One of my players is playing a Firbolg, and we are playing with variant encumbrance. The Sheet doesn't include the Powerful Build in it's calculation, so that she is encumbered while she shouldn't be.
The PDF View of the Charakter is correct, the printed version has different skills on it. Very mysterious
The Powerful Build trait does not function when the variant encumbrance rule is active, and it is supposed to work that way.
Variant: Encumbrance
The rules for lifting and carrying are intentionally simple. Here is a variant if you are looking for more detailed rules for determining how a character is hindered by the weight of equipment. When you use this variant, ignore the Strength column of the Armor table in chapter 5.
If you carry weight in excess of 5 times your Strength score, you are encumbered, which means your speed drops by 10 feet.
If you carry weight in excess of 10 times your Strength score, up to your maximum carrying capacity, you are instead heavily encumbered, which means your speed drops by 20 feet and you have disadvantage on ability checks, attack rolls, and saving throws that use Strength, Dexterity, or Constitution.
Yes, filcat is right of course, you are calculating your maximum carrying capacity differently, but in my opinion I should be right as well. That is because you calculate your carrying capacity differently for the feat Power Build.
Powerful Build
You count as one size larger when determining your carrying capacity and the weight you can push, drag, or lift.
I think racial feats overwrite or customize some rules. But aside from that; If you ignore this feat the outcome should be like this: You take a potion to gain large size, your equipment gets heavier and you would instantaniously drop to 0 ft of movement, i you are -for example- wearing heavy armor. Or a horse would die, while a knight is mounting it ;-)
Of course, Firbolgs and Goliaths are still Medium size, but despite this they are counting as one size larger for calculating your carrying capacity. And that's still doubled with variant encumbrance in my opinion.
Thanks for reading, looking forward reading some feedback on this matter.
It's perfectly ok to use any homebrew rules changes you like for your own games, but within the standard rules, the Firbolg Powerful Build trait doesn't work with the variant encumbrance rules, as they are not based upon size.
edit: see below - and apologies for reading through quickly and then implying that my own thoughts are in some way a ruling on this.
It's perfectly ok to use any homebrew rules changes you like for your own games, but within the standard rules, the Firbolg Powerful Build trait doesn't work with the variant encumbrance rules, as they are not based upon size.
Since I'm almost certain that there has been no Sage ruling on this, I don't see how it is either you or filcat can make a claim like this. Y'all were wrong about the Young & Wyrmling Dragons and yet they still aren't fixed for some strange reason. Crawford and Sage Advice should override any opinions here.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
"Most people are other people. Their thoughts are someone else's opinions, their lives a mimicry, their passions a quotation."
Fair comment and I've re-read through it now and changed my mind even on how I think it works.
As with many of the 5th edition rules, they aren't all in one place and the interactions aren't defined - they are left to interpretation.
Having re-read through, these are my personal thoughts on the matter.
So, Powerful Build says, "You count as one size larger when determining your carrying capacity and the weight you can push, drag, or lift."
This is clearly a reference to the Lifting & Carrying rules, which state, "Larger creatures can bear more weight, whereas Tiny creatures can carry less. For each size category above Medium, double the creature's carrying capacity and the amount it can push, drag, or lift. For a Tiny creature, halve these weights."
Those same rules also define carrying capacity, "Your carrying capacity is your Strength score multiplied by 15. This is the weight (in pounds) that you can carry, which is high enough that most characters don't usually have to worry about it."
Now, looking at the Variant Encumbrance rule, it states, "If you carry weight in excess of 10 times your Strength score, up to your maximum carrying capacity, you are instead heavily encumbered, which means your speed drops by 20 feet and you have disadvantage on ability checks, attack rolls, and saving throws that use Strength, Dexterity, or Constitution."
The key thing for me here is that nowhere in the variant encumbrance rule does it redefine how to calculate the maximum carrying capacity, so therefore the standard rules apply, which included doubling it due to the Firbolg counting as a size larger.
tl;dr - it is my belief that the Firbolg ability should double the maximum carrying capacity, regardless of whether standard or variant encumbrance rules are used.
Hey there!
Well, I pointed out a mistake with the calculating system while using variant encumbrance.
