Bags of Holding as transportation devices...

[SWAT]

Most of my players have a bag of holding, and they're always getting into them or putting others into them for various reasons. All too heavy to teleport? Get in the bags and have the caster carry them. Got a prisoner? Tie them up and leave them in a bag. Poison gas? Well, you get the picture...

Now, I know you can climb into a bag, but is there anything I'm missing that would make it a less common occurence? There's the air supply, of course, but they usually leave the bags slightly open. Can you do that? Thanks.

 

[darthkilmor]

I read something about that recently but I can't recall where, it basically advised having some bad guys waiting next time they all dump in the bag and teleport, wizard gets knocked out/paralyzed/petrified/pickpocketed/polymorphed into a little girl upon arrival, occupents of the bag have no idea whats going on. IIRC even advised having the players in the bag leave the room while you handle the wizard, to add to the suspense of whats going on. They'll definately think twice before doing it again.

 

[Laurel]

Hope this helps

Our DM said no to leaving it open, since the bag works like a gate to another dimention. You have to reach in and call things to you, thus when something is put in the bag it's not like you can just feel around and get it.

If they leave thier head out of the bag then they can last as long as they want, other wise it is the stated 10 minutes.

Also keep track of which kinds of bags they have and how much they are putting in there- there are limits on some of them.

There is a part in the text below that mentions a sharp object could tare the bag from inside.... randomly roll the next time they put something or some that has a blade inside it.... could end up with a PC kill so maybe scratch the someone.

Bag of Holding: This appears to be a common cloth sack about 2 feet by 4 feet in size. The bag of holding opens into a nondimensional space: Its inside is larger than its outside dimensions. Regardless of what is put into the bag, it weighs a fixed amount. This weight, and the limits in weight and volume of the bag’s contents, depend on the bag’s type, as shown on the table below.

Bag Type/Bag Weight. Contents Weight Limit/ Contents Colume Limit
Type 1/15lb./250lb./30 cu. feet
Type II/25lb./500lb./70cu.ft.
Type III/35lb./1,000lb./150 cu.ft
Type IV/60lb./1,500lb./250 cu.ft.

If the bag is overloaded, or if sharp objects pierce it (from inside or outside), the bag ruptures and is ruined. All contents are lost forever. If a bag of holding is turned inside out, its contents spill out, unharmed, but the bag must be put right before it can be used again. If living creatures are placed within the bag, they can survive for up to 10 minutes, after which time they suffocate. Retrieving a specific item from a bag of holding is a move action—unless the bag contains more than an ordinary backpack would hold, in which case retrieving a specific item is a full-round action

 

[Jeff Wilder]

Also remember that any extradimensional space carried inside another causes nasty problems. Do any of the PCs have handy haversacks, belts of many pockets, or gloves of storing?

 

[AuraSeer]

Also remember that any extradimensional space carried inside another causes nasty problems.

This is not correct. There is no general rule about the effects of combining extradimensional spaces. Bad things happen when a bag of holding is placed into a portable hole, or vice versa, but that is a special quality of those two specific items.

 

[Thanee]

Heh. We do that sometimes, but only if there is really no other way.
Dead PCs often end up there to be carried back to town or wherever.

Too bad Reduce Person doesn't help with the teleporting anymore.

Who in his or her right mind would willingly step into a bag of holding, anyways!

Bye
Thanee

 

[Nail]

Errrr....half of our party?

By 9th level (a a wizard with Teleport) we (PCs) had a portable hole. Very expensive....but very handy for travel + gathering of loot. The only downside, really, was having to make sure we didn't accidentally put a bag of holding in there. (Then the DM tricked us into puttin one in....but that's a long story. Nasty DM!)

Teleport + Portable hole (or bag of holding) is an excellent way for a mid-level party to travel. What's the problem?

 

[Psilocybes]

For the most part I would rule putting people in bags is ok for travel.

I would also rule that the bag wont stay open on its own. As its a bag and will collaps if left alone. But thats a minor point.

 

[JimAde]

If you just make everybody leave the room as soon as they get in the bag (as suggested) it will make them so paranoid you don't even have to ambush the wizard. At least not the first time.

 

[Herpes Cineplex]

Huh. That's weird.

Having all the heavy people hop into a portable hole, I can see. But a bag of holding? As in, "Climb into this bag, dude, I'll let you out when we get there?" Never saw anyone try that.

I suppose one could always say that there's no breathable atmosphere inside the extradimensional space of a bag of holding, since the description doesn't say anything to contradict that (or anything at all). Or say that most of the characters who tend to be the heaviest just aren't compact enough to fit through the opening of the bag. Or, yeah, go the nasty route of ambushing the bag-carrier.


When we ran into the weight limit on teleportation, the solution was always to cast Reduce on the heavy ones. Dropping their weight by 90% always worked out, plus it gave the halfling something to laugh about.

--
it was that damn 3.0 paladin mount that always caused the most grief
ryan