This backpack has a central pouch and two side pouches, each of which is an extradimensional space. Each side pouch can hold up to 20 pounds of material, not exceeding a volume of 2 cubic feet. The large central pouch can hold up to 8 cubic feet or 80 pounds of material. The backpack always weighs 5 pounds, regardless of its contents.
Placing an object in the haversack follows the normal rules for interacting with objects. Retrieving an item from the haversack requires you to use an action. When you reach into the haversack for a specific item, the item is always magically on top.
The haversack has a few limitations. If it is overloaded, or if a sharp object pierces it or tears it, the haversack ruptures and is destroyed. If the haversack is destroyed, its contents are lost forever, although an artifact always turns up again somewhere. If the haversack is turned inside out, its contents spill forth, unharmed, and the haversack must be put right before it can be used again. If a breathing creature is placed within the haversack, the creature can survive for up to 10 minutes, after which time it begins to suffocate.
Placing the haversack inside an extradimensional space created by a bag of holding, portable hole, or similar item instantly destroys both items and opens a gate to the Astral Plane. The gate originates where the one item was placed inside the other. Any creature within 10 feet of the gate is sucked through it and deposited in a random location on the Astral Plane. The gate then closes. The gate is one-way only and can't be reopened.
Notes: Utility, Container
"What if you climbed up into a space created by Rope Trick? Would that open a gate?"
No , the important phrase here is : '[placed inside of a bag of holding]... or similar item.' Demiplanes, rope tricks and M. Magnificent Mansions are extradimensional spell effects, not items.
"the good thing about handy haversacks is that they can be put inside other handy haversacks"
No, absolutely not. The important phrase here is : '[placed inside of a bag of holding]... or similar item.' Good luck getting a DM to interpret a Haversack as not similar to a bag of holding. You certainly will get gate sucked if you try that in league play.
Pretty sure it's intended as the side pouches are 1x1x2 (so 2 cubic feet) while the main pouch is 2x2x2 (8 cubic feet), with each cubic foot holding 10 pounds of material at most. Personally I wouldn't have the dimensions adjust.
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Yes, as written it is not as useful as a bag of holding.
I believe that BoH used to require 1 Minute to find anything in it, which is why the Haversack was go to in older versions. Now they both say it takes an action to retrieve making the haversack less useful.
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Placing the haversack inside an extradimensional space created by a bag of holding, portable hole, or similar item instantly destroys both items and opens a gate to the Astral Plane. The gate originates where the one item was placed inside the other. Any creature within 10 feet of the gate is sucked through it and deposited in a random location on the Astral Plane. The gate then closes. The gate is one-way only and can't be reopened."
Think about it this way, you can just drop it in a bag of holding and throw it at something to send it to space. That's pretty neat in my book, dunno about y'all.
Why is this rare? It's substantially weaker than a bag of holding. The handy haversack historically is supposed to make storing and retrieving objects easier than a bag of holding at the cost of space.