Dear Playground: How to handle item slots?

[Endarire]

Greetings, all!

If you were retooling 3.5's item slot system, how would you do it?

I've seen two main philosophies:
1: Keep things as-is.
2: Use a certain number of flexible slots per person. For example, you have 8 slots, but can attune yourself to 6 magic cloaks at a time. (Frank & K (http://turing.bard.edu/~mk561/frank_k_0.5.1.pdf) inspired this, starting around page 261.)

I'm a fan scrapping the slot affinity system, so any enhancement can apply to any slot with no surcharge for breaking stereotypes. Thus, you can wear Underpants of CHA and not pay 50% more than a Cloak of CHA.

I'm also well aware of Magic Item Compendium which has the "no surcharge for boring but practical +stat/skill/save" rule.

A Plan!
I'm considering changing slots in my game to be granted by BAB. That way, the "fighter" types get more slots. The formula at present is 4 attunement slots + 1 attunement slot per 2 BAB you have.

(I'm aware that Clerics, Druids, and gishes often get at least a medium BAB. I plan to keep this. The attunement system rewards full BAB people.)

[Pilo]

You might have trouble with this rule if you allow the Magic of Incarnum book.
Incarnum is quite dependant with magic item slots.

[TuggyNE]

My preferred system would involve all magic items needing various amounts of power, and perhaps some higher level items requiring unusually concentrated doses, higher "frequency", or similar (read: minimum level requirement). However, that would basically be a slotless system, and unfortunately requires a substantial rework of all items at the least, and all magic at most.

Your suggested system would probably work out OK, although I'm not sure what specific things you want it to fix (i.e., a more detailed analysis of useful wizard items vs useful fighter items might be good).

[Kelb_Panthera]

I'm honestly going to have to go with option 1 there.

I feel the current slot system strikes a nice balance between allowing a fair number of effects without being able to throw them all on there willy-nilly without giving it any thought. I'm a puzzle solver though. (seriously, if my wis wasn't nearly as high as my int, I'd be a prime target for nerd-sniping) Though, that is assuming we're talking post MIC. Nixing the extra cost on the +X's that are virtually required was a good move. (ability, save, and skill boosters)

[Rejakor]

The slot system is more book-keeping and annoyance than anything else. Keeping people to eight magic items, and having them have to choose between their magic items to winnow it down to eight, and worrying about which to take into the spider's lair versus which to use to attack the orc encampment, is something I think has more 'choice' and 'consequences' than simply working out the mathematically best option when you're in town in terms of what to sell and what to get crafted onto your hat.