... now with 35% more arrogance!

Saturday, October 13, 2012

Wheelbarrow

The incidental discussion of sacks, bags, chests, coffers and trunks on the latest post about treasure got me thinking: I don't know that I've ever seen wheelbarrows in an RPG price list. So here you go:
Wheelbarrow: 10 gp
Does not increase speed, but allows an individual to transport their max weight limit at Move 6, or double their max weight at Move 3. Stairs may be tricky, but not impossible: lose control of an overloaded wheelbarrow on a 5+ (1d6.) Slowing down can lower the risk by 1 or 2 points.
The cost of this is based on 2/3rds the cost of a cart in the Delving Deeper price lists. In OD&D, a cart cost 40 gp, so maybe it should be increased to 25 gp ... or you can just let the price stand at 10 gp.

I kind of pulled these numbers out of my ass, but there's kind of a rationale behind it. A (western) wheelbarrow basically puts a wheel in place of one porter carrying a two-person stretcher or litter. So, it halves the effective weight. According to this article on the Low Tech Magazine website, the Chinese wheelbarrow should allow full speed regardless of load, with the weight limit based on what the wheelbarrow itself can support; the article claims Chinese wheelbarrows can carry 3 to 6 times as much as a western wheelbarrow.

2 comments:

  1. I never heard of the Chinese wheelbarrow until your post, awesome. Another reminder that there may be a more efficient way to do something than we are used to.

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  2. As a sometimes gardener, the wheelbarrow is simultaneously my best friend and my worst enemy. The Chinese Wheelbarrow looks great for moving stuff over long distances.
    One of the things I like about the wheelbarrow is that it easily goes up and down steps and through tight spaces. Unfortunately, it also sometimes tips over pretty easily, especially when the load is unbalanced or the surface you are rolling it over is uneven.

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