D&D 5E How has 5e solved the Wand of CLW problem?

[chriton227]

Stopped reading at "real life".

Yeah... if you want to use D&D as a simulation, I can't help you.

Perhaps rather than rudely dismissing what I have to say and telling me you can't offer me help that I never asked for, you could take a couple minutes to actually read what I posted.

The first paragraph of my post was explaining how the approach you are asking for wouldn't work for me. I prefer a more simulationist game, and the default rules assumptions in 5e are a more simulationist approach than what you are asking for. The rest of my post was about adapting 5e to fit what you are looking for, or if that is too much work about trying to find a system that is a better fit. Different games approach rests in a wide variety of manners, ranging from very simulationist to much more narrativist. What you are asking for reminds me strongly of how FATE handles rests (or milestones in FATE parlance) to address injuries (consequences). Milestones occur as appropriate for the story and characters, not based on a clock or calendar, so milestones could be minutes, hours, days, or weeks apart. Perhaps you could grab some of the milestone system and apply it to your 5e game to get closer to what you want?

I also think it is important to talk to your players when making any adjustments to the rules to make sure they are informed and on-board with the changes, so that everyone is comfortable with the game that is going to be played. I've seen sessions and groups disintegrate over "I don't care what the rules say, that's not how it works in my game" style arguments, when there likely would have been no issues if those rules adjustments were communicated in advance rather than surprising the players during the game. The players may also be able to point out side effects that you may not have initially considered, like how the usefulness of out-of-encounter abilities and spells that last until the end of the next rest will be affected. For example, something like the Knowledge Cleric's channel divinity for 10 minutes of skill/tool proficiency might feel hamstrung or overpowered based on whether rests are closer or more spread out, or if the story calls for weekly long rests a barbarian may not feel very "fierce" being limited to raging for only 2 minutes during the entire week.

You play the game you want, I'll play the game the way I want, and as long as our respective groups are on board then everyone will be happy in the end.

 

[Tony Vargas]

I'm sorry, but to me saying that the rests should be "A or B depending" is like saying in real life that sometimes you can get a good night's sleep in an hour, sometimes it takes 8 hours, and sometimes it takes 36 hours, all based on what is currently scheduled on your calendar. If the party has someplace safe and secure where they can rest uninterrupted, the rest should take a predictable amount of time and should have predictable results regardless of what adventure schedule the DM is trying to impose on the players.

The situation can certainly affect your ability to rest. One example I like to use is the long sea voyage. Go on a long sea voyage with medieval medical care, and you will not be feeling to well after a while. Until you get a chance to make land fall, get some fresh water, eat a more varied diet and so forth, you're not going to feel much better, no matter how much you laze around. OK, it's because you have scurvy. But much less-extreme examples are possible.

It's perfectly reasonable for a DM to rule that harsh conditions make a long rest impossible, or make a short rest take longer or both. Whether you want to appeal to drama or realism, you can get there (the appeal to realism just tends to be ickier).