D&D 5E Lets talk about getting rid of "recover all spell slots on a long rest"

[Umbran]

going out being socially involved at a tavern spa or whatever would help recover the caster's lost energy magical stamina or whatever but sitting in a library studying performing religious ceremonies or whatever is mentally taxing in ways that slow that process.

If the game had notions of being an extrovert, perhaps. But in general, I don't like to impose personality types in mechanics.

Overall, this is in the space of resource management that's getting fiddly for my tastes. Back in the day, we used the AD&D rules for regaining spells. The overwhelming majority of the time, the party chose to wait for the spellcasters to be ready before they went back into the fray. The result was just that resting time was longer than 8 hours, but nothing about it was more interesting.

And, that's the core of it - if the rule isn't more interesting for the players... I don't see it as a constructive addition.

 

[DND_Reborn]

That might work but was avoided for the same most parties don't track time reasons that came up earlier. It would allow for deliberately pausing somewhere safe for x hours that might not be a full out rest but pact magic complicates that badly

I understand about the whole not-tracking-time-that-closely thing.

How would it mess up pact magic? Assuming Warlock still got their slots back on a short rest, that would at best allow others to recover a single 1st level spell.

 

[tetrasodium]

I understand about the whole not-tracking-time-that-closely thing.

How would it mess up pact magic. Assuming Warlock still got their slots back on a short rest, that would at best allow others to recover a single 1st level spell.

Good points. There are two possibilities that might be an issue for pact magic, but they might not be too meaningful.

• if the rest duration were extended to the 8 hr critty realism duration it would lead to a situation where a warlock's recover slots on a short rest was slower than just waiting until level 9 when they go from 2x 4th level slots to 2x 5thlevel slots, but changing the "You regain all expended spell slots when you finish a short or long rest." to "You regain all pact magic slots when you rest for an hour" would solve that.
• On the other point if rest durations were left alone, your right that everyone else getting a single first level slot while warlocks got whatever slots they had wouldn't be a big deal & might actually encourage other casters & long rest types who might have buffs & abilities ticking to be more sympathetic to warlock's asking to short rest.

 

[Laurefindel]

Instead of long rest taking longer for spellcasters, long rest could recharge spellcasters less for the same amount of time.

You could mimic the way hit dice recharge on a long rest, and have spellcasters only recovering half their spell slots of each level on a long rest

As for encouraging PC to carouse/pray/dance naked under the moonlight, that could be the only way to recover Hit Dice. There could be ways to recover some Hit Dice on the road too, but they would be more circumstantial, like bards transferring inspiration dice into hit dice (it's nice to have a bard by the campfire; it keeps spirits high), give a purpose to the ranger's DC 25 survival check (you know, that cave you found is actually more comfortable than many inns i visited), or give some use to tool proficiencies (it's amazing how a good cook can make travel food more bearable, or how an experienced vehicle driver can make for a less bumpy ride). But I digress...

 

[Bacon Bits]

Won't work. Players will just rest longer. Or that's what they do until it gets so long that you have to rebalance the classes because spells no longer refresh in a de facto sense.

How do we know that? Because that's basically what happened when hp recovered at a rate of 1 hp/day.

 

[Umbran]

Instead of long rest taking longer for spellcasters, long rest could recharge spellcasters less for the same amount of time.

You could mimic the way hit dice recharge on a long rest, and have spellcasters only recovering half their spell slots of each level on a long rest

That's relevant when they are in a space where getting rest is exceedingly difficult, perhaps But most of the time, my experience says this will just mean the party rests for longer, which is not interesting.

Now, if simply having greater space to say, "you are occasionally are pressed for time, and must choose which spells you will have" is what you are after, then fine. But players, in my experience, will go to significant lengths to just make it "take a longer rest".

 

[Minigiant]

My game uses Location resting. You can steal what you want.

You get your HD, health,class features, and spell slot backs based on comfort level of the area. Rests at different comfort levels take different of time to short or long rest.

Level 0 areas are impossible to rest in. These are usually planes or places where the environment is too hostile or unstable to rest in. Think a desert under the sun, a ship during a storm, a plane of ice under frigid temperatures, or near a battlefield.

