4e DMs: Allow players a 5 minute rest after EVERY encounter?

[Mistwell]

I could reply that from level 1 to 22, I have never had a single encounter run into hours (each combat last one hour, whether it is easy or hard - which I do perceive to be a problem), or that combat is not "super grindy".

Really, nothing under an hour? That surprises me. We dispatch some lesser combats in 20 mins and under. It's only the stronger sets of foes that take longer.

 

[Ourph]

Really, nothing under an hour? That surprises me. We dispatch some lesser combats in 20 mins and under. It's only the stronger sets of foes that take longer.

I don't find this surprising. The group I play with has a similar experience to yours (most combats last 20-30 minutes with very difficult encounters maybe lasting an hour). My players tend to be efficient at combat. They aren't in a hurry, as such, but they don't like to waste time or wait around for people who dawdle through their turn.

However, one of my players also plays in another group composed of people who are less focused when it comes to running the game. From his description, their combats usually last an hour or more and that's primarily because people just take longer mulling over their options and there's a lot of off-topic joking around between turns. I think combat time is something that will vary greatly from group to group and really doesn't have as much to do with the rules as it does with the group dynamic.

 

[ToddBS]

I would hope you'd give the players a few minutes after each encounter. I hear 4E encounters take hours to resolve even simple situations an are super grindy so a few minutes afterward to hit the bathroom or refill their drink I think is courteous.

Whether you give the characters a rest between encounters, well that all depends on how hard you want to beat on them.

Hmm... while I have not played any 3e or 3.5 (I went straight from 2nd ed AD&D to 4e), I do own Pathfinder. Having read through that - and assuming it is similar to 3.5 - I can say that 4e combat is considerably more streamlined. I was actually looking forward to playing Pathfinder but once I got through reading the combat chapter I basically decided I'll wait for Pathfinder 2e.

 

[Haltherrion]

I find that my power-gaming players always want to take a 5 minute rest after an encounter so they are fully healed and encounter powers restored before they move on. I try to only let them do it every-other encouter or so by having patrols or wandering monsters interrupt their break. Having all their encounter powers for each battle makes them a little too powerful in my mind. Plus, battles are loud and have a good chance to attract company. I think they've taken the hint and don't try to rest unless they really need it or if the area is obviously cleared out.

Is this too harsh? Do other DMs let them rest after every battle?

Haven't been running 4E all that long but I generally allow a 5 minute break between encounters. Aside from the players appreciating the break, 5 minutes is not really a long period of time. In many circumstances, it seems unlikely to me there would be another encounter within 5 minutes. The obvious exception is if the sound of one fight leads to another, say in a castle or in a city but even there, the other group would have to be close and fairly responsive to attack within 5 minutes.

From a game mechanics point of view, it seems 5 minutes was chosen as the token minimum amount of time between normal encounters. With the game system balanced for that, why regularly do otherwise?

If your players don't really mind, no harm done but I would expect most players to get somewhat annoyed at the ref if the 5 minute gap is regularly not allowed.

 

[wedgeski]

Well as others have said, your premise is incorrect, but we know what you mean.

I'm a fan and heavy user of the "attack 'em in waves" school of encounter design, but this means I always want the PC's to go into the next encounter with their big red powers intact. They need options and choices to keep the fights interesting. In the past I have improvised the odd damage-dealing environmental hazard on occasions where At-Wills are all that's left, and the fight still has a way to go.

 

[fba827]

The DMG actually has a sidebar that discusses this very topic (DMG p41 sidebar).

Basically, it separates the definitions -- "Typically, encounters are separated by a short rest ..." (DMGp41; emphasis mine). Thus, it's "typical," not always. It then further defines the encounter ending when the monsters are dead/fled, and a new one starts when they engage new opponents. It then devotes a short paragraph or two on what to do if your players won't or can't take a short rest between encounters. But the gist is that generally, yes, they should be able to rest but there can be valid reasons why they can't take that short rest.

Since you still need a short rest to get back your encounter powers, you can easily blur the line and call it one long encounter that happened to have a couple rounds of inactivity (without the short rest to regain encounter powers, the distinction of it being one encounter or two encounters only matters if you're tracking milestones by the book - though in this case, the book does make allowances to say extra hard encounters may count as two encounters, thus earning the milestone on the same schedule as 'normal').

Now if you're asking for an informal survey on whether or not other DMs allow it, I think you'll see there is a variety of responses with some yes, some no. But it comes back to what your group/table enjoys. Will they enjoy the occasional challenge, or will they tar and feather you?

 

[Dice4Hire]

Not having breaks to get back hit points or encounter powers should be a considered decision, not an all or nothing assumption. Sometimes it works well, sometimes it does not

I had a very nice encounter for a group of level 4s, 5 waves of 8 minions spread 3 rounds apart. Each wave was different monsters that got a bit tougher every time. Having rests would have ruined that.

 

[Holy Bovine]

Thanks for the replies.

Even though the rules state that encounters are separated by 5 min rests, if the party decides to skip the rest and move forward, I usually consider the next battle a new encounter for the purposes of milestones for action points and such. It usually takes them a few minutes to wander the dungeon and find the next battle. I'm not totally trying to hose them. I just think that the fight, rest, move, fight, rest, move, wash, rinse, repeat can get a little boring. There should be some fear when taking a 5 min break in a hobgoblin fortress that a partol might come along, or that the noise from the last battle my have woken everyone up.

Exactly! Resting in dangerous areas filled with hostile enemies is always dicey at the best of times. However keep in mind that you are only talking about 5 minutes. Even if other groups of creatures heard the sounds of battle there is no guarantee that they will be ready to go fight the party or if they will even be 100% certain where the fight took place! Obviously groups in ajoining rooms should have no problem getting into the action but keep some things in mind - does the other group have their armour on? Were they asleep/resting/off duty when they heard the commotion? Donning armour, gathering weapons and even organizing the counter attack all takes time and the PCs only need 5 minutes.

You have to let them rest here and there, but after every battle seems a little much. They should be down a few HPs sometimes when a battle starts. If its a bigger battle coming up I will make sure they rest though.

I totally agree with this and have played like this many times. The players seem to like the added danger but be careful not to overdo it.

 

[UngeheuerLich]

If you feel players are too well equipped when they can always take a short rest, put some pressure on them.

If you design a level +4 encounter, this is excactly like 2 level appropriate encounters.

So designing 2 level appropriate encounters which may be merged together is a good idea. If your players are able to make sure they get a rest. Good for them and they should be rewarded by the easy secnd encounter. If they don´t, no short rest.

Have your game as dynamically designed as possible. This is what makes D&D fun.

 

[Woas]

Aww man, you guys are no fun! I put the angel smiley in my post afterall. Doesn't that one mean innocent sarcasm? Well, I don't want to spoil all the fun but, I was just playing on the choice of words the OP used for the title of the thread. Player usually denotes (at least to me) the actual human beings that play the game. So the title of the post was whether or not to give these humans a 5 minute rest after every encounter.