Rules of the Game - Carrying Things

Sooner or later, every character has to worry about carrying a hefty amount of weight. Piles of treasure represent a pleasant burden, but characters might also have to haul unconscious, dead, or petrified comrades out of dungeons, tote piles of loose debris to clear out a collapsed tunnel, or lug jugs of water and bags of supplies through a wasteland to avoid dying of hunger and thirst. This series examines several aspects of the mundane, but all too necessary, job of carrying things around.



Creatures that lack Strength scores can't carry much of anything because they have no way to exert force on other creatures or objects. Other creatures have a carrying capacity based on their sizes and Strength scores. The bigger and stronger a creature is, the more it can carry.



According to the Player's Handbook, a Strength score measures a creature's muscle and physical power. So, why should two different creatures with the same Strength score have different carrying capacities? The answer is fairly complex, but it boils down to this: Some body arrangements are better suited to use their Strength than others in some situations, and less able to use their Strength than others in other situations. Here's an example: A typical draft horse (a heavy horse) found on a farm and a fairly low-level human fighter have similar Strength scores (around 16). The horse, however, can carry three times what the human can because of its sheer size (Large), and because it's a quadruped. Size helps the horse carry more simply because its greater mass allows it to handle more weight (just as a bridge can support more weight than a footstool). Likewise, the horse's four motive limbs keep it more stable than the two-legged human when carrying a load, and give it more ability to exert a pulling force when carrying a load on its back or when dragging something.

So, why not just give the horse a higher Strength score? Well, because a creature's Strength score also helps with melee combat. A draft horse is a fine animal for doing heavy work, but it's not really designed for fighting. It can carry or drag a great deal, and its hooves can prove deadly, but not so much more dangerous than the fighter's sword. If we used the same scale to calculate the carrying capacity for both horse and human, the horse's Strength score would have to be somewhere around 24. The horse's Strength modifier for melee attacks and damage would be +7 instead of +3, and it would be quite a melee machine. By limiting the horse's Strength score and keeping it in line with what the human fighter has, while also increasing its carrying capacity, the rules more accurately represent what each creature can do in the game world.

The forgoing is only one example of how the rules handle size. Many kinds of special combat, such as grappling and tripping, also include a size modifier to reflect the inherent advantages (or disadvantages) of being bigger than your foe.



A creature slows down as its load increases. Pages 161-162 in the Player's Handbook and Rules of the Game: All About Movement discuss loads and encumbrance in detail, but here are the highlights.

From the Player’s Handbook pages 161-162: 

CARRYING CAPACITY
Encumbrance rules determine how much a character's armor and equipment slow him or her down.

Encumbrance comes in two parts: encumbrance by armor and encumbrance by total weight.

Encumbrance by Armor: A character's armor (as described on Table 7-6: Armor and Shields, page 123) defines his or her maximum Dexterity bonus to AC, armor check penalty, speed, and running speed. Unless your character is weak or carrying a lot of gear, that's all you need to know. The extra gear your character carries, such as weapons and rope, won't slow him or her down any more than the armor already does.

If your character is weak or carrying a lot of gear, however, then you'll need to calculate encumbrance by weight. Doing so is most important when your character is trying to carry some heavy object, such as a treasure chest.

Weight: If you want to determine whether your character's gear is heavy enough to slow him or her down more than the armor already does, total the weight of all the character's items, including armor, weapons, and gear. Compare this total to the character's Strength on Table 9-1: Carrying Capacity.

Depending on how the weight compares to the character's carrying capacity, he or she may be carrying a light, medium, or heavy load. Like armor, a character's load affects his or her maximum Dexterity bonus to AC, carries a check penalty (which works like an armor check penalty), reduces the character's speed, and affects how fast the character can run, as shown on Table 9-2: Carrying Loads.

A medium or heavy load counts as medium or heavy armor for the purpose of abilities or skills that are restricted by armor. Carrying a light load does not encumber a character.

If your character is wearing armor, use the worse figure (from armor or from load) for each category. Do not stack the penalties.

Lifting and Dragging: A character can lift as much as his or her maximum load over his or her head.

A character can lift as much as double his or her maximum load off the ground, but he or she can only stagger around with it. While overloaded in this way, the character loses any Dexterity bonus to AC and can move only 5 feet per round (as a full-round action).

A character can generally push or drag along the ground as much as five times his or her maximum load. Favorable conditions (such as being on smooth ground or dragging a slick object) can double these numbers, and bad circumstances (such as being on broken ground or pushing an object that snags) can reduce them to one-half or less.

