I was reading DH2e, which includes rules for the backpack, which increases your carrying capacity at the cost of making things harder to access. So I thought I'd check how OW treats the backpack or sling bag which everyone gets and I couldn't find it in the Core rulebook...
Am I blind or is it missing?
Backpack/sling bag, where are the rules?
Huh, I don't see it either. I don't think it'd be a problem to just beam <Dark Heresy Second Edition>'s backpack over to <Only War>, so that's always an option.
No, that seems the way I'd do it too. Just seems kinda odd, but I guess it goes with all the other unexplained items. *shrug* Thanks for confirming it for me, though.
To my knowledge, the rucksack not having stats is intentionel.
The rucksack is mentioned on page 36 in the core rulebook:
"In general, an average character can reasonably carry a main weapon, such as a lasgun, autogun, or flamer, plus one or two secondary weapons like a pistol or melee weapon, along with a few clips of extra ammunition and several pieces of miscellaneous equipment in a rucksack, satchel, or similar container. It is not at all reasonable, however, for a character, even a very strong one, to be walking around with three heavy weapons and several thousand rounds of ammo for each, or for the character to have a backpack with one of everything from the equipment section of Chapter VI: Armoury."
Seems to me as if the rucksack/sling bag is only there to provide an excuse as to where you keep all your miscellaneous equipment, such as the grooming kit or mess kit and water canteen.
For me this is fine. Just an item which needs to be there in order for the experience to seem more realistic. Kindoff a reminder saying; offcourse you need a container of sorts for all your stuff, you silly Billy.
If you feel the need to give it stats, then by all means dont let me stop you.
Also a perfectly valid position to take
Just seems odd that they'd give it stats in DH2e, then. But okay, different levels of abstraction for the different lines.
Actually, my players and I fleshed out a very interesting solution to this problem. It looks like this:
http://postimg.org/image/f124ixov3/
(First things first, I made this on a website called innawoods.net in case you were wondering.)
But anyways, this system gives your players a quick visual reference of all their available resources, so things don't get forgotten and underused. First of all, this unit was a customized guerrilla warfare regiment, so we sure that all of their standard issue equipment was listed here. You can see that in the belt slots they have an entrenching tool and combi tool, as well as a flint for starting fires and a canteen. In the chest rig, they carry a pair of preysense goggles, a pair of magnoculars, and a microbead. In the backpack they have all the miscellaneous gear, including a tent, hygienic supplies, and a gas mask.
Now for the big white slots. On the vest (the top row of small squares and the big rectangle), these slots represent their pouches for ammo and such. Each pouch can carry 3 magazines for a basic weapon, 1 reload for a heavy weapon, or 2 hand grenades. They can also fit other similarly sized items. The Rectangle pouch can carry other random gear, or twice the normal amount of stuff.
The second row of big white slots represents a spot for a satchel type bag. The first in the row is just where you write in that you are carrying a satchel, while the other 3 slots follow the same rules as the vest pouches.
The big spot immediately below the character represents their primary two handed weapon, or two one handed weapons that they carry around all of the time. The row of spots underneath that allows them to detail any modifications the weapon may have. The two big squares in the bottom right represent their "hip" slots. Each one of these can carry a single 1 handed weapon, such as a pistol or a melee weapon.
(Note that the standard knife does not take up a slot anywhere, as it is not big enough. It is always assumed that if they have their other weapons they have their knife)
Lastly, we get to the rows of text on the bottom of the page. The first, labeled Sling Slot, is a spot where they can sling a second basic weapon over their back. Removing this basic weapon from their back takes one full action, as does placing one in this slot. This means that players can carry two basic weapons, such as a flamer and a las-rifle as long as they can take the weight. Next, the Ankle Slot represents a small holster in your boot in which you can place one handgun with the Compact Modification, or other similarly sized item. After all of this is done, you calculate the total weight of the equipment not in the backpack or already shown on the page, and write this on the Total Weight of Non-Backpack Equipment line. The website, Innawoods, will calculate the weight in Kg of any equipment you place in the slots and display it near the top of the page, and this is the same for everyone. You tally these to find the total weight carried.
Note that the weight of weapons and standard kit will over-encumber 90% of PC's, but that is OK. In the military while on the march, many soldiers carry 80+ pounds of gear. In some regiments, they can hang stuff on a vehicle, or leave it in a trench, but in most they will be carrying their gear. The weight of the backpack is calculated because you can take it off, meaning that most PC's will no longer be encumbered. I tend to rule that removing a backpack under normal conditions takes one full action.
Sorry for the wall of text, but that was my group's solution to the limited inventory management in this game.
