Encumbrance and Movement

​Effects of Encumbrance Encumbrance has two basic effects. First, it reduces your character's movement rate. If encumbrance categories are used, Unencumbered has no effect on movement, Light reduces the movement rate by 1/3 (round fractions down), Moderate reduces it by ½, Heavy reduces it by 2/3, and Severe lowers the movement rate to 1. If the optional system is used, the character's movement rate is reduced to the amount found by using Table 48. The movement rate determines how far your character can move in a round, turn, hour, and day. As his movement rate gets lower, your character moves slower and slower. See "Movement” in Chapter 14: Time and Movement for more details. Encumbrance also reduces your character's combat abilities. If encumbrance reduces your character to ½ of his normal movement rate, he suffers a -1 penalty to his attack roll. If he is reduced to 1/3 or less of his normal movement rate, the attack penalty is -2 and there is an additional AC penalty of +1. If your character's movement is reduced to 1, the attack roll penalty is -4 and the AC penalty is +3. Clearly, the wise thing for a heavily encumbered character to do is to quickly drop most of his gear before entering battle. ​

Character Encumbrance

Stats Table

Strength	Unencumbered	Light	Moderate	Heavy	Severe	Max. Carried Weight
2	0-1	2	3	4	5-6	6
3	0-5	6	7	8-9	10	10
4-5	0-10	11-13	14-16	17-19	20-25	25
6-7	0-20	21-29	30-38	39-46	47-55	55
8-9	0-35	36-50	51-65	66-80	81-90	90
10-11	0-40	41-58	59-76	77-96	97-110	110
12-13	0-45	46-69	70-93	94-117	118-140	140
14-15	0-55	56-85	86-115	116-145	146-170	170
16	0-70	71-100	101-130	131-160	161-195	195
17	0-85	86-121	122-157	158-193	194-220	220
18	0-110	111-149	150-188	189-227	228-255	255
18/01-50	0-135	136-174	175-213	214-252	253-280	280
18/51-75	0-160	161-199	200-238	239-277	278-305	305
18/76-90	0-185	186-224	225-263	264-302	303-330	330
18/91-99	0-235	236-274	275-313	314-352	353-380	380
18/00	0-335	336-374	375-413	414-452	453-480	480

Footnote Info

Modified Movement Rates

Stats Table

Strength	12	11	10	9	8	7	6	5	4	3	2	1
Score	6	5	5	4	4	3	3	2	2	1	1	1
2	1	--	2	--	--	3	--	--	4	--	--	5
3	5	--	6	--	7	--	--	8	--	9	--	--
4-5	10	11	12	13	14	15	16	17	18	19	20	21
6-7	20	23	26	29	32	35	38	41	44	47	50	53
8-9	35	40	45	50	55	60	65	70	75	80	85	89
10-11	40	46	52	58	64	70	76	82	88	94	100	106
12-13	45	53	61	69	77	85	93	101	109	117	125	133
14-15	55	65	75	85	95	105	115	125	135	145	155	165
16	70	80	90	100	110	120	130	140	150	160	170	180
17	85	97	109	121	133	145	157	169	181	193	205	217
18	110	123	136	149	162	175	188	201	214	227	240	253
18/01-50	135	148	161	174	187	200	213	226	239	252	265	278
18/51-75	160	173	186	199	212	225	238	251	264	277	290	303
18/76-90	185	198	211	224	237	250	263	276	289	302	315	328
18/91-99	235	248	261	274	287	300	313	326	339	352	365	378
18/00	335	348	361	374	387	400	413	426	439	452	465	478

Footnote Info

Carrying Capacities of Animals

Stats Table

Mount	Base Move	2/3 Move	1/3 Move
Camel	0-330 lbs.	331-500 lbs.	501-660 lbs.
Dog	0-15 lbs.	16-20 lbs.	21-30 lbs.
Elephant	0-500 lbs.	501-750 lbs.	751-1,000 lbs.
Horse, draft	0-260 lbs.	261-390 lbs.	391-520 lbs.
Horse, heavy	0-260 lbs.	261-390 lbs.	391-520 lbs.
Horse, light	0-170 lbs.	171-255 lbs.	256-340 lbs.
Horse, medium	0-220 lbs.	221-330 lbs.	331-440 lbs.
Horse, riding	0-180 lbs.	181-270 lbs.	271-360 lbs.
Mule	0-250 lbs.	251-375 lbs.	376-500 lbs.
Ox	0-220 lbs.	221-330 lbs.	331-440 lbs.
Yak	0-220 lbs.	221-330 lbs.	331-440 lbs.

Footnote Info

Aside from knowing the weight limits, your character needs to have ways to hold all his gear. The capacities of different containers are given in Table 50.

