Wondrous Item · Extradimensional Storage
Handy Haversack
At a Glance
Type: Wondrous item · Rarity: Rare in D&D 2024 and 2014 · Attunement: Not required in those editions · Weight: 5 lb. regardless of contents.
Three separate spaces: A central pouch and two side pouches. The 2024 version holds 500 lb. centrally and 200 lb. in each side pouch; the 2014, Pathfinder 1e and 3.5e versions hold 80 lb. centrally and 20 lb. in each side pouch. Volume limits also differ.
Best feature: The object sought is always at the top. Retrieval is a Bonus Action or Utilize action in 2024, an action in 2014, and a move action in Pathfinder 1e and 3.5e. See the edition tabs for hazards.
A traveller’s leather backpack, softened by long use and fastened with stout brass buckles. From the outside its side pockets are scarcely large enough to hold a flask; inside, each opens into a space much deeper than it ought to be.
A haversack makes long journeys easier, but its greatest trick is speed: reach for the rope, key, scroll or hammer you packed earlier and it lies ready to hand. This does not make the contents weightless cargo beyond the listed limits, nor does it render the pack indestructible.
Handy Haversack Rules
D&D 5.5e / 2024
Wondrous Item, Rare
Attunement: Not required
Weight: 5 lb. · Charges: None
Capacity
Central pouch: 500 lb. maximum and 64 cubic feet. Each of two side pouches: 200 lb. maximum and 25 cubic feet. Each pouch is a distinct extradimensional space.
Retrieving an Object
Taking a chosen item out requires either a Bonus Action or a Utilize action (the user chooses). The item being sought is always magically on top.
Damage, Air and Planar Risk
If a pouch is overloaded, pierced or torn, the haversack ruptures and is destroyed, and its contents are lost forever; an Artifact eventually turns up again somewhere. Turning the pack inside out releases its contents unharmed, but it must be righted before further use.
Breathing: Each pouch separately contains enough air for 10 minutes, divided by the number of breathing creatures inside that pouch.
Nested extradimensional storage: Putting the haversack inside a Bag of Holding, Portable Hole or similar extradimensional space destroys both items and opens a one-way Astral Plane gate. Each creature within 10 feet and not behind Total Cover is pulled into a random location on that plane before the gate closes.
D&D 5e / 2014
Wondrous item, rare
Attunement: Not required
Weight: 5 lb. · Charges: None
Capacity
Central pouch: 80 lb. maximum and 8 cubic feet. Each side pouch: 20 lb. maximum and 2 cubic feet. The pack weighs 5 lb. however much is inside.
Retrieving an Object
Stowing something follows the normal object-interaction rules. Retrieving a specific item takes an action, with the desired object magically on top. The 2024 Bonus Action option does not apply.
Damage, Air and Planar Risk
Overloading, piercing or tearing the pack destroys it and loses its contents forever, except that an artifact will eventually appear elsewhere. Turning the haversack inside out safely empties it; it must then be put right.
Breathing: A breathing creature placed within the haversack can survive for up to 10 minutes before beginning to suffocate. This is the wording of the 2014 item, rather than the later per-pouch division.
Nested extradimensional storage: Putting this haversack inside a Bag of Holding, Portable Hole or similar space destroys both objects and opens a one-way gate. Creatures within 10 feet are pulled to random locations on the Astral Plane; the 2024 Total Cover exception is not in this item’s 2014 wording.
Pathfinder 1e
Aura: Moderate conjuration · CL: 9th
Slot: None · Price: 2,000 gp · Weight: 5 lb.
Capacity
Each of its two side pockets can hold up to 20 lb. or 2 cubic feet of material. The large central compartment holds up to 80 lb. or 8 cubic feet. The haversack itself always weighs 5 lb.
Retrieval and Crafting
A chosen stored item is always on top. Retrieving it is a move action that does not provoke attacks of opportunity from the act of retrieval.