Bigger and Smaller Creatures: The figures on Table 9-1: Carrying Capacity are for Medium bipedal creatures. A larger bipedal creature can carry more weight depending on its size category, as follows: Large x2, Huge x4, Gargantuan x8, Colossal x16. A smaller creature can carry less weight depending on its size category, as follows: Small x3/4, Tiny x1/2, Diminutive x1/4, Fine x1/8. Thus, a human with a Strength score magically boosted to equal that of a giant would still have a harder time lifting, say, a horse or a boulder than a giant would.

Tremendous Strength: For Strength scores not shown on Table 9-1, find the Strength score between 20 and 29 that has the same number in the "ones" digit as the creature's Strength score does. Multiply the figures by 4 if the creature's Strength is in the 30s, 16 if it's in the 40s, 64 if it's in the 50s, and so on. For example, a cloud giant with a 35 Strength can carry four times what a creature with a 25 Strength can carry, or 3,200 pounds x 4 because the cloud giant is Huge, for a total of 12,800 pounds.


• Table 9-1 in the Player's Handbook shows carrying capacity and loads for Medium humanoid creatures. The first column shows light loads for various Strength scores. A creature carrying a light load isn't slowed down by the load it carries.

• The second column in the table shows medium loads. A creature carrying a medium load suffers a speed reduction as shown on Table 9-2 in the Player's Handbook. For creatures with speeds not shown on Table 9-2, see page 20 in the Dungeon Master's Guide.

A creature carrying a medium load also has a limit on the Dexterity bonus it can apply to its Armor Class and a penalty on Dexterity checks, also as shown on Table 9-2.

A creature that has a fly speed from wings or similar appendages cannot fly when carrying a medium load.

• The third column in the table shows heavy loads. The highest number in this column also is the maximum weight the creature can lift over its head (assuming that the creature has limbs that allow it to perform such an act).

A creature carrying a heavy load also has a limit on the Dexterity bonus it can apply to its Armor Class and a penalty on Dexterity checks, also as shown on Table 9-2. In addition, a heavy load limits a creature's running speed, also as shown on Table 9-2.

A heavy load prevents some kinds of flight just as a medium load does.

• A creature wearing armor uses the maximum Dexterity bonus, Dexterity check penalty, speed reduction, and reduction in running speed as shown on the armor on Table 7-6 in the Player's Handbook or the values shown for its load on Table 9-2, whichever is worse. For example, a human with a Strength score of 18, wearing full plate armor, and carrying a total of 100 pounds of gear and loot (including the armor) is carrying only a light load. The full plate armor, however, impedes the character, reducing the human's speed to 20 feet, imposing a maximum Dexterity bonus to Armor Class of +1 and imposing a Dexterity check penalty of -6. The character also moves at only three times speed when running.

A speed reduction from armor also prevents flying. A creature that has a fly speed from wings or similar appendages cannot fly when wearing medium or heavy armor.

From the Player’s Handbook page 131 

Flying mounts can't fly in medium or heavy barding.



Table 9-1 in the Player's Handbook shows carrying capacities for Medium bipeds. Larger or smaller bipeds have greater or smaller carrying capacities, as follows: Fine x1/8, Diminutive x1/4, Tiny x1/2, Small x3/4, Large x2, Huge x4, Gargantuan x8, Colossal x16. Calculating these values on the fly can be a chore, so I've calculated them for you. If you look at the numbers on the following tables, closely, you'll notice that not all of them conform strictly to the formulas. That's because Table 9-1 gives a continuous range of numbers for a Medium humanoid's carrying capacity. When you start multiplying the numbers on the table, you get gaps in the numbers, however. I've closed the gaps by adjusting the number at the lower end of each load range. The tables for bipeds that are size Small or smaller, I've given loads in pounds and ounces. This allowed me to give load numbers that are as close to the formula as possible.



A bipedal creature stands upright on two legs. In most cases, creatures of the following types usually should be treated as bipeds: fey, giants, humanoids, monstrous humanoids, outsiders, and undead. Be alert for exceptions. For example, a centaur is a monstrous humanoid, but its horse body makes it a quadruped. I've included outsiders and undead here because most of them have basically humanoid shapes, but not always. A yeth hound, for example, is an outsider and a quadruped. Most elementals and plants don't really have motive limbs, but are essentially upright and should use biped carrying capacities.

In addition, many constructs, such as golems, are bipedal. Many aberrations are bipedal (such as mind flayers) or probably ought to use biped carrying capacity, such as beholders. Animals that use only two motive limbs at a time, such as most birds, should use biped carrying capacities. Some animals, such as monkeys and apes, can switch between locomotion types.

Fine Biped Carrying Capacity

Diminutive Biped Carrying Capacity

Tiny Biped Carrying Capacity

Small Biped Carrying Capacity

Large Biped Carrying Capacity

Huge Biped Carrying Capacity

Gargantuan Biped Carrying Capacity

Colossal Biped Carrying Capacity

What Is a Quadruped? 

