, we were traveling at a Normal pace (4 miles per hour) of 24 miles per day, further complicated by:

• Difficult Terrain: D&D rules state that moving 1 foot in difficult terrain costs 2 feet of speed. While Philmont wasn't all difficult terrain, significant elevation changes, rocky trails, and even muddy patches due to storms certainly qualified. It effectively halved our speed for those segments, drastically reducing daily progress. The 24 miles per day became 12 miles per day.
• Elevation: We were at nearly 10,000 feet above sea level and I suffered from altitude sickness for two days: each hour such a creature spends traveling at high altitude counts as 2 hours for the purpose of determining how long that creature can travel. The 12 miles per day became 6 miles per day.

These factors do not include exhaustion rules, which (surprisingly) do not affect overland travel in D&D but certainly could. A DM could reasonably impose levels of exhaustion for characters pushing themselves with heavy loads over multiple days without adequate rest. It's worth noting that not all of my crew suffered from altitude sickness, just me, but the crew only moves as fast as its slowest member (my to my group's consternation as I kept taking breaks and asking for them to slow down their pace).

Add all this up, and our real-world pace of 6 miles per day matched the severe reductions caused by the effects of high altitude, heavy encumbrance, and difficult terrain. A DM aiming for realism might apply these layered penalties to make the journey an accurate, grueling test of endurance, just as we experienced.

The Weight of Adventure​

DMs have a powerful tool in encumbrance, not just for realism, but for narrative impact. Characters aren't just carrying their armor and weapons; they're hauling treasure from a goblin horde, vital rations for a besieged town, or the cumbersome magical artifact needed to save the world. The difference between a well-managed load and an overloaded party can define the pace, difficulty, and ultimately, the success of a quest.

Ultimately, the burden of carried weight can transform an adventure from a simple journey into a tactical challenge. A well-prepared party, making smart choices about what to carry and when to resupply, finds the adventure an exciting test of endurance. A heedless party, weighed down by unnecessary bulk, faces an excruciating slog, constantly fighting against the very gear meant to aid them, turning every step into a monumental effort. Using these rules fosters a healthy respect for logistics, making every ounce, every pound, truly matter. It certainly did for our hike.

 

[AlViking]

for people who don’t track gear, do you just assume that your character has everything they need?

When I played FATE, it was like that. There was no inventory. You were assumed you to have all the tools you needed for your “class” and, if a time ever came up where the group needed something specific that they might not have, you could make a resource roll(or some other appropriate skill) to declare you had it all along.

This seems like the best approach for people who consider tracking inventory an unnecessary and unfun ‘mini-game’.

No need for the dm to dole out handy haversacks.

Depends on the gear. A few minor items that someone would logically have like a wizard having paper to write on and something to write with? Sure. I've even had people say "When we were in town I meant to buy.." and I'll have them roll for whether their character remembered to buy it. It's similar to how I track spell components, if it's not expensive I assume you have it.

I don't expect people to track ammo to the last arrow. There can be times when the group knows they're goin to do more tracking. For example I assume for the most part they have food unless it's a planned wilderness trek, I only track water if they go into the desert and so on.

But that's for low cost mundane items, I even assume most people have a bit of rope because it comes with the standard adventurer's pack. Specialized items? If caltrops would be really handy right now, you have to have it on your list.

 

[TaranTheWanderer]

Depends on the gear. A few minor items that someone would logically have like a wizard having paper to write on and something to write with? Sure. I've even had people say "When we were in town I meant to buy.." and I'll have them roll for whether their character remembered to buy it. It's similar to how I track spell components, if it's not expensive I assume you have it.

I don't expect people to track ammo to the last arrow. There can be times when the group knows they're goin to do more tracking. For example I assume for the most part they have food unless it's a planned wilderness trek, I only track water if they go into the desert and so on.

But that's for low cost mundane items, I even assume most people have a bit of rope because it comes with the standard adventurer's pack. Specialized items? If caltrops would be really handy right now, you have to have it on your list.

But if people aren’t tracking encumbrance why wouldn’t they have it on their list. If those caltrops were the difference between being encumbered or not, it’s a logistical/strategic choice. Otherwise, why not just make sure you have everything on the list. I can think of several things that would be situationally useful but too heavy to carry: Climbing kit, Crow bar, Shovel, Block and tackle etc…

Hearing people say tracking encumbrance is ‘unfun’ feels, to me, wanting to have their cake and eat it too.

