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<blockquote data-quote="iserith" data-source="post: 7890929" data-attributes="member: 97077">Side note on this based on my experience with the variant encumbrance rules. I've run dozens of players through scenarios using them. Here are a couple of observations:1. Players hate any hit to speed. Even when they are in a dungeon with a lot of close-quarters combat, the thought of losing 10 feet off their speed is completely unacceptable to them. They will work to get around that speed hit by any means they can, even if in context it doesn't actually matter all that much.2. Players will not stash their backpacks - it must be on their person at all times. In my games, I make it an action in combat to disentangle oneself from a cumbersome pack on par with doffing a shield. I've suggested they just find a place to put the backpack and come back to it if they need some gear, but they look at me like I'm crazy.These two issues combined have caused almost every single group I've run through such scenarios to bring hirelings along to carry their stuff. Also, if races with powerful build are an option, someone's probably going to take it. However, powerful build and variant encumbrance has a weird interaction by the strict letter of the wording such that you're still technically encumbered like everyone else even though you can carry more. So that would probably need an adjustment to work better.</blockquote>

[QUOTE="iserith, post: 7890929, member: 97077"] Side note on this based on my experience with the variant encumbrance rules. I've run dozens of players through scenarios using them. Here are a couple of observations: 1. Players hate any hit to speed. Even when they are in a dungeon with a lot of close-quarters combat, the thought of losing 10 feet off their speed is completely unacceptable to them. They will work to get around that speed hit by any means they can, even if in context it doesn't actually matter all that much. 2. Players will not stash their backpacks - it must be on their person at all times. In my games, I make it an action in combat to disentangle oneself from a cumbersome pack on par with doffing a shield. I've suggested they just find a place to put the backpack and come back to it if they need some gear, but they look at me like I'm crazy. These two issues combined have caused almost every single group I've run through such scenarios to bring hirelings along to carry their stuff. Also, if races with powerful build are an option, someone's probably going to take it. However, powerful build and variant encumbrance has a weird interaction by the strict letter of the wording such that you're still technically encumbered like everyone else even though you can carry more. So that would probably need an adjustment to work better. [/QUOTE]

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