By Buddy Chamberlain

House rules for encumbrance.

Average STR + END = Carry Points

Each item takes a certain amount of Carry Points equivalent to its SIZ rating, as stated below:

XL = 4
L = 3
M = 2
S = 1
XS = 0 (Try not to abuse this. There are realistic limits)

So Sir Fightalot, the Noble Questing Knight, has a STR of 7 and an END of 6. Total CPs = 13. He has:

Broadsword (3 CP),
Large Shield (3 CP),
Med. Autofeed (1 CP),
Omega Gospels (1 CP),
Knife (1 CP),
and Ammo (0 CP).

(He also has Half-Plate Armor, but as that is worn, and already has penalties, I thought it best not to charge characters for armor worn. Now if you're carrying around a spare suit of armor, that's a totally different story!)

His total CP spent is 9, so he can pick up 4 more CPs worth of stuff without being "encumbered." At that point, all actions gain a -2 goal. At double your CP, all actions are -6, and if you go triple, you can't move or do anything without collapsing from exhaustion. Yes, this does leave room for some "pack mule" characters, but overall, I think it's balanced enough.