Encumbrance

Bigger personas can lift more stuff. The player multiplies her persona’s Wate Allowance by the WA Adjustment.

Free from all encumbrances. This persona is carrying nothing and may be wearing even less. Restrictive civilian clothing may jeopardize a persona’s Free encumbrance level. Carrying anything removes a persona from the Free encumbrance category. A persona with a WA of 16 kg must carry 0 kg of stuff to be free of enbcumbrance. Wildlife (flora and Fauna) are always free of encumbrance.

This persona is carrying very little equipment. A persona has light encumbrance if she is carrying less than 1/4 her wate allowance (WA). A persona with a WA of 16 kg could carry up to 4 kg and have light encumbrance.

Normal is the normal encumbered state for a personas. A persona has normal encumbrance if she is carrying less than 1 and a 1/2 times her wate allowance (WA). Normal encumbrance is the amount of equipment a persona can carry and function normally. Carrying any more wate will have a detrimental effect on the persona’s function. A persona with a WA of 16 kg could carry up to 24 kg and have light encumbrance.

This persona is carrying too much stuff. A burdened persona is carrying between 1 and 1/2 times and 2 and 1/2 times her WA. They are starting to feel the impact of the wate on their ability to function. A persona with a WA of 16 kg would have burdened uncumbrance when carrying between 24 and 40 kg of stuff.

This persona has reached the limit of what they can carry. The persona can only lift a load greater than 2 and 1/2 times the persona’s wate allowance. The persona can do nothing other than lift that wate. The wate could be a single object or a rucksack full of junque. A persona with a WA of 16 kg can only lift an object, or rucksack, 40 kg or over.

This is the absolute max that a persona can move based on their wate allowance. A persona cannot lift or move anything beyond max lift without using levers or tools. A persona with a WA of 16 kg cannot lift, or move, any wate 48 kg or over.

Carrying too much equipment has a detrimental effect on the persona’s ability to perform tasks. The higher the encumbrance level, the more difficult tasks become. Encumbrance is not just about wate. It also includes restrictiveness and entanglements impairing performance. The persona needs to set the stuff down to avoid the task roll penalty. An easy (12) task would increase the difficulty 24 when encumbered.

When encumbrance rules are due to high gravity environments, personas cannot escape the penalties.

Encumbrance has its most significant effect on combat movement. The greater the load on the persona, the more difficult it is to move. The persona cannot use specialized movement rates like bolting and running when encumbered. Non-combat movement is only qualitative and is not affected directly by encumbrance.

The less encumbered persona will get to act first. A persona loaded down with equipment will have a hampered response time. A persona with burdened encumbrance that rolled 18 on her initiative roll would have it reduced to 14.

Personas must be free or unencumbered to drive or pilot any vehicle. This requirement includes vehicles and spacecraft. Driving rolls will be impaired the same as task rolls by encumbrance levels.

Some attribute rolls are affected by encumbrance levels. The higher the encumbrance level, the more difficult the attribute roll. Encumbrance impacts actions like getting up, balancing, jumping, and climbing. Attribute rolls for DEX, STR can occasionally be affected by encumbrance levels. Actions like doing math, smiling, psionic attacks are less impacted by encumbrance. Attribute rolls for AWE, CHA, INT and MND are less affected by encumbrance levels.

If you do not want to do arithmetic, this table is available for quick determinations of encumbrance levels. If a large or gigantic persona has exceeded the table’s values, then arithmetic is still required. This table will also fall short for robots.