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A nice Wired article, with applications in Encumbrance ideas/rulings:
All the Stuff Soldiers Have Carried in Battle, From the 11th Century to Today
How much your character carries with him?
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Corsario--
Thank you for posting that.
Although I've been studying history, I still found it quite interesting to see the layouts of gear and what was in them. I'm also still fascinated at the differences & similarities between what the Brits carried in 1982 (the Falklands layout) and 2014 (the Royal Engineers in Helmand province), and what I carried in the field when I first joined the U.S. Army (1987) and what I carried in Iraq in 2004.
Things have changed a lot.
Oorancor:
Considering how many, many, many unrealistic things fly by even on the part of "martial" characters (let alone users of magic), I wouldn't worry about the encumbrance system in the game too much-- if you want a game that's in any way shape or form realistic-- Pathfinder is NOT it (nor is any derivative of the "World's Oldest/First Role Playing Game").
However-- as one can note from the pics in the article and other comments-- packing gear is an intricate, carefully undertaken process, but with care (and depending on the weapons) it may well be possible for a big, strong martial fighter to in fact lug 3-5 two-handed weapons and a shield (just, in the realistic version, they won't be quickly accessible when they're strapped up and packed for transport). On the bulk front-- your tent, bedroll, spare clothes, etc., are usually going to be bulkier than your weapons anyway.
General comments to all:
But, my real-world background as a soldier has thoroughly inspired me to make handy haversacks an item very high on most of my character's desired acquisitions list... anything that can lighten up the load you gotta sling on your back and ease your packing difficulties the way that item does would be immeasurably valuable to the poor footsloggers whose comfort and well-being would be so much improved by having such items. Likewise, most of my characters make considerable efforts to get items for 'prestidigitation'-- yes, I know it's just a cantrip... but to your character, it's field hygiene and cleanliness for yourself and your gear and clothing, keeps your drinks cold or warm as you desire, warms up your food AND spices up your field rations, all in one little spell, item, or spell-like ability-- along with all the other tricks you can do with it. No big mechanical advantages-- but put yourself in your character's shoes and think about how wonderful it would be to have that on the road (or, knowing that such things are available, how much a cold, dirty camp and no shower sucks without it)....
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I fully agree Finn. One of my preferred items in the 3.5 was the Cloak of comfort.
It did shed rain and water from the protected area (shoulder to ankles), it had an endure element effect, it produced a couple of liters of sugared tea every day and some edibles and, with a command word it did turn into a waterproof 2 man tent (having pulled down a old canvas tent when wet I would have loved it).
It is a pity that that kind of item are counted against your WBL and eat part it. I low that kind of items. Not powerful for combat, but great for comfort.
Nice. Don't know why but I love stuff about a soldier's kit and gear, but its always been an interest of mine particularly of historical armies. Wish it had a bit more details on each piece.
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A nice Wired article, with applications in Encumbrance ideas/rulings:
All the Stuff Soldiers Have Carried in Battle, From the 11th Century to Today
How much your character carries with him?
Weird, I don't see canteens in those image until the 1916, Battle of the Somme, kit. There is a round container in the Waterloo kit but it don't seem to be a canteen.
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ou either never use a shield, or you always use one and therefore never use a two-handed weapon. Naturally you can't use a shield and a longbow at the same time.
Buckler.
I think the historical name was different, but there was a target shield that was used by slingers and archers. In warfare crossbowmen used the palvese, a wall shield in our game.
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I recently began the Jade Regent campaign, we all began at level 3. I played a 3.5 swordsage in light armor but I had so much gear that I was still encumbered, even with an 18 str and masterwork backpack! At forth level, I will have to look long and hard at a mithral chain shirt, handy haversack and leaving some gear in the caravan.
I am also looking for advice on pack animals for when I venture away from the caravan.nright now thinking war dog as it is only medium. Also think pony or mule since it is a halfbreed of horse/donkey I think and my character himself is a halfbreed human of two different human cultures.
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I've read some lists of gear carried by American soldiers, and under D&D rules they'd all be moderately encumbered. I don't know how realistic that is, of course.
Pretty realistic, actually-- except for at least two major things:
1. Being rather heavily encumbered does not change your marching mobility nearly as much as the D&D/Pathfinder rules imply that it should-- particularly if you're in good shape and used to moving with a heavy load.
