The Rules say that some items that are listed as 1 encumberance are really more of an incidental type thing. For example, if you have 8 stimpacks, you are likely to have a small case that lets you carry them on your belt.

So my question is, does this carry over to Holdout blasters and knives? Because holdout blasters fit in pockets and vibroknives likely have a sheath. So would you count those as encumbering?

The Rules say that some items that are listed as 1 encumberance are really more of an incidental type thing. For example, if you have 8 stimpacks, you are likely to have a small case that lets you carry them on your belt.

So my question is, does this carry over to Holdout blasters and knives? Because holdout blasters fit in pockets and vibroknives likely have a sheath. So would you count those as encumbering?

Sure, but only if they are stored in an effective manner I suppose. It wouldn't make sense to say having your pockets full of pistols and knives merely adding 1 or 2 encumbrance.. if you had some kind of padded satchel designed for carrying multiple pistols it could work. encumbrance isnt merely the size and weight but the overall added difficulty of normal movements with the item/s on your person.

I wouldn't bother with the math ever unless there were a narrative reason. The rules are for those long treks through the jungle etc. Most of the time if your PCs are carrying a reasonable amount of gear don't even bother.

In general, players and the Game Master won't need to track a character's encumbrance (how much he's carrying on his person). Occasionally, however, it may play an important part in the story, and a player needs to know if the weight, mass, and collective bulk of the items his hero is wearing inhibits his actions.

AoR p. 152 1st column 2nd paragraph Encumbrance rules.

A reasonable amount if gear is actually a pretty small amount in this system unless your characters are strapped with backpacks and load-bearing gear--all of which looks ridiculous in many sitiations outside of wilderness or combat encounters.

We've never had Enc issues, insofar as toting too much. In fact, it's amusing to watch as my players attempt to swap essential gear between environments, and even more so when they realise their tools would be useful in a wilderness setting:

"We need to build shelter."

"I'll go hack down some brush."

"What's our best Survival Ability?"

"Uh, 3 green."

(GM) "It's an Average check. Add a Setback for hardy yet sparse brush."

"Hm. Maybe we should've brought those tools?"