• No Short Rest
• No Long Rest

Level 1 areas are places where you can rest but not drop your guard. There are possible hostiles around and no soft spots to rest on. You can short rest here in a hour but cannot long rest.

• Short Rest Allowed
  • Healer's kit dependent
  • Cannot spend more hit die than Con modifier per hour (minimum 1)
• No Long Rest

Level 2 areas are places where you can rest but not comfortably. There's no beds. There's no table and candlelight to read books. Food and drink are rationed and poor quality. There is some sort of exposure or a need for a guard. You can short rest and long rest.

• Short Rest Allowed
  • Healer's kit dependent
• Long Rest Allowed
  • Healer's kit dependent
  • Slower Natural Healing
  • Daily Spell slots gained gain in slot levels equal to total spellcasting level.

Level 3 areas are places with proper amenities above a poor level. Beds, tables, quiet, food, and drink of moderate quality is available.

• Short Rest Allowed
• Long Rest Allowed
  • Healer's kit dependent

Level 4 areas are beyond the normal. Physical characters have access to the finest care and medicine. Arcanists have access to magical libraries or laboratories. Divine characters have access to a church of an aligned deity or a sacred natural space.

• Short Rest Allowed
  • Short Rest in 10 minutes
• Long Rest Allowed
  • Gain all hit die
  • Advantage in one skill or tool ability check for next 24 hours
  • Extra Attack grants another attack within next 24 hrs if you long rest 3 days in a row.
  • Can cast one spell of level equal to a third your spellcasting level for free within next 24 hrs if you long rest 7 days in a row.

Level 5 areas your specially made headquarters. You must pay 100 gp per cumulative level to stock the area with books, training equipment, sacred items, and other items and rituals personal to you and your skills.

• Short Rest Allowed
  • Short Rest in 10 minutes
• Long Rest Allowed
  • Gain all hit die
  • Advantage in one skill or tool ability check for next 24 hours
  • Extra Attack grants another attack within next 24 hrs if you long rest 2 days in a row.
  • Can cast one spell of level equal to a third your spellcasting level for free within next 24 hrs if you long rest 5 days in a row.

 

[Prakriti]

My game uses Location resting. You can steal what you want.

This is similar to the system I'm currently mulling, except mine is less granular. I got the idea from Adventures in Middle Earth, which doesn't allow long rests outside of sanctuaries (i.e. towns). Basically, the party can take a long rest anywhere, but they don't recover HP or HD unless they rest in a sanctuary (either a town or a campsite outside a dungeon).

 

[tetrasodium]

• • Can cast one spell of level equal to a third your spellcasting level for free within next 24 hrs if you long rest 7 days in a row.

Can you elaborate on that? does that mean that instead of 3 level 3 spell slots a level 9 cleric has A:3 level 3 slots plus a free cast of mass healing word. B: 3 level 3 slots plus mass healing word is effectively an at will cantrip for 24 hours. C: said cleric can cast the 3rd level spell Glyph of warding without the 200gp of powdered diamond material component... or D: something else?

 

[Minigiant]

Can you elaborate on that? does that mean that instead of 3 level 3 spell slots a level 9 cleric has A:3 level 3 slots plus a free cast of mass healing word. B: 3 level 3 slots plus mass healing word is effectively an at will cantrip for 24 hours. C: said cleric can cast the 3rd level spell Glyph of warding without the 200gp of powdered diamond material component... or D: something else?

One free spell slot.

It means a level 9 cleric casts a spell at the third level the first time for the day, the slot isn't spent if if was within 24 hours of a week long rest and time spent in an allied temple.

This is similar to the system I'm currently mulling, except mine is less granular. I got the idea from Adventures in Middle Earth, which doesn't allow long rests outside of sanctuaries (i.e. towns). Basically, the party can take a long rest anywhere, but they don't recover HP or HD unless they rest in a sanctuary (either a town or a campsite outside a dungeon).

I just make small towns worse than rich cities and campsites worse than small towns. If'n you want your bonus spell slots and fast healing, you need fancy things.