The Crossbow Bolt Case
In D&D 5e, the Crossbow Bolt Case is adventuring gear: 1 gp, holds up to 20 bolts, weighs 1 pound empty. That last number is the one nobody writes down. The case exists on the equipment list as a discrete object with its own weight, separate from the bolts inside it.
The case has no AC and no hit points, and its listed immunity to poison and psychic damage is decorative. It is not a combatant. Its only mechanical presence is on the encumbrance ledger, which is precisely where it tends to vanish. A player logs “20 bolts, 1.5 lb” and quietly drops the container that supposedly held them.
One pound is trivial in isolation. The problem is that the trivial pounds accumulate, and encumbrance in 5e (the optional variant, PHB 176) triggers a speed reduction and disadvantage the moment total carried weight crosses the thresholds tied to Strength. The case is one of several small items that push a marginal character over the line without anyone noticing when it happened.
At the table: When a player buys the case, have them add the 1 pound to their sheet immediately, listed as its own line and not folded into ammunition.
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