Alternate encumbrance rules (house rules)

[Chris Goodwin]

I'm posting this here because FH seems to be the genre that uses encumbrance most.

 

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Encumbrance in Hero

 

In heroic campaigns, STR costs 1 END per 5 points to use.

 

3 STR would be the minimum amount of STR usage to spend 1 END on. Depending on how you figure it, 3 STR can lift either 40 or 37.89 kg; to make it easy (and not use a calculator) we'll assume 40. Therefore, lifting 40 kg costs 1 END (actually .6 END which rounds to 1) per Phase. Less than 40 kg costs .4 END (which rounds to 0) per Phase, therefore carrying less than 40 kg around costs no END.

 

The following table shows END usage by weight:

 

Weight:		END/Phase:

<40 kg		0
40 - <80 kg	1
80 - <160 kg	2
160 - <320 kg	3

etc.		etc.

 

(Interesting factoid: per the Equipment section, a full set of 10 DEF armor weighs 80 kg.)

 

Note that END usage is irrespective of the character's STR, though higher STR characters tend to have higher REC scores and therefore will spend less in the way of LTE. Which makes sense; to lift 50 kg costs 1 END per Phase whether your STR is 5 or 50.

 

The table below shows, by REC score, how much END per Turn a character can spend and not spend any Long Term Endurance.

 

REC	END/Turn with no LTE

3-4	1
5-6	2
7-8	3
9-10	4
11-12	5

etc.	etc.

 

Characters can voluntarily drop their SPD scores to 2 and, thus, reduce their per-Turn END expenditures.

 

Note that dropping SPD scores reduces movement as well; further note that spending END on movement can increase per-Phase END expenditures and thus increase LTE usage.

 

For long term movement, note that characters can move up to 2" per Phase without spending END. Moving at Noncombat speeds makes this 4" per Phase. Assuming a SPD of 2 (remember? you dropped it to 2 to reduce your END usage because of all of that heavy armor...), 4" per Phase comes to 4.8 kilometers per hour, or approximately 3 mph, which is reasonable for a casual, sustained movement rate; 4 mph equates to a brisk walk.

 

When combat starts, note that characters can instantly switch from SPD 2 to their normal SPD score (on the theory that the initial segment 12 when combat starts is the first segment that both SPDs have in common). This should be assumed to happen without players having to mention it.

[Chris Goodwin]

Re: Alternate encumbrance rules (house rules)

 

Addendum: In hot weather (Temperature Level 2) note that your REC is down by 2, thus reducing by 1 your END expenditure without LTE. You also automatically expend 2 Long Term Endurance every 20 minutes at this Temperature Level.

[Chris Goodwin]

Re: Alternate encumbrance rules (house rules)

 

No one? Not even a "This sucks!"

[Earen]

Re: Alternate encumbrance rules (house rules)

 

I was just looking over it ... it looks good, personally. I'll be digging up my encumbrance rules and comparing tomorrow to see how it might work in my campaign.

[i3ullseye]

Re: Alternate encumbrance rules (house rules)

 

Makes good sense, with one exception. you can generally wear more than you can lift if it is positioned well. A backpack of 50 lbs I can wear much longer than if i tried to lift it and carry it. I think mayube cutting the general encumberance for a worn item in half rather than its full weight would represent this a bit better.

 

But again, some armor types and other items will actually be MORE encumbering than its weight may indicate.

 

But overall, using the recovery to base the LTE on is a great system for travel. and I would certainly implement it during combat for overall exhaustion. Good stuff.

[Chris Goodwin]

Re: Alternate encumbrance rules (house rules)

 

Ok, cool. I came up with them because the current rules seem like a patch that isn't really a satisfying fix. Mine uses only the pre-existing Hero rules on STR and Endurance cost and is, as far as I can tell, balanced with the rest of the system.

 

I'm thinking of another addendum. Say your STR is 15, and you're carrying 50 kilograms and effectively using 5 STR. You're carrying a short sword (STR minimum 10). You're in combat and decide to use your full STR with it. It costs you 1 END (from the load) plus 3 END (from swinging with 15 STR) for a total of 4 END for the Phase. In other words, you can effectively use more STR than you have.

[i3ullseye]

Re: Alternate encumbrance rules (house rules)

 

I would think a wielded weapon is no longer 'encumbering' as much as it becomes a used tool. That the strength minimum would incorporate its weight and its neccessary skill to maneuver. So I would not add the lifting encumberance to the use cost of End. The basic cost of End to use this already incorporates this.