Does anyone else find it bothersome that a heavy load can carry heavy armor (5 load), plus just 1 other load? I think its fine in theory, but what actually happens is my players need 1 armor (2 load) and then a couple other things, then they can’t mark the load for the heavy armor because its 3 more.. to do so would overencumber them
Does anyone else find it bothersome that a heavy load can carry heavy armor (5 load), plus just 1 other load?
Does anyone else find it bothersome that a heavy load can carry heavy armor (5 load), plus just 1 other load?
Well, yes, that’s how the game is meant to work. Isn’t it?
If they want the heavy armor, they need to either leave the slots free (or just decide you want the heavy armor and mark it early) – or they don’t get it.
That’s the point of marking the load, so that they can have what they want, but they get a limited number of things.
You can’t take the things, and then complain that you don’t have enough left. That’s like spending your money then complaining you can’t buy the expensive thing.
BitD lets you “spend” your slots during the gameplay rather than forcing you to plan in advance. But that doesn’t mean you “get it free.”
If your players want protection AND lots of items, that sounds like a good opportunity to drive the story – maybe they can search our protective artefacts or spells, new abilities, or find an alchemical way to harden their lightweight armor so it gives more protection without taking up more slots.
From a non-story perspective, there are also abilities that allow a PC to resist more damage, which achieve the same end result without using the slots.
I’d also point out that this makes the crew options that give you extra slots for gear/tools/etc. more valuable. Heavy armor plus a single weapon may not sound like much but if you also get access to 2 Tools for free, it suddenly feels serviceable.
Can’t say it’s ever come up for me. I’ve never (as a player) wanted to take heavy armour or had a player take it as a GM. But we’re all a bunch of madmen reckless players who love the consequences as much as the victories, so we barely even take standard armour. >_>
I’d taken it to mean that heavy armour is an option, but not a good option.
No.
I love that it’s a huge burden (pun intended) and have had players “sweat” (more puns!) using it, as their load options dwindle. And as Justin Ford mentioned, those special riggings (and the Cutter’s “Mule” ability, I might add) become very attractive when you want to have fun storming the castle. 😉
To be clear, heavy load being 6 doesn’t bug me. It’s more that 7 load will overencumber when at 6 load the PC is moving – just slower.
Mark Cleveland Massengale, I don’t think at 7+ Load a character’s crawling along like an asthmatic turtle with broken toes, simply that most, if not all, physical activity is extremely hindered. As we all know, fiction matters most. That’s why I give pause to the idea that your 3 Load means you can (EDIT: covertly) carry a greatsword on your back to the Lord Governor’s birthday party! 🙂
Limited resource is limited.
Ever overload a rucksack? Seriously you can easily go from “ok this is heavy but I’ll manage” to “fuck I’m about to topple every step I take!” So the fact that pushing from 6 to 7 is suddenly overencumbered makes sense to me.
Similarly heavy armor is heavy. Ever go to a museum and see the platemail in person? That shit wasn’t fun to wear. No one was running and skipping light on their feet in that shit
Colin Fahrion, during Robin Sage (a training exercise) we watched as Green Beret candidates had to lift each other up after one would lay down and strap on their ruck. It didn’t look fun to march with those.
Colin Fahrion that’s not actually true re: plate armor. Jousting armor sure, but that’s a different thing. Plate armor was almost exclusively designed with more points of articulation than the actual human body has, and generally weighed about 30 to 50 lbs. you’re probably not running super fast, but you could absolutely run, and even pull off fairly acrobatic maneuvers in plate armor. Games imply it’s tough to move around because of balance reasons, it’s ahistorical to imagine plate armor as being particularly limiting in any way. For modern reference, the most common battle armor worn by modern US soldiers is about as heavy as lighter, better made plate armor.
Plate armor is, however, incredibly conspicuous.
Korey Enright Mark Cleveland Massengale
I ducked out after my initial non-serious comment and gave this some thought.
I think my one criticism of heavy armour having so much load is that what you can carry in plate armour and what you can carry out of it in terms of weapons and tools is not that different. A man in plate armour can still have a sword at his side, maybe a pistol or two strapped someplace and be carrying a larger weapon in his hand.
Heavy armour typically isn’t going to stop you carrying as many weapons as you normally do, so having just 1 load left after it I can totally get frustrating people.
Yea that’s what I’m saying – seems I’m the minority but I’ll probably houserule it though (just to give a little more leeway)
If Load was only considering encumbrance I might be able to get behind the disappointment. However, since it’s a hybridization of encumbrance and conspicuousness, I’m happy with the abstraction. Besides, as has been discussed, rigging and Mule open up plenty of options.