The lack of an Encumbrance system and the lackluster currency & price list of Stormbringer were always a bit of a turn off when I ran the game back in the day. In this post, I’ll propose a simple yet robust system for carrying objects, and punch up the coinage by adding a social class-based wealth system. Once again, my aim is to make simple rules that support gameplay.
ENCUMBERANCE & MONEY
The lack of an Encumbrance system was one thing that rankled my old D&D group when I ran the game. One player, upon learning about the chance of a weapon breaking on a fumble in combat, decided to carry around 10 longswords. “There’s no rule against it” he retorted.
Sigh.
Rereading the Elric novels, Elric’s strength and how much he can carry does become an issue at times, so I think an Encumbrance system should enhance the game.
Originally, I had made an Encumbrance system for use with Call of Cthulhu (available HERE), and thought about polishing that up. However, I found a hidden Encumbrance system already in Stormbringer, and thought I would elaborate that.
Stormbringer’s Hidden Encumbrance System
In the section on demons, there is this rule about demons and weapon size:
“Putting points into SIZ establishes the size of the weapon. One point means a dagger-sized weapon, 2 points gives a broadsword or battle ax size, and 3 points is needed for a greatsword.”
It is possible I filched this subconsciously for my encumbrance rules, as the scales are very similar. Regardless, here it is adapted and expanded for Stormbringer.
Encumbrance System
The weight and heft of items you carry is measured in encumbrance, contracted as ENC. You can carry a number of ENC points equal to your character’s Strength (STR). For every point that ENC exceeds STR, you lose 1 point of movement (MOV, normally 8 for humans according to the rules).
For example, if you have STR 14 but are carrying 16 ENC in items, your MOV is reduced by 2 (16-14=2), so your effective MOV become 6 (8-2=6). This can be deadly when running from a fight.
The ENC values for different items are as below:
Weapons
1 ENC One handed, small or light (dagger, hatchet, short sword, light mace / sling etc)
2 ENC One handed, long or heavy (other swords, cudgel / self bow etc)
3 ENC Two-handed (greatsword, heavy mace, Sea Axe etc / Desert or Bone bow etc)
4 ENC Polearms (quarterstaff, pike etc)
The GM and players should decide exotic or new weapons using these rules as a guide.
Armor
1 ENC Cloth (new, 1d4-1 for heavy clothes)
2 ENC Leather
4 ENC Barbarian or ½ plate
6 ENC Full plate with helm (5 ENC without)
The GM and players should decide exotic or new armor types using these rules as a guide.
Shields
1 ENC Buckler
2 ENC Target
3 ENC Heater
4 ENC Tower
The GM and players should decide exotic or new shield types using these rules as a guide.
Objects
These are for objects held in the hand(s). Besides weight, this means the hand(s) cannot be used for anything else while carrying. The examples include a light source / a scholarly object / a liquid container / a solid container / a tool / a piece of furniture / and a musical instrument for each category.
1 ENC One handed, light
Torch / scroll / bottle / jewel case / chisel / stool / flute
2 ENC One handed, heavy
Lantern / book / full jug or pot / toolbox / mallet / chair / lute
4 ENC Two handed, heavy
Brazier / lectern / barrel / trunk or lockbox / workbench / bench / cello
8 ENC Two handed, unwieldy
Stone lantern / empty bookshelf / cauldron / chest or safe / anvil / divan / harp
Example
If we take the sample PC Merak Gren from the old rulebook, he has a STR of 14, and carries a Desert Bow (3 ENC), Sea Ax (3 ENC), broadsword, (2 ENC) dagger, (1 ENC) and Plate armor (6 ENC) for a total of 15 ENC. This means he is geared for battle but moves at MOV of 7. Maybe he’d better leave some of that with his horse…
NOTE:
1) Tiny or Ultra Light Objects
Tiny or ultra light objects (ie coins) count as 1 ENC for every number of the object held equal to the STR score. For instance, if you have 15 STR, you can hold up to 15 coins at no ENC cost, but 1 ENC from
2) Huge or ultra heavy
For huge or ultra heavy things (ie a piano, a casket, a bed) the PC can only drag them around at MOV 1. Up to 3 other people can help move the object, each adding 1 MOV to its speed.
3) Immovable Objects
These cannot be moved. Trust me, a player will ask…
4) Containers
When objects are stowed away in containers, they are counted as half ENC. If you have STR 15, 15 coins in your hand count as one ENC, but 30 coins if put in a purse.
Above all, use common sense and fairplay when deciding on encumbrance not covered by these rules.
WEALTH & SOCIAL CLASS
Money is usually something I handwave in Basic Roleplaying (BRP) games, such as Call of Cthulhu. However, Stormbringer is after all a pulp game, and so the lust for wealth is a huge part of the genre. When Elric and Moonglum inadvertently destroy the Dead Gods’ Book, they still scrabble for the jewels that encrusted it, "each one worth a fortune"
As will be explained in a forthcoming section on Professions & Skills, different professions can make income at a rate equal to their intelligence (INT) per month.
Note that this introduces inequality into the game, but that also fits well with Moorcock’s fiction, in which beggars and kings fight over their different corners of the Young Kingdoms.
RANK CURRENCY REAL WORLD
Melnibonean Imperial Melnibonean Wheel 500, 000 dollars
Melnibonean Nobles Silver Dragon (MA) 500 dollars
YK Royalty Large Gold (LG) 100 dollars
YK Nobles Small Gold (SG) 50 dollars
Clergy Large Silver (LS) 10 dollars
Urbanites (ie Merchants, Rogues) Small Silver (SS) 5 dollars
Rural Folk (ie Hunters, Farmers) Large Bronze (LB) 1 dollar
Dispossessed (ie Beggars) Small Bronze (SB) ½ dollar
In this system, a Beggar of INT 10 makes a paltry $5 a month, a cleric of the same intelligence would make $100 (but have room & board covered by the church), and a Melnibonean noble would rake in $5000, mostly in trade and investments. This inequality gives characters of lower social status a motivation to adventure in the hopes of gaining wealth and increasing their status. It also explains why characters of differing social levels to adventure together - the higher ranked employ the lower. This adds a pragmatic angle to character relations that encourages roleplaying through negotiation of risk and reward.
NOTES
Dispossessed – Of course, this is not enough to live on, so these folk turn to crime or scams by necessity. A dispossessed person could impersonate a higher class to make more income, but would be vilified or imprisoned if found out.
Rural Folk – This represents the money they can save, but most live largely for free off the land.
Urbanites – If they don’t work, they lose 10% of their savings per month. City life isn’t cheap.
Clergy – Clerics generally have room and board covered by their church, but only make money when performing their duties.
Nobles – Nobles have all types of legacy investments and savings, and thus working for them has a more leisurely meaning.
Royalty – Although their income may seem exorbitant, this represents the money they take in as head of state, and so much of it is poured back into the state coffers and infrastructure. A head of state absconding with this total amount would bankrupt his nation and be both reviled and hunted.
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