Weight

One unit of weight in C:DDA represents about a gram (or 1/453.6 lbs).

Small food items have low weights usually. As do bottles, but they are heavier when filled with water and other liquids. Always choose the largest container for the least amount of overhead, if you can carry the container. If you have the Packmule trait then Jerrycans of clean water will become very attractive in a longer game.

Bandages, Drugs and Medicines weigh 1 or 0 units. This is rounded down on a per item basis so that you can carry multiple stacks of 99 of these items without fear of overburdening yourself.

Ammunition will usually have low weight as well.

By default the game displays weights in lbs, but it can be switched to kg in the options.

Carrying Capacity

A character in Cataclysm can carry a certain amount of weight based on the character's strength. The limit is equal to 13000 + (strength) * 4000 (so 13 kg base, plus 4 kg for each point of strength). If the character's strength changes because of drugs, pain, or other effects the carrying capacity is adjusted accordingly.

Characters can carry much more weight than this capacity indicates but they will become Overburdened and suffer pain and encumbrance penalties, greatly lowering their speed and accuracy, and draining stamina. Remember to check your stats (@) and to drop excess weight before entering combat.

Generally speaking you will run into volume issues more than weight, but unlike weight you can't craft a makeshift sling to carry more. Prioritize when you are carrying too much. Leave books and non-perishables behind. Leaving perishables may mean they will rot before you get back, and no point in using up your canned food if you have fresh alternatives. While we may want to be a walking library, books won't feed you, heal you or protect you. Make a Note of the dropped items on your map. Come back for them later.

Carrying capacity adjustments

There are a few values that can adjust carrying capacity, first, it can never be below zero, second they don't influence volume, only weight.

The base 13 kg carry capacity is adjusted by body type:

• Tiny creatures divide it by 4.
• Small creatures divide it by 2.
• Medium creatures (like humans) are the default.
• Large creatures double it.
• Huge creatures quadruple it.

Note that at this time it is not possible for players to change body type, this is only for various non-human creatures.

After the extra carry capacity of strength is added (4 kg per point of strength) there will be the following modifications:

• Bad Back reduces the carry capacity by 35%.
• Strong Back increases the carry capacity by 35%.
• Light Bones reduces the carry capacity by 20%.
• Hollow Bones reduces the carry capacity by 40%.
• Little reduces the carry capacity by 20%.
• Tiny reduces the carry capacity by 50%.
• Unassuming reduces the carry capacity by 30%.
• Large and Inconveniently Large increase the carry capacity by 5%.
• Huge and Freakishly Huge increases the carry capacity by 10%.
• Some artifacts increase the carry weight by 2,25 kg.
• Titanium Skeletal Bracing increase the carry weight by 20 kg.

These modifications are done in order, and stack, so if you have 13 kg base, no strength, and strong back, little and titanium bracing you get (13 x 1.35 x 0.8) + 20 = 34.04 kg of carry weight.