Construction: Craft Wondrous Item and secret chest. Cost: 1,000 gp. Pathfinder’s general extradimensional-space rules govern interactions with other magical spaces; do not automatically import the D&D 5e Astral-gate wording into this description.
D&D 3.5e
Aura: Moderate conjuration · CL: 9th
Body slot: None · Price: 2,000 gp · Weight: 5 lb.
Capacity
Each side pouch holds up to 20 lb. or 2 cubic feet; the central space holds up to 80 lb. or 8 cubic feet. Despite its contents, the pack weighs only 5 lb.
Retrieval and Crafting
A requested item is on top. Retrieving it requires a move action that does not provoke an attack of opportunity.
Construction: Craft Wondrous Item and secret chest. Base creation expenditure: 1,000 gp and 80 XP; time: 2 days under the standard 3.5e item creation rules. The item’s own 3.5e description does not provide the 5e extradimensional-storage gate rule.
What Changed Between Editions?
The 2024 haversack holds far more than its predecessors: 200 lb. per side pouch and 500 lb. centrally, compared with 20 lb. and 80 lb. in 2014, Pathfinder 1e and D&D 3.5e. Retrieval changes from an action in 2014 to the choice of a Bonus Action or Utilize action in 2024; the older d20 games use a move action without an attack of opportunity. The 2024 description additionally spells out separate air supplies, a Total Cover exception near the Astral gate, and the destruction of the item if any individual pouch is torn or overloaded.
Using the Haversack
What do you reach for first when an ambush begins? A haversack puts the right object within reach, but it does not let the bearer ignore the action economy. Even the 2024 Bonus Action is valuable in a fight and cannot be spent twice on the same turn by the same creature without another rule granting an additional one.
Keep the three spaces separate when recording cargo. A heavy ingot that fits within the pack’s overall total might still exceed the limit of the side pouch where it has been stowed. A fragile flask near a sharpened blade can become an expensive mistake when the damage rules apply. Never assume that a living passenger or a second extradimensional container can be stored safely; adjudicate using the chosen edition.
Along the Trade Roads
Porters, caravan masters and river merchants know the value of a backpack that carries more than its leatherwork suggests. A pack recovered from a deserted ferry may contain maps, sealed trade letters or tools that draw attention from thieves and officials alike. Its obvious practical worth makes possession a bargaining chip without requiring a new legend for every specimen.
Adventure Hooks
- The wrong pouch. A sealed packet should have been in the left side pocket, yet the merchant insists it cannot be found. Was the cargo moved, stolen, or never packed at all?
- A dangerous bargain. A desperate collector offers a great deal for an ordinary-looking bag; a careful buyer learns it is a haversack just before the collector tries to pack it inside another magical container.
- Weight of evidence. A gatekeeper sees an adventurer carry a day’s supplies and three iron tools through a single small backpack. Curiosity could become inspection, confiscation or a profitable offer.
Related Equipment and Magic
- Backpack — the mundane equipment it resembles.
- Bag of Holding — another extradimensional container; heed edition-specific interactions.
- Secret Chest — a legacy crafting prerequisite.
- Craft Wondrous Item — required in Pathfinder 1e and D&D 3.5e.
- Wondrous Items — other enchanted possessions.
Sources and Licensing
D&D 5.5e/2024: 2024 Basic Rules — Magic Items A–Z, and System Reference Document 5.2.1, © Wizards of the Coast LLC; SRD material licensed under CC BY 4.0.
D&D 5e/2014: Legacy Handy Haversack — 2014 Basic Rules and SRD 5.1. No 2024 capacities or Bonus Action retrieval have been substituted.
Pathfinder 1e: Pathfinder Roleplaying Game — Wondrous Items (Paizo); standard Pathfinder Open Game Content licensing applies. D&D 3.5e: System Reference Document — Wondrous Items, Open Game Content under the Open Game License 1.0a. Campaign-facing descriptions and hooks are original additions.
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