Encumbrance

If you maintain an encumbrance record sheet, I will award an extra 50 XP per session.

A record sheet makes this really easy. There is no summing of weights or anything like that, you just count up the number of items you are carrying and use a simple formula. A few very small items (e.g., pouch, necklace, candle, wallet) don't count at all, but everything else just counts as "1 item" with the idea that sizes average out. I really like this system and have been wanting to try it out ever since I saw it.

For an example of the encumbrance sheet, check out the second page of the LotFP character sheet:

http://www.lotfp.com/RPG/uploads/pdf/CharacterSheetGrindhouse.pdf

The record sheet has several slots for you to write items in, and a few circles to calculate the encumbrance level, with the text of the relevant rules on the other side for easy reference.

I realize that some of you may not think tracking this stuff is fun, so I'm making it optional. However, I think it adds an important dimension to the game, and this particular system is really slick, so I would encourage you to try it.

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So, a quick example: leather armor (+0), 10 items (+1) => 1, Unencumbered, no penalties.

Another example: high strength (-1), plate armor (+2), pike (oversized item, +1), 9 items (+1) => 3, Heavily Encumbered, penalties apply

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If you are interested in the source, these rules are taken from the excellent Lamentations of the Flame Princess (LotFP) Weird Fantasy Role-Playing game:

http://www.lotfp.com/RPG/products/lotfp-weird-fantasy-role-playing

http://www.lotfp.com/RPG/uploads/downloads/GrindhouseRulesMagicFree.zip

The encumbrance rules can be found on pages 38 - 40 of the free rules book.

This game is basically a slightly mutated version of basic D&D. For example, it uses the traditional seven classes (cleric, dwarf, elf, fighter, halfling, magic-user, thief). It is one of the recent "retro-clones" made possible by the Open Game License that Wizards of the Coast used for D&D Third Edition.