D&D 5E The monsters recover HP with long or short rest ?

[maritimo80]

The group of heroes faced a golem, but in the middle of combat decided to flee because they were at a disadvantage. One day after they return to the fight against Golem.


The golem recovers HP with Long or shor rest?


Overall, the monsters recover HP with long or short rest?

 

[seebs]

I don't think this is explicitly specified. I don't think golems heal unless they have regeneration or someone does something to heal them, though.

 

[maritimo80]

I don't think this is explicitly specified. I don't think golems heal unless they have regeneration or someone does something to heal them, though.

I did not find in the book about monsters recovering HPs with rests.

 

[seebs]

Right. So the answer is "GM decides". If they're normal creatures, they should probably heal up during rests, I guess? Your call.

 

[Li Shenron]

I don't think this is explicitly specified. I don't think golems heal unless they have regeneration or someone does something to heal them, though.

Except that Hit Points in 5e aren't physical damage anymore than they are morale, fatigue or "expended luck".

So even a Golem could heal normally if the DM describes the damage it takes as non-physical.

Right. So the answer is "GM decides". If they're normal creatures, they should probably heal up during rests, I guess? Your call.

99% or so of the monsters get destroyed by the PC, and the remaining 1% may or may not return later on depending on what (and WHEN) the DM decides... that's why we don't need an official answer of what to do with surviving monsters.

If you like having some "consistency" in your fantasy world, or if you value "same rules for everyone", it's really easy to just use for monsters the same HD-based short/long rest healing rules that are meant for PCs.

If you don't care about that, just make something up depending on what you think it'll work better story-wise.

 

[Rod Staffwand]

My practice for years has been:

Party Retreats and Returns On Same Day: Monsters above 50% health heal up to max. Monsters below half health heal to 50%.

Party Returns Another Day: Monsters heal to 100%.

I've found this to be a good compromise between allowing the players a chance at hurting a monster before bailing and preventing them from easily defeating monsters through hit and run tactics.

 

[Quartz]

In this specific instance, since the monster is a golem and thus a construct, I'd say that damage remains.

 

[Wrathamon]

I would say a Golem heals magically since it is a magically creature, not a robot.

Depending on how damaged it was during the initial fight. If it was above 50% I would say it is 90% recovered after a full rest to be nice to the players. There are some signs of damage. After a short rest I would give it a small amount couple HD worth of hps back.

If it was almost destroyed i would give it 50% health on the next day.

 

[The Crimson Binome]

It's going to be the DM's call, regardless.

From my perspective, adventurers recover after a long rest because they're not taking serious damage - since everyone is wearing armor, the injury inflicted by something like a greataxe is nothing more than what a boxer would experience during a match.

For most beasts, you actually are inflicting serious wounds with your weapons, so they don't heal as quickly. Maybe they heal 1d4 per night.

For golems or undead, they have no healing factor whatsoever, so any damage remains unless removed by magic.

 

[Tormyr]

Another way to do it would be to give them a number of recovery hit dice equal to their CR. A long rest recovers up to half their recovery hit dice.