Before I go on, here is what it was about:
Yes, filcat is right of course, you are calculating your maximum carrying capacity differently, but in my opinion I should be right as well.
That is because you calculate your carrying capacity differently for the feat Power Build.
Powerful Build
You count as one size larger when determining your carrying capacity and the weight you can push, drag, or lift.
I think racial feats overwrite or customize some rules. But aside from that; If you ignore this feat the outcome should be like this:
You take a potion to gain large size, your equipment gets heavier and you would instantaniously drop to 0 ft of movement, i you are -for example- wearing heavy armor.
Or a horse would die, while a knight is mounting it ;-)
Of course, Firbolgs and Goliaths are still Medium size, but despite this they are counting as one size larger for calculating your carrying capacity. And that's still doubled with variant encumbrance in my opinion.
Thanks for reading, looking forward reading some feedback on this matter.
It's perfectly ok to use any homebrew rules changes you like for your own games, but within the standard rules, the Firbolg Powerful Build trait doesn't work with the variant encumbrance rules, as they are not based upon size.edit: see below - and apologies for reading through quickly and then implying that my own thoughts are in some way a ruling on this.
Pun-loving nerd | Faith Elisabeth Lilley | She/Her/Hers | Profile art by Becca Golins
If you need help with homebrew, please post on the homebrew forums, where multiple staff and moderators can read your post and help you!
"We got this, no problem! I'll take the twenty on the left - you guys handle the one on the right!"🔊
Since I'm almost certain that there has been no Sage ruling on this, I don't see how it is either you or filcat can make a claim like this. Y'all were wrong about the Young & Wyrmling Dragons and yet they still aren't fixed for some strange reason. Crawford and Sage Advice should override any opinions here.
"Most people are other people. Their thoughts are someone else's opinions, their lives a mimicry, their passions a quotation."
― Oscar Wilde.
Fair comment and I've re-read through it now and changed my mind even on how I think it works.
As with many of the 5th edition rules, they aren't all in one place and the interactions aren't defined - they are left to interpretation.
Having re-read through, these are my personal thoughts on the matter.
So, Powerful Build says, "You count as one size larger when determining your carrying capacity and the weight you can push, drag, or lift."
This is clearly a reference to the Lifting & Carrying rules, which state, "Larger creatures can bear more weight, whereas Tiny creatures can carry less. For each size category above Medium, double the creature's carrying capacity and the amount it can push, drag, or lift. For a Tiny creature, halve these weights."
Those same rules also define carrying capacity, "Your carrying capacity is your Strength score multiplied by 15. This is the weight (in pounds) that you can carry, which is high enough that most characters don't usually have to worry about it."
Now, looking at the Variant Encumbrance rule, it states, "If you carry weight in excess of 10 times your Strength score, up to your maximum carrying capacity, you are instead heavily encumbered, which means your speed drops by 20 feet and you have disadvantage on ability checks, attack rolls, and saving throws that use Strength, Dexterity, or Constitution."
The key thing for me here is that nowhere in the variant encumbrance rule does it redefine how to calculate the maximum carrying capacity, so therefore the standard rules apply, which included doubling it due to the Firbolg counting as a size larger.
tl;dr - it is my belief that the Firbolg ability should double the maximum carrying capacity, regardless of whether standard or variant encumbrance rules are used.
Pun-loving nerd | Faith Elisabeth Lilley | She/Her/Hers | Profile art by Becca Golins
If you need help with homebrew, please post on the homebrew forums, where multiple staff and moderators can read your post and help you!
"We got this, no problem! I'll take the twenty on the left - you guys handle the one on the right!"🔊
Thank you so much, this actually helps alot
And this is why you're my least hated mod.
"Most people are other people. Their thoughts are someone else's opinions, their lives a mimicry, their passions a quotation."
― Oscar Wilde.
It's been 2.5 years since the last post here. There was no update so I was worried that this was still an issue.
I just did a test though and it looks like the issue has been fixed! 😄
I made a Goliath that had 17 strength. The encumbrance in D&D Beyond says encumbered at 170 lb. 17 x 5 = 85 x 2 = 170 😁