Most quadrupeds literally move on four limbs. For purposes of carrying capacity, creatures that literally use their whole bodies to move, such as snakes and fish, also should be treated as quadrupeds. Most creatures of the following types are quadrupeds, or should be treated as such when determining how much they can carry: animals, dragons, magical beasts, oozes, and vermin.

From the Player’s Handbook page 162: 

Quadrupeds, such as horses, can carry heavier loads than characters can. Instead of the multipliers given above, multiply the value corresponding to the creature's Strength score from Table 9-1 by the appropriate modifier, as follows: Fine x1/4, Diminutive x1/2, Tiny x3/4, Small x1, Medium x1-1/2, Large x3, Huge x6, Gargantuan x12, Colossal x24.


As noted last week, some animals, such as avians, should use biped carrying capacities because of the way they move. Be alert for other exceptions. For example, a wyvern has a basically avian body layout (two legs, two wings) and should use a biped's carrying capacity. Most flying creatures fly on only two wings, but move over land on at least four legs (dragons and many flying vermin, for example). In these cases, it's easiest to use quadruped carrying capacity even when the creature is aloft. (Besides, dragons are famous for their sheer physical power, and many vermin have two pairs of wings.)

Many constructs should be treated as quadrupeds when calculating carrying capacity. Some outsiders are quadrupeds, as noted last week. Some aberrations have basically horizontal body layouts (delvers, for example), and should use quadruped carrying capacities.

Fine Quadruped Carrying Capacity

Diminutive Quadruped Carrying Capacity

Tiny Quadruped Carrying Capacity

Small Quadruped Carrying Capacity
Medium Quadruped Carrying Capacity

Large Quadruped Carrying Capacity

Huge Quadruped Carrying Capacity

Gargantuan Quadruped Carrying Capacity

Colossal Quadruped Carrying Capacity



Last week, we considered quadrupeds and their carrying capacities. This week, we'll wrap up our look at carrying capacities by looking at a few miscellaneous topics related to the subjects of lifting and carrying.



Everyone knows you can haul around more loot in a bag or backpack than you can just using your hands, and most adventurers equip themselves with at least a few containers for transporting the spoils of victory. The most useful containers for carrying piles of treasure are literally bigger on the inside than on the outside. These are bags of holding, portable holes, and a few related items, such as Heward's handy haversack. These are collectively known as extradimensional spaces, though this is not a defined game term.

From the Dungeons Master’s Guide page 248: 

bag of holding.
If a bag of holding is placed within a portable hole (page 264), a rift to the Astral Plane is torn in the space: Bag and hole alike are sucked into the void and forever lost. If a portable hole is placed within a bag of holding, it opens a gate to the Astral Plane: The hole, the bag, and any creatures within a 10-foot radius are drawn there, destroying the portable hole and bag of holding in the process.


Extradimensional spaces are notorious for creating spectacular and dangerous effects when placed inside each other; however, the dangers can be somewhat overrated. One bag of holding can be placed safely inside another (of course, the first bag's weight counts against what the second bag can hold). Likewise, one portable hole can be placed safely inside another.

A bag of holding placed inside a portable hole, however, creates a rift to the Astral Plane. (See the bag of holding excerpt.) Oddly enough, objects aren't drawn through the gate.

It's best to treat a Heward's handy haversack as a bag of holding when it interacts with a portable hole.

Other interactions between extradimensional spaces are possible. For example, the rope trick and Mordenkainen's magnificent mansion both create extradimensional spaces. The rope trick spell description makes a passing mention of “hazards" associated with placing one extradimensional space inside another, but gives no details. (See the rope trick excerpt.)

From the Player’s Handbook page 273: 

rope trick.
Note: It is hazardous to create an extradimensional space within an existing extradimensional space or to take an extradimensional space into an existing one.

I recommend that you ignore this reference. Your campaign won't be improved if rope trick effects implode when someone carries a bag of holding or portable hole inside. A Mordenkainen's magnificent mansion should likewise prove benign if someone carries a bag of holding or portable hole inside.



Sometimes player characters can get downright silly about what they place in their bags of holding and will attempt to stuff inside it anything that's not nailed down. Player characters also love to stuff their comrades, living or dead, into their bags of holding. Since most bodies are somewhat pliable, it's fine to simply use a bag's weight limit to determine how many creatures fit inside. There should be a reasonable limit to just how big a rigid object can fit inside a bag of holding. The table below includes some suggested limits.

From the Dungeon Master’s Guide page 248: 

bag of holding.
If living creatures are placed within the bag, they can survive for up to 10 minutes, after which time they suffocate.

