Effects of changing Short and long rests?

[Ferghis]

Can I suggest using a carrot instead of a stick? I've had lots of luck having characters level up after 5-7 milestones, depending on the encounters and the plot, and giving out milestones for every encounter except for the first one after a long rest. Side benefits are that it does away with a couple of fiddly things: it makes APs easier to administer, and does away with tracking xp. Most parties I've seen press on unless they REALLY need to take a long rest.

 

[keterys]

Fwiw, my problem is in almost the opposite direction - I want more ways to give back surges and healing (so that I can keep the damage coming), but more difficulty to get back powers (so that the answer to every encounter isn't always power 1, then 2, then 3)

 

[CM]

Fwiw, my problem is in almost the opposite direction - I want more ways to give back surges and healing (so that I can keep the damage coming), but more difficulty to get back powers (so that the answer to every encounter isn't always power 1, then 2, then 3)

I have instituted "shared slot" powers in my game to give characters more flexibility. Any time you take a feat or theme which lets you substitute one of your class powers, you instead gain the power as a "shared slot" with the existing class power. When you use one, the other one is also expended until the appropriate rest is taken to recover that slot. Sort of like 3e's sorcerer.