D&D 5E (2014) Do monsters benefit from a long rest like adventurers?

[iserith]

And determine when the outcome is uncertain with a chance of failure, when the outcome is uncertain with a chance of failure, when the outcome is uncertain with a chance of failure, when the outcome is uncertain with a chance of failure, when the outcome is uncertain with a chance of failure…sorry, did I say that twice…?

I'm sorry, but I don't understand what you mean here.

 

[Tormyr]

I also let my monsters spend their hit dice on a short rest.

 

[Jeff Albertson]

I'm sorry, but I don't understand what you mean here.

Ha, of course you do, the babes-in-the-woods routine is not cool.

 

[SirAntoine]

Typically, the monsters should be able to rest like the PC's. In general, if they step away to recharge, when they come back the monsters should either be recharged, too, or reinforced.

 

[Tony Vargas]

Apologies if this is a silly or obvious question but. Well, do they?
My pcs locked an owlbear in a tower as they barely escaped with their lives. After a long rest they went back.
I ruled it did...what say you?

There's no reason to assume either way. Monsters are clearly different than PCs in a lot of ways. PC hps, for instance, are insanely high for such little frail animals as humans and halflings - they're probably made up all sorts of quantum weirdness (luck), divine favor, preternatural skill, predestination, and general plot armor. Owlbears, OTOH, are big, nasty, supernaturally-engineered monsters. Their hps could be mostly hide, muscle, bone and unnatural vigor, with an added topping of bad attitude.

You've got enough wiggle-room there to rule however you want. The owlbear could fully regenerate after a short rest if you wanted, or only partially recover after a long one. It could not rest at all while the party is resting and be 20 miles away, eating an innocent village, when they come back to its lair.

 

[hachface]

Some monsters have abilities that explicitly recharge after a rest. So I'm going with "yes, absolutely."

 

[The Grassy Gnoll]

I'm honoured to have prompted your first post. Have some xp!

 

[ExploderWizard]

In keeping with the spirit of always giving the monster an even break, I rule in my campaigns that monsters get benefits from both short and long rests if the circumstances would permit it and the monster in question qualifies.

A construct, for example wouldn't heal unless it had access to a source of magical repair. Damaged corporeal undead would not heal either, but incorporeal creatures could re-energize. Most living breathing creatures could regain vitality with adequate food & rest.

This of course is a separate issue from that of reinforcements. Additional help being available depends on how close that help is and how long the PCs have been away.

 

[billd91]

I'd probably make it depend on the creatures making up the opposition. If they actually tend to wounds competently, then I'd allow them to benefit from a short rest and gain the same benefits as a PC with a long rest. If they're constructs or undead, as with ExploderWizard, they will gain no benefit. If they're beasts like an owl bear, I'd be more likely to apply the benefits of a single short rest to a long rest timeframe to reflect substandard care.

 

[the Jester]

They do in my campaign.

But also, I do a slower natural healing variant.