D&D 5E A Question of Rest
Fanaelialae
Legend
What ratio are we talking about here? My group always tries to rest with at least a little left (hard to say but I'd guesstimate that we prefer to have at least 30% resources remaining) just in case we get attacked during the rest.
Less than that and things are likely going poorly (in the sense that we will be highly anxious about the possibility of an attack). Significantly more than that and things are going well for us (or we just didn't encounter much before it was time to rest).
Less than that and things are likely going poorly (in the sense that we will be highly anxious about the possibility of an attack). Significantly more than that and things are going well for us (or we just didn't encounter much before it was time to rest).
Really depends on the type of game. In my game, a long rest happens every 24 hours, whether you need it or not. Having resources unspent means that you didn't need them for the day, and are better prepared for any potential night encounters. This would be considered a good thing.
In a game where rests are player driven (leading to the 5MWD, but that's another issue), having a lot of unspent resources means that you failed your team. You held back resources that should have been spent to help the party overcome challenges, causing a long rest earlier than otherwise needed.
In a game where rests are player driven (leading to the 5MWD, but that's another issue), having a lot of unspent resources means that you failed your team. You held back resources that should have been spent to help the party overcome challenges, causing a long rest earlier than otherwise needed.
OB1
Jedi Master
I take your meaning, but depending on play style, the opposite can also be true. That overspending resources could lead you to needing to take a rest earlier than otherwise needed.
Which way you feel about that gets to the heart of the poll question, I think.
Tony Vargas
Legend
Well or poorly for the party (in the fiction - "we're doing well, we've managed to fight our way this far and aren't in too much of a hurry, if something goes wrong tonight, we're ready for it..."), for the players ("meh, this has been a boring session, I haven't even cast Ravening Doombolt yet..."), or for the DM ("ah, I kept them guessing, and the Champion got to shine in a couple of the less important fights")?
Blue
Ravenous Bugblatter Beast of Traal
As a player in a group, I'd prefer if there weren't some people with lots of long-rest resources unspent while others are tapped out. Because that means that either some people overspent and forced an early rest, or some people horded at a point they should have been using it. So that's somewhat perpendicular to the question.
I mention long-rest recovery because not all short-rest resources could be usefully done at all times, while a full day will usually give options to do so. On the other hand, some characters intentionally spend fast. I've seen a pally that spend slots for divine smites early and often - and would often end combats fast enough that others saved their big punch for when it was needed. And if it was a short day still got full use. So they were always out, but it was for a specific dynamic.
I mention long-rest recovery because not all short-rest resources could be usefully done at all times, while a full day will usually give options to do so. On the other hand, some characters intentionally spend fast. I've seen a pally that spend slots for divine smites early and often - and would often end combats fast enough that others saved their big punch for when it was needed. And if it was a short day still got full use. So they were always out, but it was for a specific dynamic.
Depends on how you define "overspending." I will agree that poor use of resources is just as bad, but people value resources differently. HP is technically a renewable of resource, since you recover 100% at the end of a long rest, but most players seem to value it higher than spell slots (which also recover fully). How do you gauge the value of a utility spell that could (theoretically) be done without magic? Because of this, I find players seldom truly overspend resources (not to say that I haven't seen a wizard waste a fireball on a lone goblin).
pming
Legend
"...a sign that they aren't paying attention to BS meta-game info".
Hiya!
(see above). It tells me they aren't engaged with the "rules of the game". It tells me they are engaged with the milieu/campaign/setting/story. The more a player tries to run his/her character as purely a group of numbers on a spread sheet, the more I will specifically try and run the game where those "meta-game things" will screw his/her character over. Harsh? Yes. Richard move? Yes. Effective at getting a player to think more in terms of "If I was this character, in this world, in this situation, what would make sense to me and what would I do?"? Abso effing lootly!
^_^
Paul L. Ming
Hiya!
(see above). It tells me they aren't engaged with the "rules of the game". It tells me they are engaged with the milieu/campaign/setting/story. The more a player tries to run his/her character as purely a group of numbers on a spread sheet, the more I will specifically try and run the game where those "meta-game things" will screw his/her character over. Harsh? Yes. Richard move? Yes. Effective at getting a player to think more in terms of "If I was this character, in this world, in this situation, what would make sense to me and what would I do?"? Abso effing lootly!
^_^
Paul L. Ming
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