Practical Carry Planning
A carry weight check feels simple during play. Yet it can shape travel, stealth, and loot choices. This calculator turns Strength, size, gear, coins, and special build traits into clear limits. It helps a player see what can be carried, lifted, pushed, or dragged. It also helps a guide judge when burden should matter.
Why Weight Matters
Inventory weight is a small physical model. A higher Strength score gives greater force. Larger bodies can support more mass. Tiny bodies handle less. That is why size scaling is included beside the normal Strength formula. The tool also shows remaining capacity, used percentage, and a short table-friendly ruling note.
Normal Mode
Normal carrying uses a broad limit. Most heroes can move normally until total load passes carrying capacity. After that point, the character is no longer simply carrying gear. The load becomes something to push, drag, or lift. Movement may fall to a crawl. This mode is best for fast sessions and lighter bookkeeping.
Variant Encumbrance
Variant mode creates earlier warning levels. The first threshold marks encumbrance. The second marks heavy encumbrance. These stages make packed armor, coins, rations, and treasure more important. They also add a tactical cost to hauling too much through dungeons. Use this option when travel pressure matters.
Advanced Inputs
The calculator includes coin weight because treasure can become heavy quickly. It includes base speed so penalties are easier to read. It includes bonus capacity for magic, home rules, packs, mounts, or class features. Powerful build can be handled by raising the effective size for load math.
Using Results
Start with the character sheet. Enter Strength and real gear weight. Add coins if tracked. Pick the creature size. Choose normal rules or variant rules. Press calculate. Review the status line first. Then compare remaining space with planned loot. Download a report when sharing results with a group.
Good Table Practice
Treat the result as guidance, not a replacement for judgment. Terrain, exhaustion, containers, awkward objects, and creature shape can change the answer. A chest may weigh less than the limit but still be hard to carry. Clear notes keep rulings fair, quick, and consistent. Record assumptions before play, so later choices stay transparent each session.