The rules there also say: "While dragging, lifting, or pushing weight in excess of the maximum weight you can carry, your Speed can be no more than 5 feet."
But that doesnt say anything about carrying weight in excess of your carrying capacity.
So my pc carry capacity is 150.
What happens if they try to carry 155 pounds of equipment?
Are the rules saying they can NOT carry more than 150, ever, no matter what?
Is "carrying capacitty" meant as an absolute maximum? Or is it like "encumbrance", where if you exceed encumbrance, you start getting penalties?
It's an absolute maximum so you just cannot do it. You can lift heavier weight but you cannot lift and hold and then move around which becomes carrying. The character is not strong enough to do this beyond that threshold. Incremental encumbrance penalties beyond 50 pounds and 100 pounds in your case which were optional rules in 2014 have been pretty much eliminated in 2024.
Be aware that there is also a separate rule where it is possible to pull weight up to 5 times your carrying capacity that is loaded into a vehicle such as a cart including the weight of the vehicle and assuming good and flat terrain.
I have a character, STR 10.
According to 2024 rules here:
https://www.dndbeyond.com/sources/dnd/phb-2024/rules-glossary#CarryingCapacity
Their Carrying Capacity is 150 pounds.
The rules there also say: "While dragging, lifting, or pushing weight in excess of the maximum weight you can carry, your Speed can be no more than 5 feet."
But that doesnt say anything about carrying weight in excess of your carrying capacity.
So my pc carry capacity is 150.
What happens if they try to carry 155 pounds of equipment?
Are the rules saying they can NOT carry more than 150, ever, no matter what?
Is "carrying capacitty" meant as an absolute maximum? Or is it like "encumbrance", where if you exceed encumbrance, you start getting penalties?
It's an absolute maximum so you just cannot do it. You can lift heavier weight but you cannot lift and hold and then move around which becomes carrying. The character is not strong enough to do this beyond that threshold. Incremental encumbrance penalties beyond 50 pounds and 100 pounds in your case which were optional rules in 2014 have been pretty much eliminated in 2024.
Be aware that there is also a separate rule where it is possible to pull weight up to 5 times your carrying capacity that is loaded into a vehicle such as a cart including the weight of the vehicle and assuming good and flat terrain.
Bummer.
Thanks for the info