The rules say a living creature can breathe inside a bag of holding for up to 10 minutes. That's not a bad number for a type I bag of holding, which has 30 cubic feet of space inside. The larger bags ought to contain a bit more air, and I've included some suggested numbers. The numbers given are for Medium creatures. Small creatures use only half as much air and can breathe inside a bag of holding for twice the listed time. Double the breathing time for each additional size category below Small (x4 for Tiny creatures, x8 for Diminutive creatures, and x16 for Fine creatures.

When characters use bags of holding to carry essential supplies, such as water, it's useful to know how much water a bag can hold. Water weighs about 8-1/2 pounds per gallon, so this isn't a difficult calculation, but I've included it as well.


1. This limits the size of any inflexible object placed inside the bag of holding.
2. These numbers have been rounded off to the nearest whole factor of 10.



The description for the portable hole includes information about its dimensions (see the portable hole excerpt). As described in the excerpt, the space inside a portable hole is a cylinder 6 feet wide and 10 feet deep, which contains about 280 cubic feet of space. That's enough to hold about 100,000 standard coins or 2,100 gallons of water.

From the Dungeon Master’s Guide page 264: 

portable hole.
When opened fully, a portable hole is 6 feet in diameter, but it can be folded up to be as small as a pocket handkerchief. When spread upon any surface, it causes an extradimensional space 10 feet deep to come into being. This hole can be picked up from inside or out by simply taking hold of the edges of the cloth and folding it up. Either way, the entrance disappears, but anything inside the hole remains.

The only air in the hole is that which enters when the hole is opened. It contains enough air to supply one Medium creature or two Small creatures for 10 minutes. (See Suffocation, page 304.)



The equipment tables in the Player's Handbook don't quite cover everything a character might decide to pick up and carry. Here are weight figures for a few such items.




Here are a few notes to clarify the table entries.

Armchair: This entry assumes fine hardwood construction and a leather or cloth cover. The weight given is for a chair built for a Medium creature. Cut the weight in half for each size category below Medium and double the weight for each size category above Medium.

Chair, Simple: This is a plain chair made from inexpensive hardwood, and it has no arms. See the armchair entry to adjust the weight for larger or smaller creatures.

Doors: All doors are assumed to be 8 feet high and 5 feet wide, with thickness as noted on Table 3-10 in the Dungeon Master's Guide. The listed weight includes hinges, handle, and lock appropriate for the door's overall construction.

Footstool: This assumes a plain, wooden stool about 6 inches high, with a round top about 18 inches across.

Petrified Creature: To calculate a petrified creature's weight, multiply the creature's normal weight by 8 and add the weight of any gear the creature was carrying at the time of petrification. When a creature is magically turned to stone, it and all its gear turn to stone. This tends to make metal gear weigh a little less, but nonmetal gear gets heavier, so the two tend to average out.

Table, Banquet: This table is built to comfortably seat twelve Medium creatures (about 4-1/2 feet wide and 8 feet long). See the armchair entry to adjust the weight for a table built to seat larger or smaller creatures.

Table, Small: The represents a plain wooden table that might be found in a modest home or merchant's shop. It's big enough to seat six Medium creatures (about 3-1/2 feet wide and 7 feet long). See the armchair entry to adjust the weight for a table built to seat larger or smaller creatures.

Spirits: The spirits entry assumes a barrel-shaped container made from hardwood staves and iron hoops. A cask contains 2 gallons of liquid, a hogshead holds 88 gallons, a keg holds 10 gallons, and a barrel holds 44 gallons. You can use these figures for any liquid-based contents. Containers with dry contents might weigh anywhere from one quarter to two-thirds as much.

Statues: Metal statues assume hollow construction from bronze or wrought iron. Stone statues are solid marble. Statue sizes refer to creature sizes from Table 7-1 in the Monster Manual, and they represent figures in the mid range for each size category. A statue of the listed size could easily weigh anywhere from one half to twice the listed weight.

All statue weights include an attached base or pedestal.

Tapestry: Assumes a woven wool tapestry about 10 feet square and about 1/4 inch thick. You also can use this figure for carpets or rugs.

Workbench: This is a bench about 3 feet high, 3 feet wide, and 8 feet long, with sturdy legs and top and a shelf or footrest below.


That wraps up our look at carrying things. I hope my efforts save you some time and aggravation at the gaming table.



Skip Williams keeps busy with freelance projects for several different game companies and was the Sage of Dragon Magazine for many years. Skip is a co-designer of the D&D 3rd Edition game and the chief architect of the Monster Manual. When not devising swift and cruel deaths for player characters, Skip putters in his kitchen or garden (rabbits and deer are not Skip's friends) or works on repairing and improving the century-old farmhouse that he shares with his wife, Penny, and a growing menagerie of pets.

Based on the original Dungeons & Dragons® game by E. Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson and on the new edition of the Dungeons & Dragons game designed by Jonathan Tweet, Monte Cook, Skip Williams, Richard Baker, and Peter Adkison.

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