Long Term Fatigue

[maggot]

In my campaign, the PCs never let up. Every game day, they want to adventure, or create magic items, or research, or shop, or make perform checks for money, or something. They are like the energizer bunny. They just won't stop for anything.

In the real world, we all take a break every day. And it isn't just a modern day thing, for millennia man-kind has had the idea of a rest day.

I think anyone that never takes a break is headed for a mental or physical breakdown.

So I came up with a little system to try to force some level of rest on the PCs.

Long-Term Fatigue System

(Very rough)

Every day you do something physically stressful, you make a CON check versus a DC. The base DC is 0. Each consecutive day it increases by 1. If you fail, you gain a physical long-term fatigue point (PLTFP).

Physically stressful activities include anything that requires a physical skill check, anything that inflicts real or subdual damage, anything that requires a CON check, or a full day’s movement or other activity.

If the day is particularly stressful (digging a tunnel for 12 hours a day), the DM may call for multiple checks in a single day.

Each day of physical rest removes a PLTFP. A heal spell removes 1 PLTFP per caster level (max 20).

If you have any PLTFPs you take a -1 on all physical actions. Basically any d20 roll that is modified by STR, DEX, or CON modifiers. If you have more than 10, PLTFPs, you take a -2. If you have more than 100, you take -4.

Mental Stress.

Every day you do something mentally stressful, you make a WIS check versus a DC. The base DC is 0. Each consecutive day it increases by 1. If you fail, you gain a mental long-term fatigue point.

Mentally stressful activities include anything that would require a mental skill check, anything that would require a concentration check, or any in depth research or information gathering.

If the day is particularly mentally stressful, the DM may call for multiple checks in a single day.

Each day of mental rest removes a MLTFP. A restoration spell removes 1 MLTFP; a greater restoration spell removes all MLTFP.

If you have any MLTFPs you take a -1 on all mental actions. Basically any d20 roll that is modified by INT, WIS, or CHA modifiers. In addition, the DCs of any special abilities or spells is reduced by -1. If you have more than 10, PLTFPs, you take a -2. If you have more than 100, you take -4.

 

[Jin]

I just apply the conditions of fatigued & exhausted after to much time on the go or depending on what % of hit points a character has.

If someone has been travelling for 8 hours, they become fatigued & need to rest for at least 4 hours to remove the condition. (This is still being worked out & is modified by the Edurance feat & a creatures CON bonus.) This is particularly fun when a tired party is being chased down by tireless monsters (anything with a -- CON).

If something has less that 50% of its HP remaining, it also becomes fatigued. If less than 25% are left, it becomes exhausted.

 

[maggot]

I just apply the conditions of fatigued & exhausted after to much time on the go or depending on what % of hit points a character has.

If someone has been travelling for 8 hours, they become fatigued & need to rest for at least 4 hours to remove the condition. (This is still being worked out & is modified by the Edurance feat & a creatures CON bonus.) This is particularly fun when a tired party is being chased down by tireless monsters (anything with a -- CON).

If something has less that 50% of its HP remaining, it also becomes fatigued. If less than 25% are left, it becomes exhausted.

Thanks for the response. I do a similar thing for short term (day or less).

My concern is on a much longer scale. Characters never just relax. They are always doing something. Never a vacation, never a day off. After a grueling two month journey in the underdark, they spend a few days selling stuff and want to immediately head for the next adventuring site.

As DM, I usually point out that their characters would probably want some R&R. Sometimes I get blank stares, sometimes they don't believe me. I wanted some kind of rules force to back this up.

Thinking about it, I think my DCs are too high. The DC should start at -5 and increase from there. Working six days straight means a CON check DC 1. If you somehow fail, you can rest on the seventh day.

 

[wingsandsword]

You also might want to look at the "General downtime" variant for training and levelling up in the DMG as a way of enforcing some vacation and relaxation time for the PC's. Simply say that you have to spend some downtime relaxing and reflecting on your experiences to go up a level (I think by-the-book it's 1 day per level you're going to). When it happens be sure to describe to the PC's the fact that they aren't doing Craft/Profession checks for money, they aren't doing spell research or magic item creation, they're relaxing in the tavern, eating good food, going for a nice peaceful walk in the the nearby woods without any orcs or goblins coming at them, calming down, ect.

Simple way to acknowledge the issue, even using by-the-book rules, without introducing a whole bunch of new rules.

 

[rrealm]

I like the concept of this. My players too do the same. Thier character's are always on the go, even in town and I get the same blank stares. "Relax? What do you mean? I am relaxing. I'm in the tavern getting drunk while the others are making the plan to go to the dungeon first thing in the morning (6 or 7ish)."

When my PCs "sleep in", they get up around 8 or 9 am.