Easily limit list length without getting error if list is empty?

UpTo should do it:

Take[list, UpTo[10]]

and

Part[list, ;; UpTo[10]]

You can also use PadRight with Nothing (or ##&[]) as the third argument:

takeUpTo = PadRight[##, Nothing] &; 
(* or takeUpTo = PadRight[##, ##&[]] &; *)

Examples:

takeUpTo[Range[5], 3]

{1, 2, 3}

takeUpTo[Range[5], 100]

{1, 2, 3, 4, 5}

takeUpto[{}, 5]

{}