D&D 5E How often do your 5e sessions end with a Long Rest for the party?

[Swarmkeeper]

Pretty straight forward: In your current 5e campaign, does the party get the benefits of a Long Rest at the end of every session? Most sessions? Some sessions? Or rarely/never?

Share your DM's/group's reasoning in the comments...

 

[Deset Gled]

We often call the session done at the end of an encounter, and the discussion of whether we are pushing on or resting would take place at the beginning of the next session.

So I guess my current group is more likely to start with a rest than end with one. But from a larger perspective I don't know if that's really very different.

 

[Irlo]

Rarely for my current group, but the parenthetical doesn't apply. The DM/group doesn't actively avoid ending sessions with long rests. It just happens rarely because we end sessions based on the clock rather than where we are in the adventure.

 

[Fanaelialae]

I usually try to pace the session such that they end on a long rest. I feel like it's easier for everyone that way. I can prep the next session knowing they're fresh, and they don't have to try to remember if they used some ability and just forgot to note it down on their sheet.

If we're getting near a good stopping point I'd rather call the game a little early, or otherwise push on for a little longer til we get to a good stopping point . That said, occasionally it just doesn't work out, and they start the next session without a long rest.

 

[MNblockhead]

I run a monthly 8 hour(ish) game. My last campaign was a megadungeon and for most of the campaign, the party had a stronghold they a day or two's journey (before they had magic travel) from the dungeon. Most sessions ended after the party accomplished something, or retreated, and end with them back at their stronghold. Occasionally, we'd end the session with them still in the dungeon, but it was very rare to end mid-encounter. I would rather end the session early and start the next session with the encounter than risk ending the session mid encounter.

My first campaign was home brew and each session was an adventure that could be completed within 6 or so hours.

The only other campaign I ran, and the only WotC one, was Curse of Strahd. That would often end on cliff hanger and often not in situation where a long rest was an option. But, again, I would try to avoid ending mid-encounter.

 

[THEMNGMNT]

Almost never. It's not intentional, just a byproduct of session and campaign pacing. Much more common to have a long rest in the middle of the session.

 

[greymist]

I’ve only ever been concerned about ending during a combat encounter. And even that we have done once or twice because it was getting late. Because we use Roll 20 it’s not so bad as the map is exactly as it was when we next play.

 

[MockingBird]

Most of the time because it feels like a natural stopping point. That and it's easier to remember where to pick up for next session. We've had times were we ended sessions in dungeons but it's usually ended when a long rest happens.

 

[Distracted DM]

I try to end on a point of suspense which usually means not a long rest.. but realistically, half the time?

 

[Shardstone]

I've almost never done this until recently, and it was not intended.