Actually, my players and I fleshed out a very interesting solution to this problem. It looks like this:
http://postimg.org/image/f124ixov3/
(First things first, I made this on a website called innawoods.net in case you were wondering.)
But anyways, this system gives your players a quick visual reference of all their available resources, so things don't get forgotten and underused. First of all, this unit was a customized guerrilla warfare regiment, so we sure that all of their standard issue equipment was listed here. You can see that in the belt slots they have an entrenching tool and combi tool, as well as a flint for starting fires and a canteen. In the chest rig, they carry a pair of preysense goggles, a pair of magnoculars, and a microbead. In the backpack they have all the miscellaneous gear, including a tent, hygienic supplies, and a gas mask.
Now for the big white slots. On the vest (the top row of small squares and the big rectangle), these slots represent their pouches for ammo and such. Each pouch can carry 3 magazines for a basic weapon, 1 reload for a heavy weapon, or 2 hand grenades. They can also fit other similarly sized items. The Rectangle pouch can carry other random gear, or twice the normal amount of stuff.
The second row of big white slots represents a spot for a satchel type bag. The first in the row is just where you write in that you are carrying a satchel, while the other 3 slots follow the same rules as the vest pouches.
The big spot immediately below the character represents their primary two handed weapon, or two one handed weapons that they carry around all of the time. The row of spots underneath that allows them to detail any modifications the weapon may have. The two big squares in the bottom right represent their "hip" slots. Each one of these can carry a single 1 handed weapon, such as a pistol or a melee weapon.
(Note that the standard knife does not take up a slot anywhere, as it is not big enough. It is always assumed that if they have their other weapons they have their knife)
Lastly, we get to the rows of text on the bottom of the page. The first, labeled Sling Slot, is a spot where they can sling a second basic weapon over their back. Removing this basic weapon from their back takes one full action, as does placing one in this slot. This means that players can carry two basic weapons, such as a flamer and a las-rifle as long as they can take the weight. Next, the Ankle Slot represents a small holster in your boot in which you can place one handgun with the Compact Modification, or other similarly sized item. After all of this is done, you calculate the total weight of the equipment not in the backpack or already shown on the page, and write this on the Total Weight of Non-Backpack Equipment line. The website, Innawoods, will calculate the weight in Kg of any equipment you place in the slots and display it near the top of the page, and this is the same for everyone. You tally these to find the total weight carried.
Note that the weight of weapons and standard kit will over-encumber 90% of PC's, but that is OK. In the military while on the march, many soldiers carry 80+ pounds of gear. In some regiments, they can hang stuff on a vehicle, or leave it in a trench, but in most they will be carrying their gear. The weight of the backpack is calculated because you can take it off, meaning that most PC's will no longer be encumbered. I tend to rule that removing a backpack under normal conditions takes one full action.
Sorry for the wall of text, but that was my group's solution to the limited inventory management in this game.
That's great option. I may use it with my group. Thank's for the idea and link to the website.
I am definitely using it. It is just a cool element to give my players another level of depth and art to their already vivid game world.
Outstanding! Thanks.
After seeing this wonderful thread, I was inspired to ape your method using image/pen method.
Cog, are you simply printing that out and having your players write in their equipment on it, or is it a bit more/less involved than that?
I'm actually going to go with that method for my irl games, and soon use this as a base for an editable pdf once I get around to it for my online skype games.
When you get that as an editable PDF... let a homie know, yeah?
Well I've been gone for a while and I come back and someone has already improved on my idea lol. I like what you've done with it Cog.
Good ideas are meant to be expanded upon! I am stoked to start using this template.
When you get that as an editable PDF... let a homie know, yeah?
I couldn't do it myself, but my friend Craftomega was kind enough to take the time and effort to make this happen. Thank him when you get a chance!
http://www.darkreign.org/system/tdf/OW_Editable_Equipment_Tracker_1.pdf?file=1&type=node&id=1723
Corrected version (some tooltips were wrong):
http://www.darkreign.org/sites/default/files/OW_Editable_Equipment_Tracker_cropped1.pdf
tots forgot the links the first time I hit post.
Edited by Cogniczar
Wow, thank god there are people in the world with more skill and time than me lol
this is terrific guys.
Thanks. ^^. Im going to try to goad Craftomega to whip up more for the other lines once I finish the background images too. Im making unique ones for Tech Priest (with mechadendrite slots) as well.
Edit:
Such as
We just became Bromies, Cog.
It is only sligtly related, but I came up with a talent for my group to cope with the weight issue.
Strong Shoulders (general, toughness, tier 1)
The character adds 1 to thier TB for the purposes of table 1-7 Carrying, pushimg and dragging. In addition, the character adds +10 any time they test to resist the effects of the Concussive quality.
I'm considering it to be taken twice, second time at a tier 2.