I've been wondering about this--but does a demi dungeon crawl game need to worry about "Carrying Capacity" in terms of weight? I've been using a more simple "bulky/not bulky" breakdown of gear, and I figure the GM can assign treasure a similar mass. Although to some degree Esper powers, and "moving/pushing/throwing" things the weight might matter...

I enjoy min/maxing my character's backpack in the same way that alot of people enjoy making characters or picking vancian spell slots.
 
That said, even I get tired of adding up ounces and half pounds from the DMG. Even worse, the nebulous warnings about cubic footage are not fully supported in the rules, so questions about putting a sword with a basket hilt into an efficient quiver (which only accepts spears) or a chest into a handy haversack (which has a cubic footage limit, and a maximum circumferance) are essentialy an exercise in common sense -- and if encumbrance boils down to common sense anyway WHY BOTHER ACCOUNTING FOR WEIGHT?!??
 
To save time, I make up 'kits.' I'll decide for example that I want my character to have the ability to write letters so I make up a kit of pens, inks, papers, sealing wax a good light (for night writing) a dictionary and so on. I keep adding stuff until the kit weighs a good even number (like say, five or ten pounds) and then put the kit on the character sheet recorded with a single entry for total cost and total weight.
 
Likewise when planning for an overland adventure (i.e. camping) I make up a kit that will feed and water me, my hireling and my animal(s) for a week and then multiply the cost and weight by the number of weeks. And it's always nice to be able to drag the heavy treasure home with you.
 
It's great if you're into logistics themed adventures. Wastelands are more inhospitable if the only thing keeping you alive is your caravan. Starvation is more exciting when survival means butchering your horse. And that in turn makes the wilderness skills of rangers and guides that much more important.
 
Although with the right kinds of magic items or spells wilderness adventures are moot. In games like that I just write "+5 speedo" on the char sheet and march into the ambient moodlighting of the underdark.

An alternative you might consider could be using an abstract encumbrance/body slot unit of measure.  It was used in the Ghostbusters RPG.  The measure was called "hands" and basically served as a unit of how awkward something was.  Weapons, naturally, required one or two "hands" to use.  But a Buster was also allowed one "hand" (i.e. slot) on their head, two on their utility belt, one on the back...you get where this is going.

It was really appropriate for the game because it made pretty clear that, sure, the GB had plenty of tools available at their HQ or in the trunk of the Ecto-1, you had to carefully plan what you were going to take on your mission.

It's that idea that you have to leave your base and prepare appropriately for a mission that made me think it might be appropriate for your game.  You could extend the system to have various types of backpacks that add "hands", give an advantage to your mutants that, literally, have more hands, etc.

For your "treasure hauling" scenario you could decide how many "hands" a character can easily haul, drag, lift over their head based on Str, with checks whatever allowing for a bump.  Sure, one dude could drag the Astral Ladder (hands 3) given time, but having an ally sheath their weapon to free up a hand and they can life that someofabitch.

Another reason I think this might work for your game is because you already have a list of gear like goggles, magnetic boots and so forth.  It might be nice to have a rule in there that doesn't leave any doubt about how many things you can wear on the top of your head.

Finally, I might think about figuring out how your delvers carry around these pills and lozenges.  That's a lot more convenient than a potion of cure light wounds!  Anyway, using a system like "hands" you might decide that a medicine case (1 hand) can hold x number of pills, lozenges or syringes.

Oh yeah, I might want to know how many clips/rounds/weapon batteries/whatever fit on my utility belt (2 hands).

Quote from: winkingbishop;362166Oh yeah, I might want to know how many clips/rounds/weapon batteries/whatever fit on my utility belt (2 hands).

Nice. I've got it more like: Light item--25 total (counts as 1 bulk item), bulk items 3 total. A backpack gives you extra "storage" that allows you to fit so many items and counts as 1 bulk item. (if its full.) or 5 light items if it isn't.

When you run games, how do you do Encumbrance during gameplay?

Quote from: Spinachcat;362442When you run games, how do you do Encumbrance during gameplay?

I don't. I'm only concerned if "that is too heavy/too much" the rest of the time I don't worry about it in most games. In DD I've tried several things but no happy easy to use system.

Quote from: Silverlion;362445I don't. I'm only concerned if "that is too heavy/too much" the rest of the time I don't worry about it in most games. In DD I've tried several things but no happy easy to use system.

Me neither.

If the adventurers are dragging sacks of gold out of the dungeon, I simply assume they are moving slower and making more noise, thus making it easier for wandering monsters to appear and gain surprise.  In battle, those carrying crap have to spend their first action dropping crap / drawing weapon / readying weapon.  

I suspect most GMs do the same...or even ignore ENC completely.   Maybe you should just give GM advice for eyeballing / reacting to overburdened PCs instead of worrying about a system.   There are some things a computer game can do much better than a p&p RPG and foremost among them is sub-systems for fiddly bits.

Also, I expect more DD runs to go like this:

1) Find Derelict
2) Scan outside
3) Choose Entry Airlock
4) Kill everything aboard or die trying
5) Loot the Derelict for everything possible

ENC is only an issue with Step 4 when they are loading themselves up for action and chances are that's not a big issue to eyeball.  Once everything is slaughtered, ENC doesn't matter because they can take their sweet time dragging stuff out of the derelict.

Quote from: Spinachcat;362647ENC is only an issue with Step 4 when they are loading themselves up for action and chances are that's not a big issue to eyeball.  Once everything is slaughtered, ENC doesn't matter because they can take their sweet time dragging stuff out of the derelict.

Very nice. You're correct. Only concern is carrying too much stuff while STILL adventuring. (No you cannot have 400 Beam Blades, I don't care how light they are...)

I think "Awkwardness" would work better than bulk or weight. After all, the reason people would rarely carry more than one or two swords is it got rather awkward.

A Backpack would reduce the Awkwardness of items inside it.

Quote from: Narf the Mouse;362689I think "Awkwardness" would work better than bulk or weight. After all, the reason people would rarely carry more than one or two swords is it got rather awkward.

A Backpack would reduce the Awkwardness of items inside it.

Excellent. Even better. I will use that. If I'm allowed. Three levels: Minimal/Awkward/Very Awkward

Awkwardness Scale 1-5?

Go right ahead. If I didn't want to allow you to use it, I wouldn't have posted it. Just stick my name somewhere in that long line of credits, 'k?

Quote from: Narf the Mouse;362767Go right ahead. If I didn't want to allow you to use it, I wouldn't have posted it. Just stick my name somewhere in that long line of credits, 'k?

Narf the Mouse? or your real one? (Can PM me that..)