• Registered: 2013-09-13
  • Posts: 56

Topic: Effect of Strength on Encumbrance

Idea:

Give each character a Strength Ability Score Mod's-worth of free Encumbrance Points.

Thoughts?
Legion

  • Registered: 2013-08-16
  • Posts: 53

Re: Effect of Strength on Encumbrance

Could do.

Or you could go crazy and let them use it as a damage bonus in combat.

You people are all alike, you march in here, young, try and touch the local things.
I suppose next you'll be spraying me with one of those cans of paint, smearing poor Tubbs here with excrement.
  • Registered: 2013-09-13
  • Posts: 56

Re: Effect of Strength on Encumbrance

Funny.

Anyway, I thought a damage bonus was a given until your reply. I was surprised to find it isn't SOP.

Granting Encumbrance Points for Strength mod gives high-STR characters armoured mobility.

Combined with your suggestion, it makes physical-focus characters like Fighters and Dwarves crazy dangerous in melee.

I do also see the logic of not doing either if you're after a less combat-oriented feel.

  • Registered: 2013-08-16
  • Posts: 53

Re: Effect of Strength on Encumbrance

Yeah, our Fighter, who was recently running a lot of AD&D 2E, thought he got a damage bonus as well.  After thinking about it for a good, oh, 10 seconds we decided we'd let him have it.

I hadn't really given any thought to letting folk use the modifier for encumbrance purposes, probably give it a miss this campaign, as the main pack rat of the party is our magic-user, STR 5.  She'd be buggered.

I don't really mind fighters/dwarves being good in combat, but then our guys are trying to three-man BTAM at first level.  They need every edge going.

But as you say, may not be popular with pacifists, all optional.

You people are all alike, you march in here, young, try and touch the local things.
I suppose next you'll be spraying me with one of those cans of paint, smearing poor Tubbs here with excrement.
  • Registered: 2013-03-12
  • Posts: 29

Re: Effect of Strength on Encumbrance

In my house rules, I use the following modifier of Strenght for encumbrance:

. Modifier +1 = +1 slot for heavy itens. So, instead of couting 5 itens, you count 6.

. Modifier +2 = +1 Encumbrance threshold. So, no load would be 0-2, light would be 3, heavy 4 etc.

. Modifier +3 = Both the effects of 1 and 2.

For negative modifiers, -1 = itens count to 4. -2 = 0 no load, 1 light, 2 heavy etc. For -3, both.

Could you understand my broken and bad explanation?

  • From: Merritt, BC, Canada
  • Registered: 2012-02-07
  • Posts: 213

Re: Effect of Strength on Encumbrance

Legion wrote:

Idea:

Give each character a Strength Ability Score Mod's-worth of free Encumbrance Points.

Thoughts?
Legion

Constitution makes much more sense to me for encumbrance benefits. Sure you can LIFT the sack of gold and gems, but how far can you walk with it before getting exhausted?

As a mental exercise I've been slowly drawing up rules to separate races and classes for LotFP, and the major benefit I'm giving to dwarves so far is their Con mod adds directly to their items per encumbrance point. IE: a dwarf with a con mod of 2 gains an encumbrance point for every 7 items carried, instead of every 5 items carried.

Last edited by Yuritau (2013-10-19 06:01:10)

  • Registered: 2013-09-13
  • Posts: 56

Re: Effect of Strength on Encumbrance

I like your CON idea to drive my idea of free encumbrance points. I'll do that. Thanks.

It spreads combat prowess more evenly across all three physical abilities as is proper.

  • Registered: 2013-03-12
  • Posts: 29

Re: Effect of Strength on Encumbrance

I find Dex the most op stat in terms of combat, since it helps with initiative, ranged attack and armor. I believe that giving the bonus on encumbrance to Strenght would be good enough to balance it, as even Wizards would like to have it at a mild rating so that enables them to use armor and cast magic.

  • From: Sudbury, Ontario, Canada
  • Registered: 2011-08-09
  • Posts: 79

Re: Effect of Strength on Encumbrance

Encumbrance comes as much from the size and bulk of an item as it does from its weight. Strength doesn't necessarily come into play. Think about the last time you moved furniture.

Also, if you start giving bonuses for high strength you need to give penalties for low strength. That means low strength Magic Users are going to hit the encumbrance level where they can't cast spells even more quickly.