Hello, I am finally going to play a campaing where we are using encumbrance rules. For that reason, a question grew on my mind: Does using a container like a backpack increase your carrying capacity?
I ask this as it's not clear to me if using a backpack let's me carry more things, or it's used as the explanation of how you carry some stuff (DM: "Where are you carrying your rations and torches? PC: On my backpack!")
A backpack allows me, for example, to carry more books that I could with my bare hands, so that's why I thought it gave more carrying capacity (backpack says 30 pounds, so by this logic you could carry 25 pounds more, as it weights 5).
I haven't found an answer to this question (especially an official one) so I'll check your answers. Thanks!
For me, backpacks are just a place to put your stuff and there are not any encumbrance rules that treat an item like that as a benefit. I think your example hits the point of what the use of a backpack is for and it is just that simple to explain its use in D&D.
Carrying capacity is based on str. A backpack does not allow you to carry more. As BK says, it’s just showing where you put it. (It’s not like a video game where you can buy more inventory slots.)
There are times when it matters what you are carrying and where. They’re not as frequent in this edition, but they can come up.
Encumbrance is a odd thing for me as most of the one shots and campaigns I have played we really never worried about it, unless we tried to carry something that was just insanely large or awkward. I agree with what you and BKThomson both spoke about the topic. You can carry more items but in the end you can only carry so much before you are not strong enough to actually carry stuff.
Hello, I am finally going to play a campaing where we are using encumbrance rules. For that reason, a question grew on my mind: Does using a container like a backpack increase your carrying capacity?
I ask this as it's not clear to me if using a backpack let's me carry more things, or it's used as the explanation of how you carry some stuff (DM: "Where are you carrying your rations and torches? PC: On my backpack!")
A backpack allows me, for example, to carry more books that I could with my bare hands, so that's why I thought it gave more carrying capacity (backpack says 30 pounds, so by this logic you could carry 25 pounds more, as it weights 5).
I haven't found an answer to this question (especially an official one) so I'll check your answers. Thanks!
For me, backpacks are just a place to put your stuff and there are not any encumbrance rules that treat an item like that as a benefit. I think your example hits the point of what the use of a backpack is for and it is just that simple to explain its use in D&D.
Carrying capacity is based on str. A backpack does not allow you to carry more. As BK says, it’s just showing where you put it. (It’s not like a video game where you can buy more inventory slots.)
There are times when it matters what you are carrying and where. They’re not as frequent in this edition, but they can come up.
Encumbrance is a odd thing for me as most of the one shots and campaigns I have played we really never worried about it, unless we tried to carry something that was just insanely large or awkward. I agree with what you and BKThomson both spoke about the topic. You can carry more items but in the end you can only carry so much before you are not strong enough to actually carry stuff.
Thanks for your answers everyone.