D&D General How many Short Rests do you routinely take?

[Stormonu]

I almost have to put a gun to my player's head to make them take a short rest. They want to just keep plodding on, even when they're pretty depleted and not rushed. Even then, the only reason they do is that I shortened the rest period to 15 minutes from an hour.

 

[Storyteller Hero]

If I were working on 6th edition years after 5.5e comes out, I'd remove the short rest mechanics and just simply have everyone have full hit points (hit points being treated as abstract wellness/toughness/luck and not as meat points) and fully replenished formerly short rest abilities at the start of every combat encounter. That would be less of a hassle for the DM and easier for the players to remember, less paperwork all around. More freedom to plan out adventures without having to worry about how many short rests are in-between long rests.

 

[CleverNickName]

My players have a monk, a fighter, and a warlock in the party, so they take as many as they can get. Unless I put some kind of time-pressure on them, they will take a short rest after every combat scene.

 

[Baron Opal II]

It seemed to me that there was a soft intention that there be two short rests per day / long rest. Mandating that (the most you can have is two) had the game work smoothly the few times I ran it.

 

[Lanefan]

If I were working on 6th edition years after 5.5e comes out, I'd remove the short rest mechanics

You had me up to here, but then...

and just simply have everyone have full hit points (hit points being treated as abstract wellness/toughness/luck and not as meat points) and fully replenished formerly short rest abilities at the start of every combat encounter.

...you went the exact opposite direction I'd have gone. I'd have it that even a long rest doesn't necessarily get you back everything, in order to put long-term attrition back in as a consideration.

 

[Vaalingrade]

As many as there are encounters unless it's a multi-stage, long term encounter, which is not a combat encounter that eats that many resources in general.

 

[cranberry]

I can't give a definitive answer because our short rest depend on the situation and our need.

For example, even if we are low on hp, and need a short rest, we won't take it if there is a high risk of a random encounter.

 

[Shiroiken]

Depends on the group and campaign. In general, if we have a Warlock or Monk in the party we tend to take more short rests, usually 2 per long rest. If we have a Fighter, Cleric, or Druid (who get moderate benefits from a short rest) we usually have 1 per long rest. If we don't have any of those, very often we don't short rest at all.

 

[jmartkdr2]

Most of my games I would say 0 to 1 - it’s just not common that we have a situation where short rests are possible and useful but long rests are not. I would say it’s a side effect of not really using dungeons (even in the broad sense of the term)

 

[pogre]

My group tends to plow forward and not take short rests. However, recently one of the players started playing a Warlock. The Warlock carries a lawn chair, and when he needs a short rest he announces he is getting out his lawn chair.

It's amusing and a reminder to the group that they have a PC that is heavily dependent on taking short rests.