Carrying and Using Items
Source Player Core pg. 234
A character carries items in three ways: held, worn, and stowed. Held items are in your hands; a character typically has two hands, allowing them to hold an item in each hand or a single two-handed item using both hands. Worn items are tucked into pockets, belt pouches, bandoliers, weapon sheaths, and so forth, and they can be retrieved and returned relatively quickly. Stowed items are in a backpack or a similar container, and they're more difficult to access.
Drawing a worn item or changing how you're carrying an item usually requires you to use an Interact action (though to drop an item, you use the Release action instead). Changing Equipment lists some ways that you might change the items you're holding or carrying, and the number of hands you need to do so.
Many ways of using items require you to spend multiple actions. For example, drinking a serum worn at your belt requires using an Interact action to draw it and then using a second action to drink it as described in its Activate entry (Serums).
Drawing a worn item or changing how you're carrying an item usually requires you to use an Interact action (though to drop an item, you use the Release action instead). Changing Equipment lists some ways that you might change the items you're holding or carrying, and the number of hands you need to do so.
Many ways of using items require you to spend multiple actions. For example, drinking a serum worn at your belt requires using an Interact action to draw it and then using a second action to drink it as described in its Activate entry (Serums).
Bulk
Source Player Core pg. 234
Carrying especially heavy or unwieldy items can make it more difficult for you to move, as can overloading yourself with too much gear. The Bulk value of an item reflects how difficult the item is to handle, representing its size, weight, and general awkwardness. If you have a high Strength modifier, you usually don’t need to worry about Bulk unless you’re carrying numerous substantial items.
Bulk Limits
Source Player Core pg. 234
You can carry an amount of Bulk equal to 5 plus your Strength modifier without penalty; if you carry more, you gain the encumbered condition. You can’t hold or carry more Bulk than 10 plus your Strength modifier.
Bulk Values
Source Player Core pg. 234
Items can have a number to indicate their Bulk value, or they can be light (indicated by an L) or negligible (indicated by a —) for the purpose of determining Bulk. For instance, defiance series armor is 3 Bulk, a dueling sword is 1 Bulk, a knife or spell gem is light, and a credstick is negligible. Ten light items count as 1 Bulk, and you round down fractions (so 9 light items count as 0 Bulk, and 11 light items count as 1 Bulk). Items of negligible Bulk don’t count toward Bulk unless you try to carry vast numbers of them, as determined by the GM.
Estimating an Item's Bulk
Source Player Core pg. 234
As a general rule, an item that weighs 5 to 10 pounds is 1 Bulk, an item weighing less than a few ounces is negligible, and anything in between is light. Particularly awkward or unwieldy items might have higher Bulk values. For example, a 10-foot pole isn’t heavy, but its length makes it difficult for you to move while you have one on your person, so its Bulk is 1. Items made for larger or smaller creatures have greater or lesser Bulk, as described in Items of Different Sizes.
Bulk of Creatures
Source Player Core pg. 234
You might need to know the Bulk of a creature, especially if you need to carry someone off the battlefield. The following table lists the typical Bulk of a creature based on its size, but the GM might adjust this number. Constructs or many creatures with the Tech trait weigh more.
Bulk of Creatures
| Size of Creature | Bulk |
|---|---|
| Tiny | 1 |
| Small | 3 |
| Medium | 6 |
| Large | 12 |
| Huge | 24 |
| Gargantuan | 48 |
Dragging
Source Player Core pg. 235
In some situations, you might drag an object or creature rather than carry it. If you’re dragging something, treat its Bulk as half. Typically, you can drag one thing at a time, you must use both hands to do so, and you drag slowly—roughly 50 feet per minute—unless you have some means to speed it up. Use the total Bulk of what you’re dragging, so if you have a sack laden with goods, use the sum of all the Bulk in it instead of an individual item within.