Carrying Capacity

In version 3.1 of Nethack, how much you can   -- carry and how you are affected by the         | Actual Strength   |   Use  | amount you are carrying have radically        |---|| changed. The formula for determining your    | 1-18              | Actual | carrying capacity is actually quite simple:   | 18/01 - 18/31     |   19   | | 18/32 - 18/81    |   20   | Take the following figure (ignoring            | 18/82 - 18/**     |   21   | fractions) and multiply it by 50:              | 25                |   25   | [(Strength + Constitution)/2]+1         --

Check the table to the right to determine what value you should use for Strength in the computation. Exceptional strengths (i.e. a strength of 18/nn) are mapped into the range of 19-21.

That will give you your carrying capacity, with a few minor rules: Maximum carrying capacity is 1,000. If the computation yields a higher result, make it 1,000 instead. Additionally, subtract 100 for each leg that is currently wounded (i.e. from stepping on a land mine, kicking chests, etc.).

Now then, although this computation will tell you what your carrying capacity is, it is not the absolute maximum that you can carry. (Strange, eh? Well, bear with me - I'll explain it.)  You may have noticed that in version 3.1 you can have different statuses related to how much you're carrying. These include "burdened," "stressed," "strained," "overtaxed," and "overloaded." Well, these are determined by how much you are carrying in relation to your carrying capacity.

The chart below at left shows how these relate.

--- ---
 * Amount Carried                  | Status       |
 * <= capacity                     | Unencumbered |
 * capacity+1 to (1.5*capacity)-1  | Burdened     |
 * 1.5*capacity to (2*capacity)-1  | Stressed     |
 * 2*capacity to (2.5*capacity)-1  | Strained     |
 * 2.5*capacity to (3*capacity)-1  | Overtaxed    |
 * 3*capacity                      | Overloaded   |
 * 3*capacity                      | Overloaded   |

Here's an example because it's a little tricky to understand: If a character had a carrying capacity of 1,000, he or she would be unencumbered carrying up to 1,000 weight worth of items. Between 1,001 and 1,499 that character would be burdened. He or she would be stressed if carrying between 1,500 and 1,999. Between 2,000 and 2,499 he or she would be strained, and between 2,500 and 2,999 he or she would be overtaxed. At 3,000, the character would be overloaded, and would be totally unable to pick up anything more or even do anything other than drop stuff, for that matter.