D&D 5E Slower Healing and Longer Long Rests

[sable_twilight]

If you haven't already, you might want to look at some of these threads; Search results for query: slow healing

Yeah, there are some ideas from some of those threads I am considering as well.

 

[sable_twilight]

What about spells?

Spells which come back on a short rest would still come back on a short rest

Spells which come back on a long rest come back on a long rest. Parties would have to decide if taking a day off to recover spells is worth it.

It's a lot less fiddly then OAD&D, which had rules for preparing spells which required spell casters spend 15 minutes per level (of spell at levels 1-4, but only if they have had at least 4 hours of sleeps.....). Keeping it to the Long Rest and done keeps it easier and keeps it on par still similar class and archetype abilities.

 

[sable_twilight]

Depends on the context. It means that players don't try to rest in situations that are somewhat implausible. It also means that wilderness travel flows better. Players don't blow their best spells if they don't know they will be able to regain them. It also puts a bit of time pressure on urban campaigns. If the PCs know they will lose a whole day, then they're reluctant to put aside the time for a long rest unless they really need to.

It basically increases the range of activities you can use in the game in which a long rest is something the players have to decide to do and weigh up, rather than something which happens.

That sounds very much like my desired goal

With short rests I just ditch the whole 1 hour thing. 5 Minutes not in combat with a hard limit per long rest. Making sure there are spots in the game to take an hour breather puts work on me. Why should I do that work if I don't have to?

Yeah, I hear that. I just also like to use tension dice, and a party spending an hour futzing about gives me an excuse to roll all six of them and frown and shake my head...

 

[sable_twilight]

Do Long Rests still recover all HP and 1/2 Hit Dice?
Since you're already changing the system, I might suggest taking the opportunity to limit how many fights you can have during a Long Rest and still gain the benefit.
Even during a full 8-encounter adventuring day, you're still not engaging in more than an hour of combat and spellcasting.

Oh, I think I misunderstood, you meant interrupted.
Maybe 10 Minutes? Gives them an opportunity cast a spell or quick ritual if need be, but not much more?

Hmmmmm.... I like it...

 

[sable_twilight]

The only thing to consider is how this may influence short rests. If combats tend to be days apart then short rests tend to get taken for granted and certain abilities such as the Fighter's Second Wind become more powerful.

I missed the Second Wind comment, because it is something to consider.

When I think about the way primary spell casters can quickly eclipse martial classes, that might not be a bad thing. It makes the martial classes more steady over time with the spell casters having a little more time between novas.

 

[sable_twilight]

Thank you everyone for the thoughts.

One thing I was thinking about is that "unlimited" short rests give more opportunities to spend those HD in less than optimal conditions.
Not that as a DM I would want to offer up challenging choices on my players... 0

 

[Cadence]

Spells which come back on a short rest would still come back on a short rest

Spells which come back on a long rest come back on a long rest. Parties would have to decide if taking a day off to recover spells is worth it.

It's a lot less fiddly then OAD&D, which had rules for preparing spells which required spell casters spend 15 minutes per level (of spell at levels 1-4, but only if they have had at least 4 hours of sleeps.....). Keeping it to the Long Rest and done keeps it easier and keeps it on par still similar class and archetype abilities.

I like the healing overnight being less... but the needing to take the full day off for spells and other daily powers seems a lot more painful than I'd like. Does short rests staying the same nerf some classes relative to others?

 

[sable_twilight]

I like the healing overnight being less... but the needing to take the full day off for spells and other daily powers seems a lot more painful than I'd like. Does short rests staying the same nerf some classes relative to others?

Yes, I am thinking of keeping short rests the same. Yes, it would definitely shift the power balance between classes.

And yes, it would also likely mean players have to make different types of choices in play. For example, does the spellcaster go nova and eliminate a threat right away? Or do they hold back, using cantrips, possibly prolonging combat and chewing through the HP reserves of the party?

 

[Don Durito]

I like the healing overnight being less... but the needing to take the full day off for spells and other daily powers seems a lot more painful than I'd like. Does short rests staying the same nerf some classes relative to others?

Only if it means the ratio changes in practice.

Althought that's part of the reason I put a hard limit on short rests.

If you're regularly doing 1 combat days, then it improves the balance toward what the game intends. In theory it could go the other way and lead to 15 encounter days, but in practice I don't think that can really happen. At a certain point the players of long rest classes will start getting too antsy and frustrated and a long rest will have to happen one way or another. Plus you could only do that many encounters if the encounters are generally easy.