D&D General weight of equipment

[W'rkncacnter]

I'm not sure where I had stumbled across, and it's possible I dreamed it up accidentally, but it seems to me that the question of weight of gear/money wasn't just weight but an abstraction of the BULK of the item in question. So, scale may not actually weigh what it's listed as, but the bulkiness is represented as the coin-weight. YMMV

you might be thinking of pf2e's inventory system

 

[FitzTheRuke]

Personally I wouldn't change the weights since there's no penalty for small size characters and what they can carry.

Did... did I make up the rule that Small creatures have 1/2 the "Carry" loads of medium? Is that really not actually in the rules? (If not, then I guess I just assumed because Large creatures get double. It just makes sense.

 

[Tonguez]

the largest known dog weighed 357 lb - which allowing for a carry of 25% weight allows a rider of 90 lbs = two halflings or a 40lb halfling with 50lbs of armor and gear. I wouldnt change the armor weight, halflings have different musculature rhan humans.

We should probably also assume that in a world where riding dogs is common, they are deliberately bred to be larger and stronger to accomodate small characters

 

[Oofta]

Did... did I make up the rule that Small creatures have 1/2 the "Carry" loads of medium? Is that really not actually in the rules? (If not, then I guess I just assumed because Large creatures get double. It just makes sense.

I believe it was a rule in previous editions. In 5E you have to be tiny to get carrying capacity reduced. See PHB > Using Abilities > Strength.

 

[Oofta]

the largest known dog weighed 357 lb - which allowing for a carry of 25% weight allows a rider of 90 lbs = two halflings or a 40lb halfling with 50lbs of armor and gear. I wouldnt change the armor weight, halflings have different musculature rhan humans.

We should probably also assume that in a world where riding dogs is common, they are deliberately bred to be larger and stronger to accomodate small characters

The weight a dog can carry has more to do with where the weight is carried. In horses the rider is primarily supported by their shoulders, not their backs. You would need a special saddle to distribute the weight while riding on a dog, much like they do for elephants. Still not ideal, of course.

On the other hand, it's a game and you're trying to apply real world logic. There are plenty of animals that are ridden in fantasy depictions that could not support the weight long term.