So why are we talking about encumbrance when we haven’t even talked about items yet. It’s because encumbrance comes into effect in our skills, items, and magic section, and we wanted to talk about this first to set a basis for discussion in that section.

In its basic form, encumbrance equates to limiting what a character can carry. In real life and in many RPGs, this is related to adding up the weight of items compared with the strength of a character to decide how weighed down a character might be by what they are packing around. With trading in and out of items before, during, and after an adventure, this means adding and re-adding weights all the time. Dice Mob simplifies this to something easier and, in many ways, more enjoyable and rewarding.

Characters are only allowed ten items during a campaign and anything over and above that limit require a character to trade out the items for the ones obtained from looting monster’s bodies or treasure hoards.

That’s it.

The only exception to that rule is that players should generally be able to explain how someone might carry/wear the items in their possession, e.g. no wearing two breastplates, for example. Multiple magical rings are allowed provided the character has fingers to put them on. As a general rule, a GM shouldn’t limit too much — the ten item limit is limiting enough — but let common sense be the judge.

Why use encumbrance at all? There is something rewarding about a character having to choose between what they currently have and what they have discovered. Allowing a character to have their cake and eat it too makes for a character so loaded with items as to become far too powerful and the adventure less fun.

For players who just can’t seem to part with something, characters have the option to leave items at home if they don’t think they will need something on a particular adventure. Coming with less items could mean a character doesn’t have what they need, but it also means a character can pick up additional items and bring them home for use later. A player could load themselves out with items tailored for an arctic adventure or a volcanic dungeon with a few slots to spare for items they discover without having to drop anything significant. Or it could leave them exposed when the arctic adventure takes them into a volcanic underworld where they wish they hadn’t left that certain item at home.

There are always items a GM should consider immune to the load out limit. Depending on the race, a character is assumed to be wearing standard clothing like a shirt, pants, undergarments, and shoes and these wouldn’t count against the limit either (unless they’re magical). Arrows, bolts, or sling stones are not counted as it would be too easy to reach this limit with only one weapon. Loot is also not counted against this limit.

Magical items always count against this limit, as do armor and weapons. As a good rule of thumb, any non-magical item of negligible weight that does not improve attack or defense rolls or hit points or mana would not count. The one exception to this is if a character chooses to treat their magic as if they are throwing alchemical potions, special dust, or are otherwise reimagining how their skills translate, these would count the same as the skills count for other characters who aren’t so imaginative, which is to say, they’re unlimited too.