D&D 5E Short/Long Rest in LMoP

[Nebulous]

If you're going to fudge things because your players are new and haven't learned all your tactics and ideosycracies yet as a DM... then the place where I think you should fudge is the hill giant and "3 ogres" outside the mine.

Your rules for long rests and leveling up through long rests should not be fudged, because you intend to use those rules throughout your campaign. So if you change those rules now, they mean much less in subsequent games as the group will think you will always be willing to give in and fudge if they get themselves into trouble when needing a rest in the future.

But your formatting that you had three ogres show up to supplement the hill giant outside the mine? That's merely a story point, not a rule. That is one where you can easily change or evolve the story to be nice to your group, without it impacting future adventures.

Yes, you had the three ogres arrive so that the group wouldn't just leave the mine willy-nilly. Well, they haven't done that. At this point they are leaving the mine because they HAVE to leave the mine if they wish to get to any place of safety. So letting them do so in some form or fashion is the best way to go. Did the group see the ogres arrive to help the hill giant before they entered the mine, or is this just something that you said happened in the background while they were inside? If the party doesn't know the ogres are there, then you can make up any excuse as to why one or more of them aren't out front any longer. Maybe they got bored and left the hill giant, or maybe other creatures arrived in the area and the ogres ran off to deal with them and aren't out front anymore.

Say whatever you want, so that if the party does try to go back to camp for a long rest, maybe they only face the hill giant and one ogre, or perhaps just the hill giant itself. Just make up any excuse for not having the additional ogres there to kick the crap out of the party if they try to leave. If you do this, you still aren't making it easy for them to retreat out of the mine because they still have the hill giant, but you also aren't kicking them when they are down for no reason (which you would be doing if you threw the hill giant and three ogres at them.)

The group should realize that resting in the mine is suicide. So let them try to leave, and only face down the one hill giant they didn't take out as they entered so they learn that lesson that enemies you leave behind will still need to be dealt with later. That's my suggestion.

They don't know about the hill giant or the ogres outside. They killed one giant last night, long rested, and entered Wave Echo. I was going to have the other giant return with ogre reinforcements. I could also have one giant come, or one or two ogres, and camp outside. The PCs could easily kill a couple ogres, although if resources are low a hill giant would maul them. But yes, that's a story point I could fudge, it hasn't actually happened yet.

Let's say the area outside the mine is cleared of all enemies and the campsite is free. What keeps the party from going back out there to Long Rest whenever they want to. I suppose if they try a second time then THAT is when there's a hill giant and ogres?

 

[Nebulous]

Oh, I was also toying with the idea of having the ogres barricade the entrance so they physically couldn't leave the mine, but that might be too mean.

 

[Nebulous]

This is the campsite area. Immediately beyond the trees is the mountainside and a 4 hour climb to the entrance, so this is the only safe zone.

 

[Nebulous]

Another suggestion. They try to leave the mine, see the guards and have to figure out how to sneak past or bluff. Ogres are notoriously stupid, play that up. There are a lot of other options as well like a cache of healing potions they just happen to find and so on.

But like others, I wouldn't change the base rules.

yes, the suggestions I mostly see are do not change the base rule, so that's what I will go with.

 

[Big Bucky]

You only die if you engage in combat. Sounds like it’s time for a chase scene. A desperate flight out with all of the dungeon chasing them would be pretty memorable.

I also agree with not underestimating your players. They constantly surprise me with their ingenuity.

 

[Oofta]

The giant left some ogres in charge so the group can either fight or bluff their way out. They wake up in the morning after having a long rest, only to hear several hill giants crashing through the woods. Knowing they have no chance to fight them they now have two options - run away and completely fail or retreat back into the caves. They'll have to find some other way out if they go into the caves.

Just make sure they have a chance to see the giants before the giants see them and that it's obvious that they can't win a fight against the giants.

 

[Nebulous]

The giant left some ogres in charge so the group can either fight or bluff their way out. They wake up in the morning after having a long rest, only to hear several hill giants crashing through the woods. Knowing they have no chance to fight them they now have two options - run away and completely fail or retreat back into the caves. They'll have to find some other way out if they go into the caves.

Just make sure they have a chance to see the giants before the giants see them and that it's obvious that they can't win a fight against the giants.

I like that. I can have one or two ogres outside when they come out to rest. In the morning after their long rest (they'll be 5th level) they hear more hill giants approaching, and even at full strength 5th level I would hope they don't think they can kill 3 hill giants.

 

[DEFCON 1]

Exactly. I think Oofta's idea is a good one. You don't need to force the group into a bad situation, you can just hint at it and let them use their skills to avoid it or stumble into anyway.

 

[HarbingerX]

My son and his friend were blasting through the Rebrand hideout and got themselves down low enough they needed a long rest. They suggested they hole up in a room and I told them absolutely not. If they do that, the rebrands will most certainly regroup and attack them. So they wisely decided to retreat back to the inn to rest up for the night.

Of course the Redbrands are now preparing to take the fight to them and have also prepared defensive positions in their hideout. Luckily my son has decided next session to start asking around town to try and raise up some help to take out the Redbrands. Should be fun...

 

[Oofta]

My son and his friend were blasting through the Rebrand hideout and got themselves down low enough they needed a long rest. They suggested they hole up in a room and I told them absolutely not. If they do that, the rebrands will most certainly regroup and attack them. So they wisely decided to retreat back to the inn to rest up for the night.

Of course the Redbrands are now preparing to take the fight to them and have also prepared defensive positions in their hideout. Luckily my son has decided next session to start asking around town to try and raise up some help to take out the Redbrands. Should be fun...

While you need to adjust difficulty to the group as appropriate, I also really dislike "static dungeon" syndrome.

I understand it in video games, but in D&D actions have consequences and NPCs and monsters will respond appropriately to PC's actions or inaction.