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.
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."
It says it right there...... "in excess of maximum weight you can carry" ......Speed can be no more than 5 feet. The Drag/Lift/Push limit is essentially double your carry weight, and is the absolute maximum of your ability to manipulate the object. So in short, if you exceed your carry limit, you slow to 5ft max.
In terms of visuals...... you can comfortably 'carry' up to that amount. And up to double that value, you can still drag, push or lift the container around (or yourself) around. They don't even need to mention jumping; because good luck jumping with only 5ft of movement.
"says it right there... , if you exceed your carry limit, you slow to 5ft max... you can comfortably 'carry' up to that amount."
The question was "What happens if they try to carry 155 pounds of equipment?"
And the answer is they cant. They cannot carry more than their carry capacity. Ever. Its not that they carry more than their carrying capacity, but not "comfortably". "Comfortably" is nowhere in the rules.. and its not that if they carry more than their carry capacity, they are "uncomfortable" and their speed is 5. They can never carry that amount.
Let me amend my answer slightly. In the 2014 rules, the 5-foot movement speed applied only to pushing or dragging, not lifting. The 2024 rules allow this movement while lifting which is sort of like slowly carrying. But as far as actually carrying with unrestricted movement there is a hard cap of 150 pounds in your case.
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
It says it right there...... "in excess of maximum weight you can carry" ......Speed can be no more than 5 feet. The Drag/Lift/Push limit is essentially double your carry weight, and is the absolute maximum of your ability to manipulate the object. So in short, if you exceed your carry limit, you slow to 5ft max.
In terms of visuals...... you can comfortably 'carry' up to that amount. And up to double that value, you can still drag, push or lift the container around (or yourself) around. They don't even need to mention jumping; because good luck jumping with only 5ft of movement.
"says it right there... , if you exceed your carry limit, you slow to 5ft max... you can comfortably 'carry' up to that amount."
The question was "What happens if they try to carry 155 pounds of equipment?"
And the answer is they cant. They cannot carry more than their carry capacity. Ever. Its not that they carry more than their carrying capacity, but not "comfortably". "Comfortably" is nowhere in the rules.. and its not that if they carry more than their carry capacity, they are "uncomfortable" and their speed is 5. They can never carry that amount.
Let me amend my answer slightly. In the 2014 rules, the 5-foot movement speed applied only to pushing or dragging, not lifting. The 2024 rules allow this movement while lifting which is sort of like slowly carrying. But as far as actually carrying with unrestricted movement there is a hard cap of 150 pounds in your case.
Yeah im used to 2014 "encumbrance", where if you exceed your limit, your speed starts dropping off.
2024 decided to do away with that apparently, and the limit is a hard limit. There no dropping off because you just cant carry over your limit.