Why Pathfinder Uses Bulk (Not Weight)
If you're coming from D&D 5e, you're used to tracking weight in pounds. A longsword weighs 3 lbs. A backpack full of rope weighs 50 lbs. Your carrying capacity is Strength × 15.
Pathfinder 2e said: "Nobody actually enjoys calculating if their character can carry 147 lbs or 148 lbs."
Enter the Bulk system.
Bulk measures how difficult an item is to carry—accounting for weight, awkwardness, and how it distributes. A greatsword (2 bulk) is harder to carry than 10 daggers (1 bulk total) even though the daggers weigh more.
The goal: fast math, less bookkeeping, more adventuring.
Bulk Basics: L, 1, 2+
The Three Bulk Categories
Light Bulk (L)
Small, easy-to-carry items. 10 Light items = 1 Bulk.
Examples: Potions, daggers, scrolls, torches, chalk
1 Bulk
Standard adventuring gear. Most weapons and armor.
Examples: Longsword, backpack, rope (50 ft), shield
2+ Bulk
Heavy, awkward items. Armor and two-handed weapons.
Examples: Greatsword (2), full plate armor (4), chest of gold (varies)
Important: The 10L = 1 Bulk Rule
When you have 10 or more Light items, convert them to 1 Bulk for tracking purposes.
Example: You're carrying 23 potions (each L). That's 2 Bulk + 3L total.
Encumbrance Limits Formula
Your character has two bulk thresholds based on their Strength modifier:
Encumbered Threshold
5 + Str
When you exceed this, you become encumbered.
• -10 foot penalty to Speed
• Can't use attack actions with the Manipulate trait
Maximum Bulk
10 + Str
You cannot carry more than this.
• Cannot pick up additional items
• Must drop items to move freely
Quick Reference Table
| Strength Modifier | Encumbered At | Max Bulk |
|---|---|---|
| +0 (Str 10) | 5 Bulk | 10 Bulk |
| +1 (Str 12) | 6 Bulk | 11 Bulk |
| +2 (Str 14) | 7 Bulk | 12 Bulk |
| +3 (Str 16) | 8 Bulk | 13 Bulk |
| +4 (Str 18) | 9 Bulk | 14 Bulk |
| +5 (Str 20) | 10 Bulk | 15 Bulk |
Common Items Bulk Chart
Weapons
Light Bulk (L):
- • Dagger, Dart, Sling
- • Hand Crossbow
- • Shortsword, Rapier
1 Bulk:
- • Longsword, Scimitar, Warhammer
- • Shortbow, Light Crossbow
- • Battle Axe, Flail
2 Bulk:
- • Greatsword, Greataxe, Maul
- • Longbow, Heavy Crossbow
- • Glaive, Halberd
Armor & Shields
Light Armor (L):
- • Padded Armor, Leather Armor
- • Studded Leather
1 Bulk:
- • Shield (all types)
- • Chain Shirt
2-3 Bulk:
- • Hide Armor (2), Scale Mail (2)
- • Chain Mail (2), Breastplate (2)
4 Bulk:
- • Splint Mail, Banded Mail
- • Full Plate
Adventuring Gear
Light Bulk (L):
- • Potion, Scroll, Torch
- • Chalk, Piton, Rations (1 day)
- • Waterskin (empty), Bedroll
1 Bulk:
- • Backpack, Rope (50 ft)
- • Grappling Hook, Crowbar
- • Tent (pup), Lantern
2+ Bulk:
- • Tent (4-person): 2 Bulk
- • Ladder (10 ft): 3 Bulk
- • Chest: 2 Bulk (+ contents)
Consumables (Almost Always L)
Most consumables are Light Bulk. Remember the 10L = 1 Bulk rule!
Example: You're carrying 23 healing potions. That's 2 Bulk + 3L (since 10 potions = 1 Bulk).
Real Game Scenarios
The Dungeon Crawl Where the Barbarian Couldn't Carry Loot
The Setup:
Your level 3 barbarian (Str 18, +4 modifier) is wearing full plate (4 Bulk), carrying a greataxe (2 Bulk), and has a backpack (1 Bulk) with 15 potions (1 Bulk + 5L), rope (1 Bulk), and a grappling hook (1 Bulk).
Current Bulk:
- • Armor: 4 Bulk
- • Weapon: 2 Bulk
- • Backpack: 1 Bulk
- • Gear: 2 Bulk + 5L
- Total: 9 Bulk, 5L
The Problem:
You defeat the boss and find a chest with 5,000 gold pieces. Gold has Bulk—1,000 coins = 1 Bulk. So 5,000 GP = 5 Bulk.
