"Miscellaneous Equipment (rope, spikes, bags, etc.) -- 80"

[Red Baron]

So how bout it'

[talysman]

Total is 80, unless it's obvious there's a lot more. If someone's just got a couple torches, a rope, a small hammer, and some spikes, I can't see bothering to figure out individual weights.

Well, actually, I'm going by bags and sacks these days. But it works out about the same.

[Finarvyn]

I try to avoid counting items for encumbrance, unless it becomes obvious that the players are carrying around way too much stuff. I figure that they would need a whole caravan just to haul around all that loot, so a few extra torches or 50' ropes aren't a big deal.

[Vile Traveller]

Depends on the group to some extent, but I haven't had players wanting to list, never mind track, all their minor equipment since the 90s. In my experience that used to be something players did during 'down time', which we don't have any more!

I tend to assume that dungeon explorers will have reasonable amounts of dungeon exploration gear. If it's something weird it probably shows up in the Thief's kit. Never had anyone found wanting a really odd item unless it was a McGuffin I put there on purpose.

[Merctime]

I am inexperienced with this reference. May I ask where the 80 comes from? I've bought the WOTC reprints... did I miss this in the rules?

[Deleted]

I believe he's referring to the 80 coins of miscellaneous gear referenced on page 15 of OD&D's Volume I: Men & Magic.

[Merctime]

Thanks, brother! I'll check that out.

EDIT: Interesting. Can't believe I didn't catch that yet.

Considering the example given also on that same page (15), I voted the sum of the gear at 80. But this is a new thing to me. I'd use this as a fair abstraction until such time as that weight clearly didn't represent a greater amount of miscellaneous stuff I suppose.

Thanks for bringing this to my attention, also

[Deleted]

Seeing as how the example character has "miscellaneous equipment" showing a TOTAL of 80, it seems obvious to me that 80 is the TOTAL.

[Zenopus]

FWIW, the Moldvay Basic rulebook also uses 80 for the total of miscellaneous equipment, in the Encumbrance Table (pg B20) which is a revised version of the one in OD&D.