D&D 5E Magic Item Slots in D&D Next

[Oni]

I think I would prefer that be left largely to common sense other than noting perhaps that similar items won't work if one over one another, so no wearing a hat and a helmet, or boots and slippers, or a cape and a cloak. Really I guess of the worn items I'd like jewelry be slotless. Mostly though I'm hoping that magic items will be a fair bit rarer, rare enough that leaving it to common sense wouldn't be much of an issue.

 

[MortalPlague]

The designers have stated their intent to de-couple magic items from the math progression. So hopefully, magic items will be less "arms race fuel" and more "magical item". If that's the case, I would be happy to do away with slots.

 

[Falling Icicle]

Having "item slots" leads to the mentality that people's characters should end up with an item in every "slot." I say just use common sense. Obviously one couldn't wear boots of elvenkind and boots of the winterlands at the same time.

 

[Li Shenron]

I am fine with any number of "slots" (but what a horrible term...) they come up with.

But for once I would like to try something different, and abolish the concept altogether, thus allowing a character to wear any number of magic items they wish (with some obvious exceptions like not more than 1 pair of boots).

The concept of slots is a good idea because it creates a built-in limit, but the downside is that it actually also entitles the players to do whatever they want as long as they work within such limit. IMXP the result is too many people concerned with filling the unused slots, rather than being more free and creative.

Abolishing the limit means to make the DM more in charge, and everybody more responsible with their requests. I'd like to try that...

 

[delericho]

I'd be inclined to get rid of magic item slots, and instead just have item slots. Then, tie these slots into the encumberance system as a means (perhaps the means) to determine what a character can carry/use.

The magic item slots in 3e and 4e were really an attempt to control the sheer number of magic items that a character can carry, and to reduce the stacking of effects. They were, frankly, a rather poor mechanism for doing this, not least since some items were simply better uses of particular slots than others. A better mechanism for limiting item powers should be found. (Either by tying magic item use directly into PC power, or indeed by simply advising the DM to keep a tight lid on magic item acquisition and then not worrying about it.)

 

[mkill]

Item slots are really videogamey (OMG stop the presses D&D was videogamey before 4E and nobody told me)

Obviously there are natural limits. You can't wear two full plates at once. Apart from that, item slots are an annoying mechanic that can be easily abused.

The real problem in 3E was that you could easily abuse the bonus type system and get bonuses to the same thing from half a dozen items. In 5E, there should only be the type item bonus, which NEVER stacks, and magic items can NEVER give another bonus type but an item bonus. That way, the effect of items is limited to the highest bonus you find. Of course, there should be guidelines on how high bonuses should go at which level. PCs can still overequip and get +2 to 50 different things, but that's easier for the DM to take into account than +100 to one thing.

From there, the limit is the amount of items the DM hands out.

For PCs that are overequipped, the DMG should give guidelines to raise the encounter level but reduce XP. The "+2 to everything" party would simply fight monsters that get +2 to everything. Players who don't read the DMG and the MM won't even know the DM is running a "non-standard" game. Same applies to the "low magic"DM who hands out nothing (just opposite direction)

 

[Hassassin]

I'm tempted to go a completely different direction - something like "You can have X magic items active at any one time" and let DMs pick X in advance, with a suggested default (ex: low magic 3, standard 5, high magic 7)

This + common sense that you can't have e.g. two sets of boots on at the same time.

 

[FireLance]

Actually, here's a thought. Suppose magic items actually draw on the user's life force or willpower or innate magical ability or whatever. Each magic item has a maintenance cost, expressed in terms of an ability score, e.g. 4 Constitution, 6 Charisma, etc. These costs are additive, so maintining two 6 Charisma items requires 12 Charisma. If the cost of maintaining his magic items exceeds any of a character's ability scores, he takes some penalty, perhaps depending on the ability score exceeded, e.g. a penalty to initiative and AC for Dexterity, a penalty to hit points for Constitution, etc.

This helps prevent PCs from just stacking on items, gives them the option to do so if they are willing to pay the penalty, and drops the need for slots.

 

[howandwhy99]

I think there is something to be said for limits. It's kinda hard to wear more than one girdle at the same time and get anything out of it.

What we might see though is ignoring classification by item form and instead see limits based upon function. So...
1 movement item (including flying, swimming, etc.)
1 stat booster per stat
1 item per condition
1 armor
1 arm or implement
1-2 miscellaneous
and so on... multiple power items counting more than once.

Maybe there's no limit on magic items unworn. This makes sense anyway for 2e & 3e slot limitation. More could always be owned after all. What I mean is, that magic ship, apparatus of Kwalish, magic castle, holy grove, etc. all don't count against the limit. Perhaps in a property management supplement ("Run your own kingdom!") these could be limited, but as they don't affect exploration or combat too much I don't see the harm.

 

[El Mahdi]

I picked Other, for Eliminate the entire concept of "slots".

"Slots" are an artificial construct. Simply let common sense rule the day.