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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Ilbranteloth" data-source="post: 7192830" data-attributes="member: 6778044">The work is primarily calculating XP for the traps or other non-combat encounters, since the system doesn't inherently cover that for you now. There is also more work for a DM like me that doesn't already design my approach using the XP/CR system. In fact, I don't use XP as written at all, making a system like this difficult to implement. But that's really my issue for not using the existing system. I'm not saying the work is impossible, just that it adds work over the current system of resting. But yes, I think the answer is clearly that if the OP's suggestion is going to be a system for determining a number of rests, then the XP system needs to account for anything that could consume resources and trigger the need for a rest.Strahd seems fine. Except that consuming resources isn't the primary purpose of those encounters in my mind. They are to build suspense, to make it clear that Strand is powerful, so powerful that he'll toy with his opponents. I don't think anybody is expecting to enter their final combat with Strahd low on resources. But with this system depending on how many resources Strahd consumes first, the party could be out of rests.To look at it a different way, since you don't gain XP for defeating a creature until that creature is defeated, then any dungeon where there is an attack/retreat/attack approach, particularly in regard to ambushes, then the party could run out of rests. An example would be Tucker's Kobolds.I have similar encounters with large groups of creatures that the PCs know they can't defeat outright. It's basically running a gauntlet. You can't defeat the enemies, so you're just trying to survive to get to the other side. So you don't defeat them (and there's a good chance you'll be meeting them in battle in the near future), but they've already consumed a lot of resources without generating any XP. Again, you could treat this as a trap, but then you'll be awarding XP for the creatures again when they encounter them later. It would be very easy for the DM to overuse Strahd consuming the PCs resources early, so they don't have access to them late in the adventure. And I don't think that's the intent.A not insurmountable problem, just another point where the XP system doesn't account for the loss of resources. Another factor that hasn't been raised (I don't think), is what about the tables that prefer to wait until the party is in town with access to trainers, or at least out of the dungeon, before they can gain a level? Delaying the level gain means they have probably already consumed their rests, but can't gain more since they haven't gained a level yet.</blockquote>

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