Streamlined Encumbrance

This is a house rule for a streamlined encumbrance system for D&D 5e.  It borrows the encumbrance mechanics from Dungeon World.  The goal is to make encumbrance easier to calculate and manage at the table without hand-waving it completely.

Item Weight

I'll be giving out item cards at the table to PC gear.  Each item will have an abstracted Weight value, which is roughly the item's actual weight divided by 10.  But, if an item weighs at least 2#, it has a minimum Weight of 1.  For example, a Shortsword has a Weight of 1, while a suit of Plate Armor has a Weight of 6.

Carrying Capacity

Your maximum carrying capacity is your Strength score + 10.

Encumbrance

If you carry Weight in excess of your Strength score, you are encumbered (PHB page 176).  If you carry Weight in excess of your Strength score + 5, you are heavily encumbered.