Starting kits weight discrepencies

[Cuttler]

There seem to be a discrepencies between the individual weight and total weight of starting kits. For exemple, the Magus's starting kit is supposed to be 31 lbs (Ultimate Equipmenet). However, here's the Magus's kit breakdown by items:

Backpack: 2 lbs
Belt pouch: 0,5 lbs
flint and steel: none
bedroll: 5 lbs
ink and ink pen: none
Iron pot: 4
Mess kit: 1 lbs
Rope: 10 lbs
soap: 0,5 lbs
spell component pouch: 2 lbs
torches (10): 10 lbs (1 each)
trail rations (5 days): 5 lbs (1 per day)
waterskin: 4 lbs

total: 44 lbs.

The Magus's kit describes having 10 torches and 5 days worth of trail rations. The only way to get close to that amount would be if they would only be for 1 item each. That would be 2 lbs instead of 15 lbs, bringing the total weight down to 31 lbs.

Have I miss something?

Has anybody seen or got an errata or comments about this?

thanks

[VRMH]

Cuttler wrote:

Have I miss something?

Has anybody seen or got an errata or comments about this?

No, no and yes. Supposedly it's supposed to be like this, though I'm not aware of a logical explanation.

[Chemlak]

Average weights for small equipment kit and medium equipment kit.

[Cuttler]

hmmm...i took care to evaluate the medium weight....

It really appears as if the weight related to torches and rations is off, por not taken inot account....

[extinct_fizz]

IIRC, the explanation given for the kits is that the items in the kit are assembled to fit together and are thusly either more compact, more lightweight, etc than if you threw a bunch of stuff in a backpack from any number of stores.

Sort of like the difference between using a pre-made set of measuring cups or using one measuring cup from your grandma, three others from your ex-gf that moved out, one from that guy next door...

[Cuttler]

Interesting...

Thing is, the explanation makes sense when you try to adjust volume, but mass cannot technically be adjusted (unless you would use magic).

My problem with this is as you use/consume rations and torches, technically the weight goes down...

So, if you use all 5 rations and all 10 torches, you would reduce the weight to 16 lbs??

When you have a DM that is picky on weight allowance, how do you calulate and adjust all this?

[extinct_fizz]

Short answer: Ask your DM.

Long answer: Assume they're lighter torches. Maybe made from a different kind of wood. You could take the weight discrepancy and make it into a ratio: if the torches should weigh 10 lbs but they weigh 6, clearly each torch weighs 60% of what a normal torch weighs.

[Chemlak]

Useful link

[Cuttler]

thanks Chemlak

[Cuttler]

BTW...I just made some calculations for a few kits. It would appear that the discrepencies comes from the torches and rations. They seem to have included the weight of only one item of each instead of the 10 torches (10 lbs) and the 5 rations (5 lbs). If you calculate for only one item, thus removing 13 pounds from the total, it seems to work for most kits....

So just to let you know that you can use the explanation from SKR (seen in Chemlak's post) or adjust with the number of items....