D&D 5E (2014) Do you allow long rests in the dungeon?

[Oofta]

Oh, I should also say I almost never use a "typical" dungeon. Dungeon-like environments? Haunted houses or castles? A large cave system? Sure. But the location is always serving as a base of operations or has some unifying theme, it's never just a random collection of monsters in suspiciously square rooms.

 

[Minigiant]

sure
they likely won't be successful unless they clear it first

 

[Mistwell]

Yes, provided you secure your location well. Like with a Tiny Hut spell.

However, wandering monsters are highly likely to find you and gather together outside your hut waiting to pounce.

 

[Bacon Bits]

If the inhabitants have no reason to go where the PCs are, then sure. If it's an ancient tomb filled with nonintelligent or inactive threats, it's probably quite safe. If it's a fortress being used as a staging ground for orcs, well, you probably want to keep well out of sight, especially when they are sure to discover your handywork.

 

[Charlaquin]

If the inhabitants have no reason to go where the PCs are, then sure. If it's an ancient tomb filled with nonintelligent or inactive threats, it's probably quite safe.

“I do put up wards. And if you leave food out for the giant spiders, they are usually content to live and let live.”

 

[Volund]

For serious mega-dungeon delving, the characters have to take long rests in the dungeon. Part of the player buy-in for this style of game is embracing the challenge of trying to find a safe place to rest. Finding secret rooms, using Arcane Lock to keep doors shut, making sure they aren't observed ducking into their hidey-hole, hoping nothing nasty oozes in while they try to rest - it's all part of the fun of dungeon exploration. Another part of the buy-in is that players will actively explore and keep moving and not try to abuse long rests to reset the game after every encounter. I've found that players enjoy role-playing risk and danger more than they enjoy role-playing long rests, so this usually isn't a problem.

 

[S'mon]

This question came up in another thread about long rests, and I thought it was a big enough topic to merit its own discussion. Do you allow your players to take a long rest in a dungeon (or other non-dungeon adventure location)? What about during travel? If “yes,” what are the risks associated with resting in the dungeon at your table? If “no,” is that a hard no, or will you make an exception in certain circumstances and/or if the players take sufficient precautions, and what circumstances and/or precautions might qualify? If “it depends,” what does it depend on? If “other,” please share your unique perspective!

No; I went to longer Long Rests (7 days, possibly as few as 3 in a haven) precisely to avoid this phenomenon. 5e game balance requires a decent number of fights per LR on average, otherwise LR classes greatly outmatch SR and always-on classes, and fights have to be tediously long to be challenging.

 

[Todd Roybark]

I had insecure housing as a teenager, and was often surprised how easy it was to “rest” (not really that restful), undetected even being just slightly out of sight lines.

Depending on the circumstances, people often operate in very habitual ways, and are not actively looking around them and miss often obvious things.

Passive Perception in real life is not really that passive....people mainly practice active perception.

Living in Los Angeles, you will find people in the darnedest places, unfortunately.
@Mistwell, likely has had similar ‘discoveries’.

(I write this with empathy and sympathy for the housing insecure).

At least at Pogre’s table any monster that eats you while you attempt to take a long rest will be exceptionally well painted, and Pogre probably has a hirst art model of your bones painted and ready to go to be placed on the gaming table.

 

[Li Shenron]

Do you allow your players to take a long rest in a dungeon (or other non-dungeon adventure location)?
What about during travel?
If “yes,” what are the risks associated with resting in the dungeon at your table?

In our current campaign: yes, yes, and none. I am keeping it simple because it's a family game and we have many weeks of break between sessions.

 

[Nebulous]

I said 'no' but there are circumstances where it is hazy whether they would still considered to be in the dungeon. Let's say they find a friendly settlement and arrange rest there under their protection. Then yes, that's a case where they can long rest in the middle of their adventure.

We moved to a system where the DM determines if a rest is possible because it wasn't fun to be constantly interrupted by random encounters. It was just a slog and people weren't having fun. So now the party might ask the DM can we long rest here? If they are out on adventure that answer is going to be no.

Similar problems occur with Leomund's Tiny Hut too so we just don't use the spell. It's not worth the headache and disruption of pacing.

In a game with overland travel we go further to say that the party must rest in a friendly settlement or similar secure location to get a long rest. This way they can have several encounters over the course of their travels and have them actually mean something.

I like that. Leomund's Tiny Hut has its own threads for Like/Dislike, but I totally get why your group doesn't allow it. In fact, I find it especially interesting that the PLAYERS are on board not using it.