Level Up (A5E) End the 5 minute work-day by making all classes work off short rests.

[Charlaquin]

Ok, so every once in a while this "5MWD" thing keeps popping up...

Just so I know I have it right, basically it is people going nuts with the PC powers and then wanting to rest all the time so they get it all back, right?

Am I missing something???

That is it in a nutshell, yes.

Obviously the 5mwd is a problem that can be fixed by good adventure design. As long as you include sufficient time pressure in your adventures, resting becomes a risk you have to weigh against the benefits of recovering your resources. So, in this sense, it can seem like the 5mwd isn’t a problem.

However, I think the problem of the 5mwd goes beyond just what you summarize here; the players wanting to take a long rest after every fight is merely the symptom of a broader design problem, which is that the game rules are built around an attrition-based model of difficulty, but incentivize the players to rest as often as possible, and expect any disincentives ti resting to be provided by the DM.

I think the solution to this is not to shift D&D’s difficulty away from attrition, not to remove the incentive towards resting as often as possible, but to add more system-level disincentives to resting. Or, at the very least, provide more concrete guidance to DMs that informs them directly that they are expected to provide these disincentivizes, and advises them on how to do so.

 

[cbwjm]

DnD changes from a 5 minute work day to 5 minutes work followed by a 1 hour tea break.

 

[CleverNickName]

So you want a 5-minute work week?

I want players who manage their resources better. I want them to have a reason to manage their resources better. Restoring all resources every hour would incentivize the players to burn through them even more quickly. "What's the big deal? We'll just take another break after this battle... just like the last one, and the one before that..."

 

[FrogReaver]

Having powers refresh after "X" encounters is too predictable to my tastes.

Anyway, how would making everything refresh on a short rest stop the 5MWD? It would just encourage every class to get in a short rest after each encounter. As is it, only certain classes want more frequent short rests. Long rests are just once per day, so that IMO would remove the 5MWD.

Again, unless I am missing something...? shrug

Yep. It's a non-solution. It just kicks the problem down the road to the next rest.

For balance the easiest thing to do is get rid of short rests and have at-will or long rest abilities. At least then everyone takes part in the 5MWD.

 

[FrogReaver]

So I have a novel idea. What if rests required spending XP. Short rests cost less. Long rests cost more. Town rests in a safe place are free. Now no one wants to rest other than at town!

 

[The Mirrorball Man]

I think the solution to this is not to shift D&D’s difficulty away from attrition, not to remove the incentive towards resting as often as possible, but to add more system-level disincentives to resting.

Attrition could work both ways. What if every short rest comes with diminishing results?

 

[ThatGuySteve]

I like a mix of short and long rest resets. If every class had a better mix, there wouldn't be such a strong push from certain classes to retreat for a long rest all the time.

Alternatively, give more classes abilities which reset on other triggers. Some wizard subclasses reset abilities when they cast a spell of the associated school. Eg clerics could reset an ability when they carry a domain spell, or druids when they cast a circle spell.

 

[tetrasodium]

I like a mix of short and long rest resets. If every class had a better mix, there wouldn't be such a strong push from certain classes to retreat for a long rest all the time.

Alternatively, give more classes abilities which reset on other triggers. Some wizard subclasses reset abilities when they cast a spell of the associated school. Eg clerics could reset an ability when they carry a domain spell, or druids when they cast a circle spell.

I find the opposite with the scorlock* that always seems ever present going nova then pushing for a short rest constantly and the rest of the group not really having much reason to push back. It's easy to have reason why there is no time for a long rest, but it gets contrived for the short.

*pretty sure 100% of my campaigns had one or more of those #/^^&#/ munchkins

 

[ThatGuySteve]

I suppose whatever the refresh rate on abilities is, there will be players who burn through everything and want a refresh after every encounter. Doesn't matter if it is short, long, 5 minutes or a week, they'll want that refresh.

In that situation is say its on the adventure designer to account for this. Either put the adventure on the clock, restock the dungeon with more monsters, or just make every encounter tougher assuming everyone quill nova every time. Mix up those options for each adventure (or section of adventure).

 

[CubicsRube]

What about a recharge die for all powers, soells and abilities after a combat?

There's precedent found in monster powers such as dragon breath, and it reduces the incentive to rest. It also creates a measure of unpredictability which I like.