So one of my players has a animal companion that can fly. They want to have it carry stuff, such as a large sack of potatoes.
Any idea what the largest sack/bulk it could carry would be, and for how long?
In terms of bulk limit, it depends on the size of the animal companion. Carrying an amount of bulk with no penalty for small and medium creatures is 5 + Str mod. Then there's a nifty chart for bulk conversions for different sizes.
I don't think flying factors into it, but I could be wrong.
So one of my players has a animal companion that can fly.
Well at base, flying ones start with a str +2 and Small size so that's 7 bulk unencumbered or 12 encumbered: that's 1 medium/2 small creatures [or 2 medium/4 small creatures encumbered]. Depending on what extra feats are taken to advance it, it could get to a str +8 and medium size which means 13 bulk unencumbered or 18 encumbered.
Now if they take the feat to get Enlarge Companion, they can also turn it Huge for 52 bulk bulk unencumbered or 72 encumbered max. ;)
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Well, I believe it has been theorized that a five-ounce swallow can carry a one-pound coconut.
What do you mean? An African or European swallow?
As much as their bulk limits would allow, I would assume.
In the case of flying PCs though, be mindful that the GameMastery Guide strongly discourages Riding one another (which I think should also be applied to being carried when it is the "cargo" that is ultimately in charge of the movement), and GMs would be well within their rights to apply action penalties like those sprites must deal with from the Ancestry Guide.
But in the case of an animal companion carrying a sack of potatos? I don't see any real issues with that.*
Note that a sack of bombs is not the same thing as a sack of potatoes, and I would have a very different ruling, opinion, and disposition if a player asked about potatoes, then tried to carpet bomb the enemy.
what’s the difference between a sack of potatoes and a sack of potato mashers?
uh, one mashes what the other one is?
no, mechanically, what’s the low down?
there is none - what, exactly, an item is or is not is irrelevant to how many of it one can carry
an item of bulk # is an item of bulk #, and that’s itdoesn’t matter if it’s mashed potatoes, unmashed potatoes, that which does the mashing, or an item which uses potato masher as a euphemism
As much as their bulk limits would allow, I would assume.
In the case of flying PCs though, be mindful that the GameMastery Guide strongly discourages Riding one another (which I think should also be applied to being carried when it is the "cargo" that is ultimately in charge of the movement), and GMs would be well within their rights to apply action penalties like those sprites must deal with from the Ancestry Guide.
who said anything about “Riding one another”?
or about the cargo doing on-the-go dictating to the cargo carrier?yet so every is clear on what the entry about sprites mentions:
Riding PCs
As a Tiny creature, a sprite PC weighs so little and takes up so little Bulk that it doesn't cause issues to hitch a ride in a sack, shoulder, or other position on another PC. However, the amount of coordination required to ensure you don't get in each other's way or jostle each other into losing actions makes this tactic unfavorable for most fellow adventurers during combat. If you're riding along with another PC or similar non-minion intelligent creature, roll both your initiatives and use the lower of the two results. You act in either order on the same initiative count. While traveling in this way, you each gain two actions at the start of your turn, instead of three, since they spend one action keeping you balanced on their back, and you spend one action maintaining your grip.
what if the sprite is unconscious, and is just trying to be airlifted off the battlefield ala some helicopter rescue?
what if instead of riding, just being carried, with no more interaction than that between luggage and a pullman porter?I’d insert the numerous pictures of gerbil, hamsters and other rodents or similar sized creatures with a harness that has an actual handle for being picked up but pictures seem prohibited in this forum.
what if that is the deal? how is this interaction between ‘item than can be carried’ and ‘carrier’ handled in PF2e?
phrased another way:
what, PF2e mechanically, is the difference between carrying that pet-rat with a handled harness and carrying an exact likeness statue of said rat upon which has been placed an identical harness?
does it make a difference if the rat is conscious, conscious but paralyzed, unconscious for whatevs reas, petrified like a statue, or an actual imitation statue of the rat (aka not the rat but something of identical size and shape)?
mechanically, is there any difference in these various ‘what are the rules for carrying this?’ scenarios?
mechanically, is there any difference in these various ‘what are the rules for carrying this?’ scenarios?
no
there isn’t
indeed
As much as their bulk limits would allow, I would assume.
Note that a sack of bombs is not the same thing as a sack of potatoes, and I would have a very different ruling, opinion, and disposition if a player asked about potatoes, then tried to carpet bomb the enemy.
So what would you ruling be in this situation if that bird is carrying 8 bulk of bombs versus 8 bulk of potatoes?
Not looking to pick a fight here, genuinely curious.
As much as their bulk limits would allow, I would assume.
Note that a sack of bombs is not the same thing as a sack of potatoes, and I would have a very different ruling, opinion, and disposition if a player asked about potatoes, then tried to carpet bomb the enemy.
So what would you ruling be in this situation if that bird is carrying 8 bulk of bombs versus 8 bulk of potatoes?
Not looking to pick a fight here, genuinely curious.
The difference would be the companion has no way to effectively use those bombs so if that was the reason to carry them, they would be disappointed when the time came and they then tried to do so.
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The difference would be the companion has no way to effectively use those bombs so if that was the reason to carry them, they would be disappointed when the time came and they then tried to do so.As much as their bulk limits would allow, I would assume.
Note that a sack of bombs is not the same thing as a sack of potatoes, and I would have a very different ruling, opinion, and disposition if a player asked about potatoes, then tried to carpet bomb the enemy.
So what would you ruling be in this situation if that bird is carrying 8 bulk of bombs versus 8 bulk of potatoes?
Not looking to pick a fight here, genuinely curious.
Even if you had a flying companion with the manual dexterity to throw one, they couldn't. ACs can only use the Strikes present in their stat blocks. You wouldn't be able to train an Ape AC to use an Earthbreaker for example, even though physically they should be able to.
As much as their bulk limits would allow, I would assume.
Note that a sack of bombs is not the same thing as a sack of potatoes, and I would have a very different ruling, opinion, and disposition if a player asked about potatoes, then tried to carpet bomb the enemy.
So what would you ruling be in this situation if that bird is carrying 8 bulk of bombs versus 8 bulk of potatoes?
Not looking to pick a fight here, genuinely curious.
"No."
(That would be my ruling.)
queue the laughing raccoon