2. Both modern and ancient soldiers didn't carry all of that crap into battle-- they carried it on the march, they used it to make camp, etc., and in the old days left most of it in camp when they went out to battle-- they only wore/carried the essential stuff into combat, if they could possibly manage it. In modern times, the packs stay on the vehicle, not on your back most of the time-- and if you are moving long distances on foot with your gear on your back, light-infantry style, the first thing you do the moment a firefight starts, is drop your rucksack (or the second thing, if you're ducking for cover first-- depends on the circumstances and how exposed you are when you realize s***'s going down). That lightens up the load you're carrying while you're actually fighting by quite a lot. If you're alive at the end of the firefight, you can go back and pick up your rucksack.
At the same time, though-- the amount of gear you're still carrying after dumping the pack may weigh quite a bit: for example, the gear I wore at all times while out on patrol in Iraq (basic dismounted fighting kit) was around 45-60 lbs-- that's weapon, ammo, helmet, body armor, lots of water (carried in a camelbak), advanced first-aid kit or combat lifesaver bag, potentially radio and/or gps receiver, compass, depending on mission a couple of grenades and/or an AT-4; possibly an e-tool, a bayonet (good as tool, not just weapon), and other miscellaneous odds'n'ends.
As another side point-- yes, the game will let you get by with "roughing it" and ignoring many necessities of field life-- which, realistically, you will get sick, fatigued, infected, worn out, etc., much faster without that stuff-- for all the griping about the 'stuff your CO makes you pack'-- the majority of it's actually necessary for successful military operations. Depending on the weather though-- you may get away with less cold weather gear, you may be able to ditch the tent (or just make a poncho hooch), you might not need the full sleeping bag. Oh, and it's usually not the commanding officer who makes the packing list anyway-- it's usually the First Sergeant, and it's usually the Platoon Sergeants and Squad Leaders enforcing it-- at least in the modern Army.
In game-- I do abide by the encumbrance rules... and I also keep track of how loaded my character is with all gear, and how much weight my character's still carrying after dumping the pack and camp gear-- and like a modern soldier, yes, first thing my character does when combat breaks out-- if I don't have a handy haversack or the like already and my gear isn't already stowed on a pack animal.
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My witch has more than that in her bag of holding.
abacus, antidote Kit, artisan's Tools blood-boiling pill, blood-chilling pill, bloodblock, bottled lightening, cold iron caltorps, two wheels of cheese, five bars of chocolate, cleats, coffee, coffee pot, cold weather outfit, collapsible plank, crowbar, ectoplasmic tracer, folding ladder, folding pole, fortune-teller's deck, fuse grenade, garlic, grappling bolt, harrow deck, healer's kit, heritage book, holy water x9, hot weather outfit, masterwork tool, masterwork tools for all knowledges (books), pocket watch, merchant's pomander, skeleton key, smelling salts, smoked goggles, snowshoes, soothe syrup, soul stimulant, spell component pouch, spider silk rope, tunnel creeper, umbrella
Weird, I don't see canteens in those image until the 1916, Battle of the Somme, kit. There is a round container in the Waterloo kit but it don't seem to be a canteen.A nice Wired article, with applications in Encumbrance ideas/rulings:
All the Stuff Soldiers Have Carried in Battle, From the 11th Century to Today
How much your character carries with him?
Second picture top just to the right of center appears to be a corked leather bottle.
Third picture top center, same thing.
The round thing in the Waterloo kit looks more like a mess kit.
The round thing in the Alma kit does look like a canteen.
Weird, I don't see canteens in those image until the 1916, Battle of the Somme, kit. There is a round container in the Waterloo kit but it don't seem to be a canteen.
The round blue container on the left is the canteen, the light tan container attached to the blanket (top right) is the mess kit. Food was generally carried loose in the haversack or in the dedicated bread bag (tan linen bag right of the 'chess board' in the centre).
I've read some lists of gear carried by American soldiers, and under D&D rules they'd all be moderately encumbered. I don't know how realistic that is, of course.
Interestingly, modern infantry on the front line are calling for less equipment rather than more. They would prefer mobility to extra armour and toys. There is a debate about whether mobility is a better defence than heavy armour, and that debate has been going on for centuries.
You can use magic to hand-wave away a lot of problems. Just picture horses. They can carry a lot of stuff...
Horses are okay... to a point. Once you decide to wear full plate, carry your kit, armour your warhorse with barding and so on, you are unlikely to end up with a horse that will walk all day and still be happy to charge into battle. In a more realistic system you would have two (or more) horses - one to travel with and one to fight on.