Stowage Capacity

Stats Table

Item	Weight Cap.	Volume
Backpack	50 lbs.	3'×2'×1'
Basket, large	20 lbs.	2'×2'×2'
Basket, small	10 lbs.	1'×1'×1'
Belt pouch, large	8 lbs.	6"×8"×2"
Belt pouch, small	5 lbs.	4"×6"×2"
Chest, large	100 lbs.	3'×2'×2'
Chest, small	40 lbs.	2'×1'×1'
Sack, large	30 lbs.	2'×2'×1'
Sack, small	15 lbs.	1'×1'×8"
Saddle bags, large	30 lbs.	18"×1'×6"
Saddle bags, small	20 lbs.	1'×1'×6"

Footnote Info

Rates of Climbing

Stats Table

Type of Surface	Dry	Slightly Slippery	Slippery
Very smooth*	¼	--**	--**
Smooth, cracked*	½	1/3	¼
Rough*	1	1/3	¼
Rough w/ledges	1	½	1/3
Ice wall	--	--	¼
Tree	4	3	2
Sloping wall	3	2	1
Rope and wall	2	1	½

Footnote Info

* Nonthief characters must be mountaineers and have appropriate tools (pitons, rope, etc.) to climb these surfaces. ** Thief characters can climb very smooth, slightly slippery surfaces at ¼. However, even thieves cannot climb very smooth, slippery surfaces.

Base Climbing Success Rates

Stats Table

Category	Success Rate
Thief with mountaineering proficiency*	Climb walls % + 10%
Thief	Climb walls %
Mountaineering proficiency*	40% + 10% per proficiency slot
Mountaineer (decided by DM)	50%
Unskilled climber	40%

Footnote Info

*Only if the optional proficiency system is used.

Climbing Modifiers

Stats Table

Situation	Modifier
Abundant handholds (brush, trees, ledges)	+40%
Rope and wall**	+55%
Sloped inward	+25%
Armor:
Banded, splint	-25%
Plate armors (all types)	-50%
Scale, chain	-15%
Studded leather, padded	-5%
Character race:*
Dwarf	-10%
Gnome	-15%
Halfling	-15%
Encumbrance	-5% †
Surface condition:
Slightly slippery (wet or crumbling)	-25%
Slippery (icy, slimy)	-40%
Climber wounded below ½ hp	-10%

Footnote Info

Light Sources

Stats Table

Source	Radius	Burning time
Beacon lantern	240 ft.*	30 hrs./pint
Bonfire	50 ft.	½ hr./armload
Bullseye lantern	60 ft.*	2 hrs./pint
Campfire	35 ft.	1 hr./armload
Candle	5 ft.	10 min./inch
Continual light	60 ft.	Indefinite
Hooded lantern	30 ft.	2 hrs./pint
Light spell	20 ft.	Variable
Torch	15 ft.	30 min.
Weapon**	5 ft.	As desired

Footnote Info

* Light from these is not cast in a radius, but rather in a cone-shaped beam. At its far end, the cone of light from a beacon lantern is 90 feet wide. A bullseye lantern has a beam 20 feet wide at its far end. ** Magical weapons shed light if your DM allows this optional rule.

Retreats When one character inflicts melee damage (but not as a result of missile combat) on an enemy without being hit in return, she may force her foe to retreat, driving him back with well-aimed blows. The attacker doesn't have to force her enemy back; she can decide to let him stand fast and not press the advantage. A defender can ignore the requirement to retreat if he is 4 or more levels/Hit Dice higher than the attacker or if he is two sizes larger than the attacker. A retreat cannot occur if the enemy was knocked down during the round. When a character retreats, he must move backward into one of his rear spaces chosen by the attacker. If there is no place to retreat directly behind him, the attacker must choose one of the retreating character's flank spaces. If the character is unable to retreat into any rear or flank space, he must roll a successful saving throw vs. paralyzation or be knocked down in the space he is in. In some special situations, the DM may allow a retreating character a chance to avoid being forced back. This allows a character with his back to a cliff (for example) to avoid giving ground. The creature who forces a retreat may follow her retreating enemy, keeping her foe in a threatened square. The attacker can instead choose to back her enemy off and then hold her own position. Retreats are good for breaking up enemy battle-lines or for maneuvering an enemy into a battlefield hazard. Retreats can also be used to disengage from a threatening creature by driving it back. Retreats don't create attacks of opportunity for the creature forcing the retreat; this is the end of the combat round and everyone is finished attacking for the round. However, the retreating creature may have been pushed into a situation where his rear or flank is exposed to an enemy during the next round of combat.​

​Base Human 6 Demi-Human 4 Adj. for encumbrance Diagonal Movement: Cost 1.5 Running Double movement rate No Dex. A.C. bonus +1 A.C. penalty May be set (vs. charge) against May continue to run if Con. Check is made (-2 per rd. after the first) Sprinting Triple move Same as run, except Con. check -10 per rd. Sitting Free action A.C. bonus of 1 vs. missile weapons A.C. penalty of 2 vs. melee weapons May use crossbows with no penalty, -2 for all others Kneeling Free action A.C. bonus of 1 vs. missile weapons A.C. penalty of 2 vs. melee weapons Use any weapon, no penalty Prone Free action A.C. bonus of 2 vs. missile weapons A.C. penalty of 4 vs. melee weapons May use crossbows at ½ ROF Only use size S melee weapons (-4 hit) Getting Up (Sitting/Kneeling) ½ move (may attack/½ move at end of round) Getting Up (Prone) Full Round Considered up on inti. number Fighting Withdrawal ½ movement Move on init. Roll No attacks, casting, etc. (gets A.O. when possible) Opponent can choose to follow Fleeing Full move All Shield Spell, Dex. bonuses lost Attacker gains A.O. and +2 attack​