D&D 5E How to easily and simply balance all the short rest classes

[Snarf Zagyg]

This is going to be a short post.

In another thread about ... eh, something or other ... I wrote the following-

I think they have to do something about the short rest / long rest imbalance. A lot of the issues in class balance are actually just issues with parties that have a mix of short rest classes and long rest classes, but don't take enough short rests. They either have to expand short rest mechanics (so that every class has at least some reason to want to take it), or they have to provide the classes that are heavily dependent on it (Monk, Warlock, Fighter) expanded, "long rest" equivalent resources.

Now, I was thinking about this a little more, and I came up with a super easy way to deal with this "problem." Because this is almost always a table issue.

The usual and expected ratio of short rests to a long rest is 2:1. So a "typical" adventuring day should look like this-

Wake Up
(Adventure)
Short rest
(Adventure)
Short Rest
(Adventure)
Long Rest
Repeat

The reason I am making this so explicit is this- imagine you have a short rest ability, like a Monk with ki, or a warlock with spells, or a fighter with action surge, etc.

Let's take a specific example- a 7th level monk has 7 ki points. If they are constrained by the party doing the whole, "NOVA rest NOVA rest etc." then that's not much ki. On the other hand, if they get the expected amount of short rest, they have 21 ki to use, which is pretty good for a day! That's right- the regular amount of short rests gives you THREE TIMES the amount of usage.

whew

So what is Snarf's Simplified Solution to tables with Short Rest problems? Simple- any class ability premised on a short rest gets trasmogrified into a Long Rest ability, but with 3x the number of uses. So Monks get 3x the ki. Warlocks get 3x the spells. Fighters get 3x the second winds and action surge. And so on.

Now, I personally think that this isn't necessary, but I have heard enough complaints to know that other people are looking for a solution. So what do you think? By the way, I am quite sure other people have come up with this before, but I am shocked that more people don't do this.

 

[payn]

Be nice to point out short rest vs long rest classes in the PHB/DMG, so GMs can just eliminate one or the other. Though, I think the modular ship sailed a long time ago.

 

[Snarf Zagyg]

Be nice to point out short rest vs long rest classes in the PHB/DMG, so GMs can just eliminate one or the other. Though, I think the modular ship sailed a long time ago.

I mean, they did their best! They labeled the classes to eliminate, "Bard." It's a proto-Indo-European for "DELETE."

Surely you noticed!

 

[CleverNickName]

So what is Snarf's Simplified Solution to tables with Short Rest problems? Simple- any class ability premised on a short rest gets trasmogrified into a Long Rest ability, but with 3x the number of uses. So Monks get 3x the ki. Warlocks get 3x the spells. Fighters get 3x the second winds and action surge. And so on.

Now, I personally think that this isn't necessary, but I have heard enough complaints to know that other people are looking for a solution. So what do you think?

I like it. My gaming group tends to do two short rests per day, so we would go with a 2x multiplier (instead of your 3x), but other than that? No notes.

 

[overgeeked]

A simpler solution would be to give everyone the ability to take a short rest as a free action twice per day.

 

[jmartkdr2]

I think the fear is giving huge nova potential to existing short rest classes like warlocks spamming top-level spells or three Action Surges in a row.

Basically you just switch which classes are better at five minute work days.

Now, if 5MWD isn’t a problem than this solution is fine… but the problem it’s addressing probably doesn’t exist.

 

[Snarf Zagyg]

I like it. My gaming group tends to do two short rests per day, so we would go with a 2x multiplier (instead of your 3x), but other than that? No notes.

This is why I did this out. Here, let me show you. Monk with 7 ki:


Wake Up (7ki)
(Adventure) (uses, goes to 0)
Short rest (Back to 7) (total of 14)
(Adventure) (uses, goes to 0)
Short Rest (Back to 7) (total of 21)
(Adventure)(uses, goes to 0)
Long Rest
Repeat

Two short rests recharges twice, and give you 3x the resource.

 

[J.Quondam]

I think the fear is giving huge nova potential to existing short rest classes like warlocks spamming top-level spells or three Action Surges in a row.

Maybe keep the "per-short rest" number as a cap on uses in one encounter?

 

[el-remmen]

Short rests as they exist now is my favorite part of 5E. Though I am considering shortening them to 20 minutes from an hour the next time I start a new game.

 

[payn]

A simpler solution would be to give everyone the ability to take a short rest as a free action twice per day.

I think thats the intent with the idea of proficiency per day instead of short rest folks talk about.