Yes, this is also something I've run into, as an artificer at a table playing with variant encumbrance - the tension of "your artificer should have all these gadgets and tools" and "but you can totally dump strength because you won't need it." LOL found out the hard way that this was a problem! The strength gadgets you can make have charges, which are no good for carrying capacity. It was definitely a reason to go Battle Smith (the Steel Defender is nice and strong and can carry a lot!) and I also love my Bag of Holding. This table forces a roll and an action to successfully remove an item from the Bag so there's still a strong incentive to Choose Wisely what is actively carried, and I'm constantly running at less than a pound under the max. (This does create a very funny joke of "keep the change" any time someone wants to give me a bunch of copper coins that would halve my speed. :-) )
When I first built this character, between the leather armor and the tinker's tools, and basic adventuring gear, she was basically encumbered from the get-go. And we were at level 1 so no Bag to carry anything. My DM gracefully agreed to give her mithral armor in exchange for convincing backstory. (Even then, I gave away torches to my newly met party members!)
So I have learned to live with it, and it's shaped my character in fun ways, but the full weight of even leather armor would have made her impossible to play.
Mithral armor isnt available as an infusion until level 10, which is ridiculous. They should make it available at level 6, at least to armorers.
I think mithral infusion was available at level 6 for the 2024 ua rules, but they nerfed artificers in the 2025 ua, and the official eberron release.
Mithral infusion at level 6 ftw
An armorer can craft Mithral Armor in 5 days for 200 GP plus the cost of the base armor. Depending on the base armor, it's not bad. Mithral Plate will be challenging but a Breastplate would be 600 GP. At level 9, with Bastions, any character can request that their Smithy craft one for them.
Feature request: artificer, armorer subclass, for purposes of carrying capacity, the magically powered "arcane armor" counts as zero pounds.
Arcane armor already doesnt have a strength requirement, because its basically a magically powered exoskeleton.
Yes, this is also something I've run into, as an artificer at a table playing with variant encumbrance - the tension of "your artificer should have all these gadgets and tools" and "but you can totally dump strength because you won't need it." LOL found out the hard way that this was a problem! The strength gadgets you can make have charges, which are no good for carrying capacity. It was definitely a reason to go Battle Smith (the Steel Defender is nice and strong and can carry a lot!) and I also love my Bag of Holding. This table forces a roll and an action to successfully remove an item from the Bag so there's still a strong incentive to Choose Wisely what is actively carried, and I'm constantly running at less than a pound under the max. (This does create a very funny joke of "keep the change" any time someone wants to give me a bunch of copper coins that would halve my speed. :-) )
When I first built this character, between the leather armor and the tinker's tools, and basic adventuring gear, she was basically encumbered from the get-go. And we were at level 1 so no Bag to carry anything. My DM gracefully agreed to give her mithral armor in exchange for convincing backstory. (Even then, I gave away torches to my newly met party members!)
So I have learned to live with it, and it's shaped my character in fun ways, but the full weight of even leather armor would have made her impossible to play.
Mithral armor isnt available as an infusion until level 10, which is ridiculous. They should make it available at level 6, at least to armorers.
I think mithral infusion was available at level 6 for the 2024 ua rules, but they nerfed artificers in the 2025 ua, and the official eberron release.
Mithral infusion at level 6 ftw
An armorer can craft Mithral Armor in 5 days for 200 GP plus the cost of the base armor. Depending on the base armor, it's not bad. Mithral Plate will be challenging but a Breastplate would be 600 GP. At level 9, with Bastions, any character can request that their Smithy craft one for them.
How to add Tooltips.
My houserulings.