All - Encumbrance

Last 3 Edits

14th Jan

  • Modified what coins and rations equal.

Aug 10th, 2020

  • Adjusted B& back by removing the +2.

July 16th, 2020

  • Added +2 to the B&B encumbrance value. A lot of static stats are determined by +2.
  • Also changed Tiny items to be up to 1/2 a pound.
  • Removed the confusing example of plate armor from the 'Special' notes as it is just heavy armor.

30th May 2017.
Page Created

As a group we decided that it would be easier for players if we had a universal method for working out encumbrance. Having discussed different methods that this could be achieved the YZE method provided a simple method that we felt would work across the gaming systems we use.

YZE Method in a Nutshell

The YZE method is that you can simply carry a X number of items based on your characters strength. The items themselves are broken into Heavy, Normal, Light and Tiny, with these items taking up slots on your character.

1 Heavy item = 2 Normal items
1 Normal item = 1 Normal item
2 Light items = 1 Normal item
20 Tiny items = 1 Normal item

or

½ Heavy = 1 Normal = 2 Light = 20 Tiny.

The number of slots a character has depends on different things for the different gaming systems as per the table below.

Base Encumbrance

System Base Number of Encumbrance Slots
D&D Strength score
Cypher System ½ Might score (max) items (round up)
AGE 5 + Strength mod
YZE Strength x 2 items
B&B Athletics die +/- Size modifier + Strength spec die
Savage Worlds 2 + Strength die +/- Size modifier

Carrying Capacity

Encumbered Heavily Encumbered Carrying Capacity/Max Load
Over base to base x 2 Over base x2 to base x3 Base x 3

Quadrupeds times all encumbrance values by 4.

E.G. Bryon the warrior - old
System Stat Base Number of Encumbrance Slots Encumbered Heavily Encumbered Carrying Capacity/Max Load
D&D Strength 15 0-15 items 16-30 items 31-45 items 46-60 items
Cypher System Might 12 0-6 items 7-12 items 13-21 items 22-28 items
AGE Strength 2 0-7 items 8-14 items 15-21 items 22-28 items
YZE Strength 4 0-8 items 9-12 13-15 16-18
B&B Athletics d8 (+ Strength d4) 0-12 items 13-24 items 25-36 items 37-48 items
Savage Worlds Strength d10 0-12 items 13-24 items 25-36 items 37-48 items

5e DnD General Weights

  • 10 coins = 1 Tiny item. (So 200 would be an item or 100 for a light item)
  • 4 Rations (days) = 1 item
  • Tiny = items up to 1/2 pound
  • Light = Armor and weapons with the Light descriptor & items that weight 1 to 2 pounds
  • Normal = Medium armors and most weapons & items that weigh between 2 - 9 pounds.
  • Heavy = Armor and weapons with the Heavy descriptor, items from 10 - 20 pounds.
  • Special - Other items over 20 pounds take their weight/10 slots (rounded up) - (eg a 70lbs barrel takes 7 slots)
  • NB: Unlike the variant encumbrance rule in the PHB, STR requirements on the Armor table are still a requirement to use a particular armor.

Armor

Armor may be assigned the Bulky (#) quality where # is the penalty. In most games this is already there though it may be called something else.

D&D = Dex penalty etc.
Cypher System the penalty applies to using Speed Effort.
AGE
YZE -2 Dexterity/Move rolls.
B&B
Savage Worlds

Talents / Feats / Skills

Pack Mule: x2 items carried.
Armor Spec: Reduce Bulky penalty by 1 (Or 2 for some systems like D&D where penalty might be higher).

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