Encumbrance
We will use Variant Encumbrance. Make sure you select this on your DNDBeyond sheet. The goal for this isn't to make heaps of book keeping or punish players - if you're a bit over it, we probably won't notice. I won't be checking regularly, really just if you get an extra mass of weight.
The goal is to reduce some of the silliness that can occur, and to create the opportunity for some interesting and difficult decisions.
Backpacks
Just because you are over your weight limit doesn't mean that you will be moving slowly in combat. There is a reason that backpacks are considered standard equipment: look at the items and eyeball which would be stored in your backpack, rather than on your person - pots, rations, bedrolls, etc. At the start of combat, you are assumed to slip off your backpack, let it hit the ground (the impact softened by clothes or padding), and move about without issue. Just take that backpack into consideration if ever you have to retreat.
If you're still massively over your limit, consider buying a mule for 8 gp, or hiring a servant at a daily rate.
Rest and Recovery
The game assumes something like six combats per day. The pace of the campaign is slower than this, and resting has been altered to accommodate. The slack will be picked up by Hit Dice. Short and long rests take longer than normal, and a third type of rest is introduced, called a breather. A breather lasts one hour, and provides no benefit other than to allow you to spend up to three hit dice.
| Rest |
Time |
Notes |
| Breather |
1 hour |
Spend up to 3 HD |
| Short Rest |
8 hours |
|
| Long Rest |
Several Days |
Must be somewhere safe. |
Hit Dice
Hit dice can be expended on more than just hit points. One hit die spent during arest can be used for any of the following effects:
- Roll the hit die and recover that many hit points.
- Spend a number of hit dice to recover spell slots with that many combined levels (e.g., spend 3 hit dice to recover a level 1 and a level 2 spell slot)
- Spend a hit dice to recover a level of exhaustion. This can be done no more than once per long rest.
Vision
The common races do not have Darkvision. Instead, any race that would gain Darkvision instead has
Low-Light Vision, described below. Magic, class features and other effects that might grant darkvision work as normal.
Low-Light Vision
A creature with low-light vision can see twice as far as a human in starlight, moonlight, torchlight, and similar conditions of poor illumination. It retains the ability to distinguish color and detail under these conditions.
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