The D&D Carrying Capacity Calculator turns a Strength score into every weight limit the 5th edition rules define: how much you can carry, how much you can push or drag, and the optional encumbrance thresholds. It applies the right size multiplier automatically so mounts, ogres, and Tiny familiars all come out correct.
How it works
In 5e your carrying capacity is simply your Strength score times 15 pounds. Past that you cannot pick up more gear without dropping something. The push, drag, or lift maximum is Strength times 30 — twice your capacity — but moving a load that heavy halves your speed.
Creature size scales everything by a fixed factor: Tiny halves the result, Large doubles it, Huge multiplies by four, and Gargantuan by eight. The tool applies that multiplier to all four figures.
Variant encumbrance
If your table uses the optional encumbrance rule from the Player’s Handbook, two extra thresholds matter. You become encumbered when carrying more than Strength times 5 pounds, dropping your speed by 10 ft. You become heavily encumbered above Strength times 10 pounds, losing 20 ft of speed and gaining disadvantage on attack rolls, saving throws, and ability checks that use Strength, Dexterity, or Constitution.
Example and notes
A fighter with Strength 16 has a 240 lb carrying capacity and can push or drag up to 480 lb. Under the variant rule they slow down past 80 lb and become heavily burdened past 160 lb. Remember that standard play ignores these middle thresholds entirely — track them only if your group opts in.
Carrying capacity in practice
How often does it actually matter?
In most 5e games running the default rules, characters rarely approach their carrying capacity because the limit is quite generous. A Strength 10 character can carry 150 lb — enough for a full set of armour, weapons, and a loaded pack — and most dungeon-delving characters end up well under that figure. Carrying capacity tends to become relevant in a few specific situations: characters with very low Strength (a wizard with Strength 8 can carry 120 lb, which gets tight with heavy armour); situations where the party wants to haul large quantities of ore, treasure, or supplies over long distances; or games where equipment weight is tracked more rigorously than the PHB standard.
Size and mounts — practical applications
The size multiplier is most useful for thinking about mounts and pack animals. A warhorse, typically Large, doubles the base formula and can carry huge loads compared to a humanoid. A Strength 4 draft horse (Strength 18–22 depending on the stat block) carrying a rider, saddle, and supplies still has enormous remaining capacity. For dungeon delving, the calculator is handy for quickly checking whether a character polymorphed into a Large creature, or a Druid using Wild Shape into an elephant (Huge), could carry the incapacitated party through a tight spot.
The push/drag/lift limit and what it means in-game
The push, drag, or lift maximum at 30× Strength is rarely used in combat, but comes up in exploration: forcing open a portcullis, clearing rubble, tipping over a heavy statue as a trap reset, or dragging an unconscious party member. The important detail is that moving a load above your carrying capacity but within the push/drag limit halves your speed — you are not immobilized, just heavily burdened. This is the rule to invoke when a character wants to slowly haul something very heavy across the room but cannot lift it off the ground to carry it normally.
Variant encumbrance as a gameplay tool
Some DMs enable the variant encumbrance rule specifically to make Strength a more interesting trade-off. Under standard rules, Strength is primarily about attack rolls (for melee weapons) and Athletics checks, which makes it relatively unimportant for non-fighter classes. The variant rule makes Strength matter for every character — even a wizard overloaded with loot faces a mechanical consequence. Tables that use variant encumbrance often also weigh rations, torches, and coins more carefully, creating a resource-management layer that makes supply decisions during long dungeon runs meaningful.