If you want to determine whether your character's gear is heavy enough to slow him or her down (more than the armor already does), total the weight of all his or her armor, weapons, and gear. Compare this total to the character's Strength on Table: Carrying Capacity.
If your character is wearing armor, use the worse figure (from armor or from weight) for each category. Do not stack the penalties.
A character can lift up to the maximum load over his or her head.
A character can lift up to double the maximum load off the ground, but he or she can only stagger around with it. While overloaded in this way, the character loses any Dexterity bonus to AC and can only move 5 feet per round (as a full-round action).
A character can generally push or drag along the ground up to five times the maximum load. Favorable conditions (smooth ground, dragging a slick object) can double these numbers, and bad circumstances (broken ground, pushing an object that snags) can reduce them to one-half or less.
The figures on Table: Carrying Capacity are for Medium-size creatures. Larger creatures can carry more weight depending on size category: Large (x2), Huge (x4), Gargantuan (x8), and Colossal (x16). Smaller creatures can carry less weight depending on size category: Small (x3/4), Tiny (x1/2), Diminutive (x1/4), and Fine (x1/8). Quadrupeds (or creatures with more than 4 legs) have the following modifiers: Fine (x1/4), Diminutive (x1/2), Tiny (x3/4), Small (x1), Medium (x1 1/2), Large (x3), Huge (x6), Gargantuan (x12), Colossal (x24)
For Strength scores not listed, determine the carrying capacity this way. Find the Strength score between 20 and 29 that has the same ones digit as the creature's Strength score. Multiply the figures by four if the creature's Strength is in the 30s, 16 if it's in the 40s, 64 if it's in the 50s, and so on.
| Table: Carrying Capacity |
| Strength | Light Load | Medium Load | Heavy Load |
| 1 | up to 3 lb. | 4-6 lb. | 7-10 lb. |
| 2 | up to 6 lb. | 7-13 lb. | 14-20 lb. |
| 3 | up to 10 lb. | 11-20 lb. | 21-30 lb. |
| 4 | up to 13 lb. | 14-26 lb. | 27-40 lb. |
| 5 | up to 16 lb. | 17-33 lb. | 34-50 lb. |
| 6 | up to 20 lb. | 21-40 lb. | 41-60 lb. |
| 7 | up to 23 lb. | 24-46 lb. | 47-70 lb. |
| 8 | up to 26 lb. | 27-53 lb. | 54-80 lb. |
| 9 | up to 30 lb. | 31-60 lb. | 61-90 lb. |
| 10 | up to 33 lb. | 34-66 lb. | 67-100 lb. |
| 11 | up to 38 lb. | 39-76 lb. | 77-115 lb. |
| 12 | up to 43 lb. | 44-86 lb. | 87-130 lb. |
| 13 | up to 50 lb. | 51-100 lb. | 101-150 lb. |
| 14 | up to 58 lb. | 59-116 lb. | 117-175 lb. |
| 15 | up to 66 lb. | 67-133 lb. | 134-200 lb. |
| 16 | up to 76 lb. | 77-153 lb. | 154-230 lb. |
| 17 | up to 86 lb. | 87-173 lb. | 174-260 lb. |
| 18 | up to 100 lb. | 101-200 lb. | 201-300 lb. |
| 19 | up to 116 lb. | 117-233 lb. | 234-350 lb. |
| 20 | up to 133 lb. | 134-266 lb. | 267-400 lb. |
| 21 | up to 153 lb. | 154-306 lb. | 307-460 lb. |
| 22 | up to 173 lb. | 174-346 lb. | 347-520 lb. |
| 23 | up to 200 lb. | 201-400 lb. | 401-600 lb. |
| 24 | up to 233 lb. | 234-466 lb. | 467-700 lb. |
| 25 | up to 266 lb. | 267-533 lb. | 534-800 lb. |
| 26 | up to 306 lb. | 307-617 lb. | 618-920 lb. |
| 27 | up to 346 lb. | 347-693 lb. | 694-1,040 lb. |
| 28 | up to 406 lb. | 401-800 lb. | 801-1,200 lb. |
| 29 | up to 466 lb. | 467-933 lb. | 934-1,400 lb. |
| +10 STR | x4 | x4 | x4 |
Quadrupeds can carry heavier loads than bipeds can. To determine a quadruped's carrying capacity limits, use Table: Carrying Capacity, multiplying by the appropriate modifier for the creature's size: Fine 1/4, Diminutive 1/2, Tiny 3/4, Small 1, Medium 1 1/2, Large 3, Huge 6, Gargantuan 12, and Colossal 24.
| Table: Quadruped Carrying Loads |
Load |
Max Dex |
Check Penalty |
Speed |
||
30
ft. |
20
ft. |
Run |
|||
Medium |
+3 |
–3 |
20 ft. |
15
ft. |
x4 |
Heavy
|
+1 |
–6 |
20 ft. |
15
ft. |
x3 |