 

[Micah Sweet]

But if people aren’t tracking encumbrance why wouldn’t they have it on their list. If those caltrops were the difference between being encumbered or not, it’s a logistical/strategic choice. Otherwise, why not just make sure you have everything on the list. I can think of several things that would be situationally useful but too heavy to carry: Climbing kit, Crow bar, Shovel, Block and tackle etc…

Hearing people say tracking encumbrance is ‘unfun’ feels, to me, wanting to have their cake and eat it too.

That's because that's what it is IMO. Tracking encumbrance makes logical sense and keeps us all honest.

 

[AlViking]

But if people aren’t tracking encumbrance why wouldn’t they have it on their list. If those caltrops were the difference between being encumbered or not, it’s a logistical/strategic choice. Otherwise, why not just make sure you have everything on the list. I can think of several things that would be situationally useful but too heavy to carry: Climbing kit, Crow bar, Shovel, Block and tackle etc…

Hearing people say tracking encumbrance is ‘unfun’ feels, to me, wanting to have their cake and eat it too.

We use DDB and I do ask people to track weight. Meanwhile things like a climbers kit is 25 GP so yes they would need it on their list.

But things like that kit or a shovel are what bags of holding are for. Useful outside of combat so it doesn't matter if it takes a minute or two to find.

I typically run more urban campaigns, these things don't come up often.

 

[TaranTheWanderer]

We use DDB and I do ask people to track weight. Meanwhile things like a climbers kit is 25 GP so yes they would need it on their list.

But things like that kit or a shovel are what bags of holding are for. Useful outside of combat so it doesn't matter if it takes a minute or two to find.

I typically run more urban campaigns, these things don't come up often.

But needing a bag of holding for a campaign seems strange to me. If DMs are handing them out so players can avoid encumbrance rules, then why play with those rules?

 

[Blue]

In terms of RPGs beyond "common sense" encumbrance, I really only want any sort of logistics and tracking in two places.

1. An RPG where it's one of the main aspects, like Torchbearer 2. Where if I'm running it, it's because that's the specific feel I want in this campaign.
2. The once-a-campaign survival arc, be it shipwrecked or lost in a desert or whatever, where supply is the challenge.

The rest of the time, I don't want to add bookkeeping to a game.

 

[Blue]

In terms of RPGs beyond "common sense" encumbrance, I really only want any sort of logistics and tracking in two places.

1. An RPG where it's one of the main aspects, like Torchbearer 2. Where if I'm running it, it's because that's the specific feel I want in this campaign.
2. The once-a-campaign survival arc, be it shipwrecked or lost in a desert or whatever, where supply is the challenge.

The rest of the time, I don't want to add bookkeeping to a game.

 

[Blue]

In terms of RPGs beyond "common sense" encumbrance, I really only want any sort of logistics and tracking in two places.

1. An RPG where it's one of the main aspects, like Torchbearer 2. Where if I'm running it, it's because that's the specific feel I want in this campaign.
2. The once-a-campaign survival arc, be it shipwrecked or lost in a desert or whatever, where supply is the challenge.

The rest of the time, I don't want to add bookkeeping to a game where that's not one of the trope of the genre.

 

[Blue]

In terms of RPGs beyond "common sense" encumbrance, I really only want any sort of logistics and tracking in two places.

1. An RPG where it's one of the main aspects, like Torchbearer 2. Where if I'm running it, it's because that's the specific feel I want in this campaign.
2. The once-a-campaign survival arc, be it shipwrecked or lost in a desert or whatever, where supply is the challenge.

The rest of the time, I don't want to add bookkeeping to a game where that's not one of the trope of the genre.

 

[AlViking]

But needing a bag of holding for a campaign seems strange to me. If DMs are handing them out so players can avoid encumbrance rules, then why play with those rules?

Who said I'm "handing them out?" They can buy them depending where they are, but I don't hand out as much gold as published campaigns and a lot of gold tends to go to healing potions.

They may find or be gifted the more powerful items but many uncommon items are for sale in cities. It also takes a while to find things in your bag of holding, its not organized in any way.