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Message: <blockquote data-quote="EzekielRaiden" data-source="post: 9775953" data-attributes="member: 6790260">Often, I find that it is helpful to pair sticks with related but distinct carrots. Helps the players feel like you aren't just making their lives harder solely to make their lives harder, but rather changing one benefit for a different benefit. So, for example..."You may not always be able to take long rests. Dungeons are very, very dangerous places, where letting your guard down for an extended period of time is a very, very bad idea. All sorts of creepy-crawly nasties live there! But, since that's the case, there are some other effects in play. For example, if you take a Short Rest and don't spend any hit dice, you can regain up to half your proficiency score in recharged hit dice."This, then, makes it feel like you are shifting the focus from long rests to short ones, when in practice what you're actually doing is just making long rests difficult and very, very slightly extending the party's ability to rest.But honestly? Sometimes you're just going to have to tell your players, "The way the rules of the game work bothers me. I don't like it. I want it to be a scary challenge to actually use your class resources wisely. I want characters who aren't dependent on long rests to feel powerful some of the time because they aren't dependent on a night's rest. The game, as it stands, doesn't do that. Are you okay with playing a game like that, even if it means you will feel frustrated sometimes because you want to take a rest and can't? I think that will be overall a more satisfying experience."Some players will bite eagerly, wanting the challenge. Some players will shy away, unsure if they really want "hard mode" or the like. Some will just say no, because they aren't really interested in that kind of challenge, or because they want the feeling of being powerful. Every group is different, and it may simply be something you want and your  players just...don't. Even if they know it would be ultimately more satisfying, "ultimately" is a hard sell for up-front displeasure.</blockquote>

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