Land vehicle’s Lack of Rules in DnD5e – Part 3

I think we need to take a step back and really evaluate what research we need to do on this topic.  The thought process behind Part 1 and 2 was that I had a short supply of time to get something that I wouldn’t regret, knowing what the group was looking for.  During the session that followed, the group was debating how they wanted to proceed more than anticipated and ended up looking for a cheaper “Caravan” which I just made some quick assumptions.  With more time until I need to actually have a plan, I can slow down and figure out something more reasonable.  Because of the rush I was in prior I may have overlooks some important information:

“An animal pulling a carriage, cart, chariot, sled, or wagon can move weight up to five times its base carrying capacity, including the weight of the vehicle. If multiple animals pull the same vehicle, they can add their carrying capacity together”  https://www.dndbeyond.com/sources/phb/equipment#MountsandVehicles

Well…. how did I miss that!?  We don’t need to worry about the maths here, we just need a simple x5 for their capacity like this:

That was easy, and solves one of our problems.  Now I can spend less time doing the hard math.  I will still need a real world analog for the “Caravan” my players now own and to get an equipment card of sorts to reflect it and the stats I have been drafting.  During our session the group took a look around the “lot” for all the new and used models, and the group Agreed upon the 400gp Bow-Topped Caravan I had there and let them use their three Riding Horses to pull it.  I even incorporated some upgrades which I will touch on later.

We have real world examples of this type of wagon, but I am on the hunt for historical/period numbers for the weight.   I did find this site where one of the “facts” they called out was the weight of 750kg (1653.47lbs).  Another modern analog was found on this site and calls out a weight of 1300lbs.  Just from looking at images of these I can tell that there is potential gains and losses for modern materials used for the structure in the weight department.  Until I find more accurate data, which I will look for, I am going to stick to the top end of what I have seen rounded up a bit for being lower “tech”: 1800lbs.  I also got a statistic on these as far as maximum capacity of around 4000lbs.  There are varying dimensions I have found so I will look for the closest fit.

Now we have some data….   Lets lay it out….

Aside from travel pace, which would depend on the animal pulling, we have some solid facts. The cargo capacity feels a bit off, but I feel like this is a good starting point.  Crew and Passenger weight would use up that weight, not just “cargo”.  Thinking about my player’s situation, having more than enough towing horsepower (ha this won’t get old), I started thinking about ability scores.  The Saltmarsh ships have them, so it would not be a “complete” item without them in my mind.

This particular vehicle is meant to be light, which would keep STR and CON on the low side but about “average”.  The excess of horsepower could add some fun bonuses to DEX since it can make more drastic turns and maneuvers since the horses are far from encumbered.  Mental note for the next article.  Here is where I ended up:

Feels right, not much science here, just thinking about materials and construction.  One last thing for tonight, Damage and Condition Immunities.  This is an inanimate object so I think we can “cheat” and use the same specs the Saltmarsh ships use.  This leaves us with the following:

This is so far feels reasonable for 400gp.  The 100gp Carriage would be close to this, but the Caravan has a few things that set it apart (some not captured yet):
1. Sleeping space for three (four in tight quarters and no need for personal space).
2. A stove that can be used for food preparation and warmth (hmmm survival checks?).
3. Space for a workbench of some kind.
4. Not directly called out in #1, an actual bed or two, for injured party members to rest.
5. Secured Cargo space inside a door
6. Some god damn statistics (although still early Alpha)

I am sure there is more we can point out, but now I wonder if I made it too cheap?  For now its not much of a concern since the party decided to pay “out the nose” for the fancy hotel/inn in town, but something I should think more about as we move through this series of articles.  Next up we need to take a closer look at each part of the Caravan as well as the Crew Actions that can be taken. 

See you then!