D&D General My Best and Simplest Homebrew Rule: Nerfed Long Rests

[GMforPowergamers]

I don't care about the time thing, except insofar that it kind of bugs me that 1st level adventurers can head to the dungeon and come back a week later 3rd or 4th level.

yeah I mixed some home brew down time stuffto streatch it out... and you could not take a long rest AND down time at the same time... so it streached a bit... we hit 9thish level (start at 3rd) and it had been almost 10 years. travel was also time consuming

 

[Vaalingrade]

I don't care about the time thing, except insofar that it kind of bugs me that 1st level adventurers can head to the dungeon and come back a week later 3rd or 4th level.

That's because 1-2 are secret 0 levels they put in knowing most people don't like them but knowing their then-target audience did, so they exist with the caveat of promising we'll be allowed to ditch them in a session or two.

If they had just provided optional 0 levels and normal 1-2, they could have afforded pacing.

 

[Blue]

Honestly I think the easiest solution is "Long Rests can only occur in a place of both safety and comfort." It's solves the overland travel encounter nova problem, and forces the party to actually leave the dungeon to rest and deal with the consequences on their next delve.

But what will throw off the ratio of short rests to long rests, changing the balance between classes. Same problem as the Gritty Rest variant.

 

[Reynard]

But what will throw off the ratio of short rests to long rests, changing the balance between classes. Same problem as the Gritty Rest variant.

That's true. the solution to that problem is to eliminate the difference (but obviously that is a much more extensive game design challenge).

 

[Blue]

That's true. the solution to that problem is to eliminate the difference (but obviously that is a much more extensive game design challenge).

Yeah. As much as I find some flaws in the OP's approach, it can still work with a the same ratio adjustments - they were giving out half a long rest, so only giving out one short rest can keep things in balance.

On the other hand, looking how newer materials are updating short rest abilities to PROF times per long rest, it may be that 2024 may look at consolidating to just one type of rest and eliminating this issue at it's root.

 

[Nutation]

Because the system any other way is broken. The PC selects how much they are willing to exert their character.
...
Now imagine an 11th level fighter, burning 1 HD per round for 3 additional attacks. Its much too powerful that way. The PC decides at what level they are activating it at.

You can decide your own house rules, of course, but you are effectively charging HD for at-will or always-on abilities. It generates logical oddities. A fighter/monk using Action Surge to Dash would have to decide how far, because that is level-dependent. A fighter/rogue using it for Stealth would have to decide whether to use Expertise or not.
Edit: I can probably construct similar situations with sorcery points or ki points. But, if your players understand and buy into this, not a problem.

 

[EzekielRaiden]

In general, short-rest-based and long-rest-based classes even out after about three straight days of adventuring.

This, then, would seem to be the primary point of (possible) failure, based on my experience with players who favor long-rest-based classes. They will not want to engage in three straight days of adventuring...ever, if they can avoid it. In general, they won't want to engage in two straight days of adventuring if they can avoid it, but that's not as easy to sell.

Or, to put it in a more pithy way, the "five minute workday" problem becomes replaced with the "weekend warrior" problem: adventuring is confined to (at most) two-day chunks, with a full 24-hour rest between such chunks.

 

[MichaelSomething]

Do people not want resource management???

 

[Vaalingrade]

Do people not want resource management???

Nope.

 

[xiphumor]

Do people not want resource management???

Nope.

But as a DM, I do, especially because I want to be able to challenge my players without resorting to high CR monsters that are less narratively appropriate.