# How much weight can a cart/wagon carry?



## Ancalagon (Jun 25, 2004)

This sounds a bit like minutia, but I'm working on something where merchants are going to be important, and I need to know.

Also, I know a creature/character can drag 5 times his weight alowance on something on the ground, but what about if the weight is on wheels, ie how much weight can someone (or an animal) pull if it is in the cart/wagon? (obviously the weight of the cart/wagon would have to be considered).

I know the answer will be dependant on the creature in question and strenght, so for simplicity's sake let's suppose the animal is a ordinary mule.

I know these rules should be in the books but I can't seem to find them!

Ancalagon


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## Treebore (Jun 25, 2004)

They may not be because they can be so variable. I would allow a hand cart to be used for up to 1,000 pounds, a horsedrawn cart for up to 2 tons, and a wagon up to 5 tons. Of course another factor is the volume of the product to be carried, and if it needs to be covered/protected. As for horses needed, assume 2 for a horsedrawn cart to get 1/2 movement, 4 for a wagon to get 1/2 move. Double these to get full move. 

There are probably rules somewhere, but i couldn't find them either, and these "wing it" rules should serve well enough until you find the actual rules.


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## Ancalagon (Jun 26, 2004)

I found the movement of a cart or wagon (16 miles a day) but nothing more.  I might have to go look in 2nd ed, I think they had the rule somewhere.

Anyone else?

Ancalagon


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## Rath the Brown (Jun 27, 2004)

Ancalagon said:
			
		

> I found the movement of a cart or wagon (16 miles a day) but nothing more.  I might have to go look in 2nd ed, I think they had the rule somewhere.
> 
> Anyone else?
> 
> Ancalagon




Try the 3.0 PHB; a cart holds 1/2 ton, sled holds 1 ton and a wagon holds 2 tons.

I don't know why they left this table out of the 3.5 PHB (as well as the tables that show how much backpacks, pouches, etc hold), I found those table to be extremely useful.


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## Ancalagon (Jun 27, 2004)

thank you so much!

I mised that when I looked into it.  While this doesn't tell me how much an animal can pull, I will simply assume that an vehicle has the proper animal attached to it... a strong mule on a cart, and 2 ox or heavy horses on a wagon, and that will be enough for me.  

This isn't the only thing that was left out on the 3.0 to 3.5 change, and we now keep a 3.0 phb around when we game to find those small pieces of equipment info that is misssing in 3.5.

Where am I going with this?  Well, knowing the speed of various means of transportation, I'm going to make an estimate of the cost involved in transporting 1 pound of goods over one mile (when using pack mules, or carts or wagons and such, over long distances).  This will allow me to see how much a merchant is paying to carry good, and how quickly prices should rise over distance.

Ancalagon


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## jgbrowning (Jun 27, 2004)

During the roman period, I believe the price of goods doubled every 50 miles overland. That may help with your assessment.

joe b.


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## AuraSeer (Jun 27, 2004)

My rule of thumb is that a load on wheels is twice as easy to move. If your draft animal has a push/drag limit of one ton, it can haul a two-ton wagon at its normal walking speed. (Of course you'll want multiple animals so they don't tire out; an extremely heavily loaded animal should probably start making forced march checks after the first 3 or 4 hours.)

If you're going to use this to calculate transportation costs, remember that there are a lot more than just the wagons and animals. A D&D world has brigands and orcs and dragons, so every merchant needs to hire guards or adventurers to protect the caravan. The more dangerous the area, the more guards are necessary, so 100 miles through an untamed frontier will raise the price *lots* more than 100 miles along the king's highway.

Depending on the sophistication of your campaign world, merchants may also decide to buy insurance for their ventures. This will raise overhead again-- by huge amounts in a dangerous area-- but means the merchant won't be bankrupted if a dragon eats all his horses.


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## Ancalagon (Jun 28, 2004)

I am well aware of the need for guards and such.  I'm going to assume "somewhat safe" conditions:  ie, attacks by brigands or such are possible, but if the "monster hazard" is too high, standard trade probably would not happen.   I will also make an allowance for road tolls.

The problem with hiring adventurers for caravan guards is that, while low level adventurers are afoardable, the kind of adventurers needed to repel, say, a giant attack, is frightfully expensive.  Would your level 10 wizard work for 5 gp a day?

Ancalagon


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## Tetsubo (Jun 28, 2004)

Ancalagon said:
			
		

> I am well aware of the need for guards and such.  I'm going to assume "somewhat safe" conditions:  ie, attacks by brigands or such are possible, but if the "monster hazard" is too high, standard trade probably would not happen.   I will also make an allowance for road tolls.
> 
> The problem with hiring adventurers for caravan guards is that, while low level adventurers are afoardable, the kind of adventurers needed to repel, say, a giant attack, is frightfully expensive.  Would your level 10 wizard work for 5 gp a day?
> 
> Ancalagon




To answer your question, no. I think that an area known to be infested with Giants isn't going to see many caravans pass through it. Your average caravan is just mobile food to a Giant. Placing a reward on Giant heads would help cut that down some. The adventurers go out, kill the Giants and then the caravans can use the route.


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## henchman99942 (Jul 28, 2013)

This is an old post, yet I will respond anyway.  

Also, I know a creature/character can drag 5 times his weight alowance  on something on the ground, but what about if the weight is on wheels,  ie how much weight can someone (or an animal) pull if it is in the  cart/wagon? (obviously the weight of the cart/wagon would have to be  considered).

In GURPS, they list the amount by which wheelbarrows, carts and wagons reduce the load 'dragged'.

When you pull a load behind you
unassisted, use its full weight. Halve
effective weight if you are pulling a
sledge over snow or ice, divide effective
weight by 10 for a two-wheeled
cart, and divide effective weight by 20
for a four-wheeled wagon. (Remember
to add the weight of the sledge, cart, or
wagon to that of the load before dividing!)

Additionally, a wheelbarrow reduces weight by 5.

These are the official GURPS rules.  I can speak from personal experience that dragging something is a little easier than carrying it.  I play around with building survival shelters and I have dragged a LOT of small trees.  I estimate dragging reduces weight by 2.  This is real world experience of dragging a long heavy pole (tree) on soft ground (grass).

I am building (virtual) RPG wagons and carts because I cannot find squat on them for statistics.  I do have "and a 10 foot pole" and other RPG resources but I am not happy with any of them.  So... back to the spreadsheet.


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