Slot-based Encumbrance

DnD weights and carryable capacity seems broken, characters can barely carry the arms and armor, let alone any supplies and loot. This is a modification of Slot based gear that I found examples of online for my world. It allows that equipment to be better managed and gives a player limits without a need for an abacus.
Slots are used instead of weight and much like a video game you will have a limited amount of readily accessible items, and then everything else goes in the backpack. All the rules are simple enough to fit on a one-page equipment sheet.

Carrying Capacity

A player has 10 slots, plus their Strength Score (Score not Mod). This is the number of slots they have without being encumbered. If they go over this, they start being affected by encumbrance rules. A player is Lightly encombered for another 10 slots of items, at which time they are heavily encumbered. Again 10 slots of heavy encumbrance, they reach their max press. 10 slots of max press and they can not move at all.

• When Lightly Encumbered Speed is -10 for the character. While encumbered, racial speed modifiers have no effect, and you cannot benefit from passive bonuses to speed such as Unarmored Movement, temporary spell effects still work, however.
• When Heavy Encumbered Speed is reduced a further -10 to -20, you also gain Disadvantages on Ability Checks, Attack Rolls & physical Saving Throws (Str, Dex & Con).
• When Max Press Speed is no more than 5, Attackers targeting you gain Advantage, and you fail all physical Saving Throws.
• Prolonged periods of encumbrance may require Constitution saving throws to avoid taking levels of exhaustion.

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So let us look at a character with 10 Strength. They would have 20 Slots (10 for there strength + 10 base slots), at 21 they are Lightly encumbered, 31 Heavy, 41 Maxed and cannot move over 50.

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Easy Access Items

These are things you have readily on hand, be it in your hands, a belt pouch, sheath, quiver, or hanging on the side of your pack. A character has up to 10 slots that are Easy Access. Everything else is packed away, or not readily accessible. You do not need to use all of these, but these are the things you can access while in combat quickly.
Example items you would put in your accessible items include. Weapons, Quivers of Ammo, Potions, Holy Symbols, Arcane Focuses, Spell Components, Shields, etc.

Coin Pouch

You also are assumed to have a belt pouch that can hold 100 coin weight of coins and gems. These first 100 coins require no slots, however, more coins or gems will consume a slot per part of 100, after the first.

Worn Non-Encombering Items

Clothing and Jewelry that is worn, requires no slots. It is however not also easily accessible. If an item of clothing or Jewelry needs to be quickly accessed like a holy symbol it needs to be tracked in the player's easy access slots. A players outfit (underclothing, tunic, pants, a robe are bundled together) takes one slot if not worn. Jackets or winter cloaks, Footwear are worn for free but would take us a slot if not in use.

Worn Armor

Armor is bulky and does start to restrict slot space. Light armor is 0 slots, Medium armor uses 2 slots, and Heavy armor 4 slots. If you are not proficient in the armor you try to wear, it uses an additional slot, and Prolonged periods of use may require Constitution saving throws to avoid taking levels of exhaustion. A shield your using should be notated in your accessible items.
Armor that you are storing (not wearing) would be packed away and use slots based on weight.

Stored Items

After your easy access items, coin pouch, armor, and other worn items; everything else is considered packed away in a backpack, satchel or comparable storage device. These are things you are carrying with you but will take some time to get to. In theory, you can have as many of these items as you want, until you max out your slots and collapse under the weight of your hoard of material possessions.
The first 10 slots in your stored area require 1 action to access. The next 10 slots you store require 2 actions, and so on with each group of 10 slots requiring an additional action to access. The items in these slots are packed lower in the bag.

Non-Encombering Stored Items

Tiny items with no weight or things that can fit in the palm of your hand can be packed in your bag without taking up slots. Note, however, these smaller items are more difficult to recover in times of stress and will require 1d4+1 actions to retrieve. Tiny items stack 20 to a line, and you can hold 2 groups of 10 lines without using a slot. If you find yourself with more items then that each group of 10 lines will start to use a slot in your Stored Items.

How many slots is this?

• Tiny Items - Can be stacked 20 to a Slot. These are items that have negligible weight (Paper, quills, or can fit in the palm of your hand).
• Small Items - Can be stacked 5 to a Slot. These are items that are 2 lbs or less. (Dagger, Rations, Torches)
• Normal Items - Use 1 Slot each. These are items that are less than 10 lbs.
• Large Items - Use a Slot for every full 10 lbs plus 1. A 25-pound chest would require 3 slots (25/10 = 2+1), a 10-pound hemp rope uses 2 slots (10/10 = 1+1).

Exceptions

• Weapons with the Light Property are Small Items (and can be stacked 5 to a slot). With the Heavy Property are Large and require 2 slots. All other weapons are Normal using 1 slot.
• Ammunition is stacked by its bundle size in a single slot. It is assumed you have a quiver of arrows, for example, the quiver can hold 20 arrows and it is using 1 slot, the arrows are inside the quiver. On a side note, the quiver should be in your accessible item areas, so the arrows can be accessed. Additional quivers of arrows can be in additional accessable slots or placed as stored items as you desire.
• Stored armor is carried based on its weight above in "How many slots is this?"
• An extra outfit is one slot.
• Extremly Bulky or awkward items can be assessed more slots as the GM sees fit.

Medium Creatures is the Scale

These rules assume you are a creature of medium size and standard build.

• For Tiny creatures, you start with 0 + Strength Slots.
• For Small creatures, you start with 5 + Strength Slots.
• For Medium creatures, you start with 10 + Strength Slots.
• For Large creatures, you start with 15 + Strength Slots.
• For Huge creatures, you start with 20 + Strength Slots.
• For Gargantuan creatures, you start with 30+ Strength Slots.

Racial Modifiers

• Dwarfs; are Short and Stout, you gain an additional 5 slots. so 10+5+Strength Slots.
• Half Orcs; are Born from Orc Blood, you gain an additional 2 slots. so 10+3+Strength Slots.
• Orcs; are Strong as Bulky, you gain an additional 5 slots. so 10+5+Strength Slots.
• Quadripeds; are Beasts of Burden, you gain an additional 5 slots. so 10+5+Strength Slots.

Feats Modifiers

• The powerful build feature states, "You count as one size larger when determining your carrying capacity and the weight you can push, drag, or lift." as such you will have an additional 5 slots for large or smaller, or an additional 10 if you are Huge or bigger.

by Gargoyles