Personally, I'm not a fancy dresser. But I've often imagined what it would be like to put on the mirror polished Plate Mail Armor, fearsome Full Helm and my favorite weapons. But my dream would turn into a nightmare if I realized that they all weighed too much! I'd be in a panic as my manager just pushed me out into the arena sands where I couldn't move or see! That's a setup for disaster.The purpose of this article is to help new and returning managers avoid over-encumbrance by using the "Weight of Encumbrance" formula.
As a returning manager, yes I remember getting the dot matrix turn sheets in the 80s, I did a lot of home work before restarting my team in December 2012. What amazed me was the wealth of information available in so many places. The game has benefited from the DM-93 Arena articles, the RSI forum threads, Chatzy Live Chats, Terrablood.com articles, and especially the many helpful "super-managers." However, one item that seemed "hidden" under all the good information is how to figure the weight limits of warriors. This tidbit of knowledge is vital when filling out the strategy sheets and my desire is to make it "visible" to all.
When reviewing the RSI Rule Book I came across the following statement located under, "Filling Out Your Strategy Sheets" and in the sub-section called, "Weapons, Armor, and Helms":
"If you load your warrior down with several large weapons, you may push the limits of their encumbrance capability, especially when you consider the additional weigh of armor and helm. Figure that an average warrior (Strength 12, Constitution 12) can carry an average of 18 points of weapons and armor. More armor than this may tax your warrior's endurance and mobility; less armor may allow your warrior to fight longer and improve their mobility."
The numbers RSI mentions were further enhanced by some "super-managers" in the forums (thanks to OAB, Darque, and Assur). They explained the following formula, "ST + (lesser of ST or CN) - 6". Here are two ways to further explain this formula that I'm calling, "The Weight of Encumbrance Formula":
(1) "Pseudo English"
If your warrior's Constitution ("CN") is greater than their Strength ("ST"), then multiply "ST" by two and to the result subtract "6". Otherwise, your warrior's "CN" either equals or is less than their "ST", add "ST" and "CN" together and to this result subtract "6".
(2) Microsoft Excel
(assume "ST" is in cell "A2" and "CN" is in cell "B2"): =IF(B2>A2,(A2*2)-6,(A2+B2)-6)
For example, my Parry-Lunger has a Strength of 9 (ST=9), a Constitution of 11 (CN=11), and on the Roll-up overview he had the Encumbrance Statement of "CANNOT carry a LOT OF WEIGHT in weapons and armor." Without the "formula," I'm merely guessing on how to fill out my strategy sheet. If I guess wrong, then I'm setting up my warrior for a "nightmare" experience. Potentially, I could imprison him in Plate Mail (APA Weight = 14) and render him an easy target. Running the Strength (ST=9) and Constitution (CN=11) numbers through this formula, I now know that my fighter would be encumbered with any weight over 12 (No Plate Mail for him!). Therefore, I now can choose my "outfit" effectively. The "outfit" can include--armor, helm, weapons (including shield), and all back-up weapons. No guessing anymore!
Following is a table that shows how the Weight ranges relate to the Encumbrance statements:
Weight ENCUMBRANCE Chart Letter & Description 00 to 10A -- can only carry a VERY LITTLE WEIGHT in armor and weapons 11 to 15B -- CANNOT carry a LOT OF WEIGHT in weapons and armor 16 to 21C -- (NORMAL ENCUMBRANCE) 21 to 25D -- can carry a GOOD AMOUNT OF WEIGHT in weapons and armor 26 to 33E -- can carry a TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF WEIGHT in weapons and armor 33 to 44F -- can carry a seemingly LIMITLESS AMOUNT in weapons and armorWith this information, I don't want to hear complaints about over-encumbered warriors. Please make sure that they all "dress for success"!
-- Trim, Mgr of SOUNDS(15) in DM-35