Item slot

A slot refers to a rule appearing in some editions of Dungeons & Dragons which limits the number of magic items which can be worn at a time by one character. Each specific location on a humanoid's body where magic items are traditionally worn is known as a slot, and a character typically can wear no more than one item in each slot.

This rule first formally appeared in Dungeons & Dragons third edition (2000).

Mechanics

Slot definitions

In many editions of Dungeons & Dragons, each character (or humanoid creature) has a limited set of slots, or locations on their body, where magic items can be worn.

The list of slots varies by game edition, as does the definition of individual items. For example, shields in D&D 4th edition are considered "arm" slot and cannot be used alongside bracers, whereas in D&D 3.5, shield and arm are two separate slots.

Not all magic items take up a slot. In Dungeons & Dragons third edition, magic items which do not take up a slot, such as an ioun stone, cost 100% more than an equivalent item which does take up a slot. In D&D 4th edition, non-slotted items are referred to as wondrous items.

Slot limitations

In general, only one item can be worn in each slot. The exception is rings, which allow a character to benefit two: one in each hand.

Even if a character physically manages to wear two items (such as wearing a pair of slippers underneath a pair of boots), the character generally cannot benefit from both at the same time, and at best only one such item functions.

In some cases, such as a cleric in D&D 4th edition wearing two holy symbols or more than two rings, none of the items function.

In D&D 5th edition, the rules allow the use of multiple items in the same slot if somehow physically possible; effectively, that edition of the rules does not have any slot limitations beyond what the DM considers to be common sense.

Body slot affinities

Traditionally, each item slot is associated with a range of magical effects which are typically associated with that item. For example, amulets and cloaks tend to convey protective abilities, while boots tend to improve a character's movement in some way.

In the Dungeon Master's Guide (3.5) (2003), p.288, this is formalized as the Body Slot Affinities sidebar, which lists the types of magical effects associated with each slot. Items which do not obey their slot affinity have a 50% price increase.

Purpose

Fairness and game balance

An item slot system primarily exists to limit the number of magic items a single character can wear. Without such a limit, a single character could take more than their fair share of magic items found as loot, or even voluntarily except all the party's magic items temporarily for a dangerous task, and as a result become exceptionally powerful.

Limits on item slots force the players to share the magic items evenly, which improves both game balance and fairness.

Thematics

Body slot affinities were first formally defined by D&D 3.5 (2003). When D&D 3.0 (2000) introduced detailed rules to allow players to create custom magic items, this encouraged players to invent highly illogical combinations of ability and item slot in order to fill their remaining item slots.

The result is that there was no rule requiring items to fit in a sensible slot established by existing D&D items. The D&D 3.5 Dungeon Master's Guide, page 288, summarizes this problem:

Unless you are intentionally aiming for a truly oddball game, avoid patently absurd combinations such as eyeglasses of giant Strength at any price.

History

Pre-3rd edition

In the past, Dungeons & Dragons did not formally list item slots, as it was assumed that players would have enough common sense to know that you cannot benefit from using two matching types of items, like helmets, hats, crowns and other headgear, at once. The one exception is magic rings. From the beginning, the rules are clear that you can only benefit from using one magic ring per hand. The original rules are unclear on how you can place it in the hand, while Moldvay's Basic notes you can also place them in on thumbs, and Advanced D&D states only fingers and not thumbs.

D&D 3rd edition

Dungeons & Dragons third edition formally introduced the item slot rules and strictly defined which items adhere to which slot. A character who attempts to wear a second item in a given slot finds that the second item does not work, although the first item continues to function.

D&D third edition uses eleven slots, which are not strictly named but rather defined by named types of items worn on that body part:

1. Head (headbands, hats, helmets, phylacteries)
2. Eye (pair of lenses or goggles)
3. Neck (amulets, brooches, medallions, necklaces, periapts, scarabs)
4. Torso (vests, vestments, shirts)
5. Body (robe, armor)
6. Waist (belts)
7. Shoulders (cloaks, capes, mantles)
8. Arms or wrists (pair of bracers or bracelets)
9. Hands (gloves, pairs of gloves or pairs of gauntlets)
10. Rings (one ring on each hand or, oddly, two rings on one hand)
11. Feet (pairs of boots or shoes)

Further, an unlimited number of slotless items can be worn. An extreme example of this is the epic lich Larloch, whose statblock in Lords of Darkness (3e) (2001), p.161-162 includes twenty-five ioun stones.

D&D 4th edition

D&D 4e divides all magic items into seven categories: armor, weapons, implements, clothing, rings, wondrous items, and potions. Of these, clothing items and rings are formally divided by "item slot".

The item slots listed in the Player's Handbook are:

1. Arms slot (shields, bracers), which have protective or attack-reflecting effects
2. Feet slot (boots, greaves), which have speed or movement-enhancing effects
3. Hands slot (gloves, gauntlets), which can enhance skills, attack, damage, and allow rerolls
4. Head slot (generally including helmets, crowns, eyewear and ioun stones), which can enhance Intelligence or Wisdom based skills, enhance senses, or increase damage
5. Neck slot (amulets, cloaks), which always grant an enhancement bonus to Fortitude, Reflex and Will, and may give some other ability
6. Rings, which give variable abilities
7. Waist slot (belts), which can enhance Strength-based skills or convey healing or resistances

A character who attempts to wear two items in the same slot finds that the second item does not function; the exceptions are holy symbols, where wearing two items causes both to stop working, and rings, where a character can wear only one one each hand, and wearing a third causes all rings to stop functioning.

D&D 5th edition

Magic items no longer have formal "item slots" in Dungeons & Dragons 5th edition. Instead, common sense dictates what a character can and cannot wear. In practice, this still prevents a character from wearing multiple helmets.

A second limiting factor which prevents one character from wearing every item is the attunement system, which prevents a character from wearing more than three powerful magic items at a time.

Reception and influence

The item slot system both inspired and was inspired by computer roleplaying games, which by nature often included a stricter definition of what magic items could be worn.

For example, popular RPGs NetHack and Dark Souls both restrict the player to wearing a maximum of two rings, as is traditional in Dungeons & Dragons.