Your encumbered threshold is 9 Bulk (5 + 4 Str). You're already at 9 Bulk, 5L. If you pick up even 1 Bulk of gold, you become encumbered (-10 speed, can't manipulate items).
The Solution:
Drop the rope and grappling hook (2 Bulk), take 2,000 GP (2 Bulk), and have the wizard (Str 10, carrying almost nothing) carry the rest. Or make two trips. Or hire a pack mule.
The 10 Potions Problem
The Situation:
Your rogue is carrying 9 healing potions (9L total—not yet 1 Bulk). They find 1 more potion. Do they pick it up?
The Math:
9L + 1L = 10L = 1 Bulk.
That one potion pushed them from "basically weightless" to "carrying an entire backpack's worth of bulk."
This is why tracking Light items manually is annoying. You need to count every single potion, scroll, and torch to know when you hit the 10L threshold.
Worn vs. Carried Bulk
Important Rule:
Armor you're wearing doesn't count toward Bulk unless it's heavier than 1 Bulk.
Example: Leather armor (L Bulk) worn = 0 Bulk counted. Full plate (4 Bulk) worn = 3 Bulk counted (armor Bulk - 1).
This is why strength-based fighters can wear full plate and still carry loot, while dex-based rogues in leather armor have more "effective" carrying capacity.
Optimization Strategies
Strategy 1: Bag of Holding
A Type I Bag of Holding can contain 25 Bulk of items but only weighs 1 Bulk. This is the #1 loot hauling tool.
Cost: 75 GP (Type I). Worth it by level 3-4 for any party serious about treasure hauling.
Strategy 2: Party Pack Mule Strategy
Designate your highest-Strength character as the "loot carrier." They wear medium armor instead of heavy, carry only essential weapons, and max out on Bags of Holding.
A Str 18 barbarian in hide armor (instead of full plate) can carry 4 more Bulk of loot.
Strategy 3: Leave Loot Behind (Temporarily)
Mark the dungeon location on your map. Take the most valuable/smallest loot now. Return with a cart or pack animals later.
A riding horse (carrying capacity ~20 Bulk) costs 8 GP. A wagon costs 15 GP. Both pay for themselves on the first treasure haul.
Strategy 4: Sell Heavy Loot On-Site
If you find a chest of 500 pieces of art (10 Bulk), sell them to the nearest merchant at a discount instead of hauling them to the city.
You'll get 70% of the value instead of 100%, but you avoid the bulk penalty and save time. Good for parties in a hurry.
The Tracking Problem
Here's the dirty secret: nobody actually tracks bulk accurately after level 5.
Why? Because the math compounds:
- You loot 23 items from a dungeon. Each has different bulk values.
- Some items are L, some are 1, some are 2. You need to total them.
- Remember to convert every 10L to 1 Bulk.
- Did the fighter drop their rope when they picked up that greatsword? Where's that tracked?
- The wizard transferred 5 potions to the rogue. Update both character sheets.
- You sold 3 items and bought 2 new ones. Recalculate.
Manual tracking breaks down by session 8.
Character sheets don't auto-calculate bulk. Shared spreadsheets work until someone forgets to update them. Asking "what's your current bulk?" mid-combat kills momentum.
Common Questions
Q: Do coins have bulk?
Yes. 1,000 coins (of any type) = 1 Bulk. So 5,000 GP = 5 Bulk. This is why you can't just carry a dragon's hoard in your pockets.
Q: What if I'm wearing armor?
Armor you're wearing counts as 1 Bulk less than its listed value (minimum 0). So full plate (4 Bulk) worn = 3 Bulk counted. Leather armor (L) worn = 0 Bulk counted.
Q: Can I just ignore bulk if my GM doesn't enforce it?
Technically yes, but bulk exists for game balance. Without it, every character carries 50 healing potions, 10 backup weapons, and a portable alchemy lab. It trivializes resource management.
Q: What's "negligible bulk"?
Items so small they don't count toward bulk at all—like a coin, a button, or a piece of chalk (as an individual item, not in bulk quantities). If it's smaller than a potion, it's negligible.
Q: How does bulk compare to D&D 5e weight?
Rough conversion: 1 Bulk ≈ 10 lbs in D&D 5e. But bulk also accounts for awkwardness. A greatsword (2 Bulk) is about 6 lbs but takes up more "bulk" because it's long and unwieldy.