Inventory Slots
Characters have a number of inventory slots equal to their Strength. Clothing, jewelry, waterskins, and some very small adventuring items (chalk, holy symbol, etc) do not take up inventory slots. All other carried items count towards this limit. Inventory management is crucial. Selecting equipment to handle any situation needs to be balanced against leaving space for getting treasure back to safety. Retainers and beasts of burden can help.
How Much Can A Slot Hold
A slot is very roughly the size and weight of most one handed weapons, certainly no more than 10 pounds. Two-handed weapons are two slots. Some items will feel a little large or small when measured this way but hopefully it all averages out to a reasonable amount.
Some examples of what a slot can hold:
- Normal-sized one handed weapons (mace, short sword, bastard sword)
- Bows
- Shields
- Lanterns
- 20 Arrows
- 3 Torches
- 3 Potions
- 1 Cooking ingredient (enough for one meal, regardless of party size)
Quick-Draw Slots
The first 3 inventory slots are quick-draw slots, and can be accessed instantly in combat on your turn. It takes 1 round to retrieve an item from any other inventory slot.
Encumbrance
Bulky Items
Some bulky items, in addition to taking up inventory slots, need to be carried in your hands. The party can work together to carry extra bulky items, like a large chest. When carrying a bulky item in your hands, you drop a Movement Rate.
If an item has "1 2B" slots, it takes two characters to carry the item and they need 1 slot each. Any bulky items must be dropped in order to run or engage in combat, and any character carrying a bulky item suffers -1 to surprise rolls.
Containers
Adventurers and their companions are assumed to have as many straps and pouches and containers that they need and we mostly don't care exactly where an item is (other than quickdraw slots). We will track any container with a specific quality or benefit, like a scroll case.