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How many belt pouches can a character have on their belt in 5e?
I am trying to distribute my starting equipment evenly, but my backpack is already full, and I need at least three pouches to hold the rest of my stuff.
I recall that in 3.5e, there was a limit to two belt pouches, is there a similar limit in 5e?
5e does not have any limit on belt pouches. For that matter, neither did 3.5e; that one even had the belt of many pouches which contained no fewer than 20 pouches (10 of which were magically hidden, and all 20 of which contained extradimensional spaces à la bags of holding, but 10 of them are described as appearing to be regular belt pouches, albeit much larger on the inside).
This is simply beyond the abstraction threshold of either game. What you can carry is abstracted away into Encumbrance, and minimal discussion or consideration is given to how most things are carried. If and when it becomes a significant question, it is a special case adjudicated by the DM because you’re attempting to carry something unusually cumbersome or problematic.
This reminds me of the RAW arguments I've seen in the past:
Player: "Well RAW says I'm not encumbered if I'm carrying 150 lbs of something."
DM: "It doesn't matter, carrying 150 lbs of styrofoam will encumber you. It's too big to fit in your backpack and will require an acrobatics check to see if you can walk while balancing it on you. While you concentrate on keeping it aloft, you can't have weapons, move at your usual pace, or engage in combat without putting it down."
Basically, be realistic about it. Close your eyes and picture how you imagine your character looks. Where would you keep these pouches so you could fight in combat? How would they get in your way if you had 50 of them? Is this belt held up by a shoulder sash to accommodate the weight of all of these pouches and their contents?
This all boils down to roleplay with a generous helping of logical consideration. By RAW, you could carry a limitless amount. There's no hard number.
