D&D (2024) How long should a Short rest be in 5E(2024)?

[codo]

It should default to one hour, with a sidebar discussing how different lengths affect the game and what playstyles each pushes, along with a very heavy, "DMs, you may want to adjust how long this takes in your game" message.

I agree with this, but I would add that it needs to be in the Players Handbook. I think the disparity between long/short rest classes based on the number of encounters per day is probably the biggest problem in 5e. The different short rest lengths needs to be a core part of the rules, not hidden away as an optional rule in the DMG. There should also be different adventures using the different rest lengths to showcase different playstyles.

The rules should also explain how a DM can change the length of short rests based on the circumstances. For example switching to an 8 hour short rest for long periods of traveling, or 10 minute short rests for large dungeons.

 

[tetrasodium]

I agree with this, but I would add that it needs to be in the Players Handbook. I think the disparity between long/short rest classes based on the number of encounters per day is probably the biggest problem in 5e. The different short rest lengths needs to be a core part of the rules, not hidden away as an optional rule in the DMG. There should also be different adventures using the different rest lengths to showcase different playstyles.

The system would need to base durations on rest cycles too. If Alice is playing something like a fighter with few abilities that persist across a duration she will be minimally impacted by rest duration changes either way. If Bob is playing a blaster mage with mostly instant duration spells and he too won't see significant changes. If Dave & Elizabeth are playing a god wizard with lots of ongoing spells and a barbarian respectively they will be massively impacted by rest duration changes with current durations.

 

[mamba]

All of this real-world talk is moot and pointless because we're talking about fantasy heroes in a fantasy story.

interesting that you bring this up after saying you personally do not need to rest for an hour after a 30 second combat

They neither lasted only 30 seconds, nor did I ever get an hour nap between matches.

 

[Vaalingrade]

interesting that you bring this up after saying you personally do not need to rest for an hour after a 30 second combat

You mean the part where someone specifically asked me a question and I answered it?

 

[mamba]

You mean the part where someone specifically asked me a question and I answered it?

yes, it was not the first time you compared it to real life however

Whenever people say 1 hour is a short rest, I kind of wonder how they experience hours and resting.

 

[Vaalingrade]

An hour is a pointlessly long time to do nothing of interest or value. This is true in real life and in fiction.

 

[pete284]

I like the Lord of the Rings 5e version of short rest: a short rest during a journey is 8 hours where players can only sleep or carry out light activities, 24 hours after the end of a journey a short rest reverts back to 1 hour.

 

[TheSword]

An hour is a pointlessly long time to do nothing of interest or value. This is true in real life and in fiction.

I guess people do think a short rest does have value. If you need it to recharge resources I would imagine it is of great interest.

It game terms it’s short enough to be possible in most cases but long enough to be a consideration from a tactical point of view.

My gut feeling is that it will stay as it is.

 

[Ondath]

I like the Lord of the Rings 5e version of short rest: a short rest during a journey is 8 hours where players can only sleep or carry out light activities, 24 hours after the end of a journey a short rest reverts back to 1 hour.

Is this in Adventures in Middle Earth? If so, I love how they handled resource management during journeys as well. I think their way of doing things handles 5E's resources much better if you want to have one encounter or so once a day throughout the journey, instead of every day of the journey having an adventuring day's worth of encounters.

 

[zedturtle]

Is this in Adventures in Middle Earth? If so, I love how they handled resource management during journeys as well. I think their way of doing things handles 5E's resources much better if you want to have one encounter or so once a day throughout the journey, instead of every day of the journey having an adventuring day's worth of encounters.

Yes. I was very amused when LotRRPG was accused of stealing the rest system of Ruins of Symbaroum, when I stole it for Ruins from AiMe. And if anyone ever bother to look at the credits pages for the three publications they'd see a lot of the same names!

But yep, journeys are important in Middle-earth, and the system supports that (along with Councils {social interactions} to make sure all three pillars are the same height).