D&D’s Most Powerful Weapons With Low Carry Weight

Dungeons & Dragons players have plenty to worry about during their campaigns, and carry weight may be the least of their concerns. D&D‘s standard carrying rule allow characters to carry a weight equal to their strength score multiplied by 15 (in pounds), a generous amount even for weaker characters. However, when variant encumbrance rules are used, carry weight becomes tight and lighter equipment is much more valuable.

Some weapons in Dungeons & Dragons have the “light” designation and, although the two correlate, it does not predetermine their weight. Whereas the “light” tag mostly determines if a weapon is useful for a character’s off-hand, a weapon’s carry weight shows how many pounds will count towards a character’s encumbrance. Despite having great damage potential, heavy weapons can seriously weigh D&D characters down, meaning that players should look out for decent weapons that are less of a burden.

One of Dungeons & Dragons more versatile weapons is the dagger, which happens to have one of the lowest carry weights in the game. Daggers weigh only 1 pound, meaning that characters can easily carry multiple daggers for every situation. Daggers may only deal out 1d4 damage, but they can be thrown or effectively dual-wielded if need be. Daggers can also be easily hidden by a character, making them helpful when other weapons are unavailable. Although Darts weigh less and do equal thrown damage, they are not as effective up close as the dagger can be.

Rapiers & Other Light Weapons in Dungeons & Dragons

If D&D players are looking for their character to do great damage without sacrificing carry weight, using a rapier is often the best option. For only one more pound of carry weight, the rapier does a 1d8 of damage, compared to the 1d4 of the dagger. In addition, rapiers still count as finesse weapons, making them an ideal choice for characters with high dexterity such as D&D Rogues and some Bards.

For Dungeons & Dragons players looking to add some distance to their character’s attacks, most ranged weapons are relatively light. Both shortbows and longbows weigh only 2 pounds, meaning either can be carried in addition to a melee weapon. Longbows are particularly powerful, since they deal 1d8 damage, but only a few classes start with proficiency in them. If a player prefers to avoid bows, they could elect to use a sling. Although relatively weak, slings actually have no carry weight, making them the lightest weapon in the game.

Martial classes such as Fighters and Barbarians are usually expected to carry heavier weapons in Dungeons & Dragons, since they have the strength to utilize them. In cases where encumbrance is an issue for these characters, the best bet is probably using a longsword. Longswords are tagged as a “versatile” weapon, and can be held with both hands in order to deal out 1d10 damage. Although it is weaker than greatswords and other 2-handed options, longswords weigh only 3 pounds, making them relatively easy to carry.

Although some Dungeons and Dragons campaigns ignore carry weight, using strict encumbrance rules can make an adventure feel much more realistic for the players. Becoming encumbered is seriously detrimental to a character’s movement and effectiveness in combat, so utilizing the best weapons with low carry weight in those situations is crucial for success.

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