TwoSix
Dirty, realism-hating munchkin powergamer
It's something I'm also considering, although I would put a hard limit on short rests to 2 before you have to take a long rest.
D&D 5E So...warlocks?
Why two?
(Not "why a hard limit" because I get that, but why specifically two and not one or three or something else? Just a gut reaction or something else?)
DreamChaser
Explorer
Unless you run a party of warlocks, I think you'll probably find that this limit happens anyway. As everyone else runs out of spells, arcane recovery, sorcery points, hit dice, etc., even if the warlock still feels like she's going strong, she will end up outvoted.
ZombieRoboNinja
First Post
A hard limit would help prevent cheesiness (fighter demanding a short rest every time you kill a lone goblin so he can always use his Action Surge). Since it's still a big deal to have to set up camp for a long rest, if there's a limit like 2 or 3 short rests max between long rests, short-rest-dependent characters will have to be more cautious about using those resources. But of course that kind of restriction might not be necessary for a lot of groups.
Mistwell
Crusty Old Meatwad (he/him)
I'm at around a year of playtesting at this point.
In my experience, the PCs take short rests when they have to. If a battle is particularly tough, if they triggered essentially three encounters in a row without a moment's rest (because of the noise they made during the first and second), they are exhausted at the end. They need to spend hit dice, re-memorize spells, etc.. So they go to a place that is safer, they bar doors and lay traps and caltrops and alarms, etc. to arrange as best they can for an hour of peace, etc.. Due to wandering monsters this does not always work, but it usually does.
If they take too many short rests, the odds catch up with them on the wandering monsters, and it goes wobbly. So, the game seems to allow for "just enough" short rests to keep things interesting without making it a short rest after every encounter. Sometimes they squeak in an extra short rest when perhaps they normally would not, and sometimes they get caught resting when they should have been able to pull a rest off, but on average it seems to work out pretty well.
There seems to be a natural balance they reach, on average, thanks to the combination of wandering monsters and exploration and investigation that goes on in our average adventures along with the combat. I cannot put a precise number on how many it is a day, as it always varies depending on what they are doing and what they are encountering in that area, but I think the system as written deals pretty well with this issue without the need to worry it will be too few or too many short rests. That is, provided you stick to the exploration and investigation and wandering monsters suggestions that are pretty prolific in this edition.
In my experience, the PCs take short rests when they have to. If a battle is particularly tough, if they triggered essentially three encounters in a row without a moment's rest (because of the noise they made during the first and second), they are exhausted at the end. They need to spend hit dice, re-memorize spells, etc.. So they go to a place that is safer, they bar doors and lay traps and caltrops and alarms, etc. to arrange as best they can for an hour of peace, etc.. Due to wandering monsters this does not always work, but it usually does.
If they take too many short rests, the odds catch up with them on the wandering monsters, and it goes wobbly. So, the game seems to allow for "just enough" short rests to keep things interesting without making it a short rest after every encounter. Sometimes they squeak in an extra short rest when perhaps they normally would not, and sometimes they get caught resting when they should have been able to pull a rest off, but on average it seems to work out pretty well.
There seems to be a natural balance they reach, on average, thanks to the combination of wandering monsters and exploration and investigation that goes on in our average adventures along with the combat. I cannot put a precise number on how many it is a day, as it always varies depending on what they are doing and what they are encountering in that area, but I think the system as written deals pretty well with this issue without the need to worry it will be too few or too many short rests. That is, provided you stick to the exploration and investigation and wandering monsters suggestions that are pretty prolific in this edition.
DreamChaser
Explorer
Mistwell's summary describes my experience as well. The hour long rest reflects a meaningful risk to my players. They understand that their enemies may be more prepared or escape them, attacks (random or intentional) could interrupt them, etc.
Verisimilitude within the world ensures that a rules limit need not exist.
I suppose a game that had no such in-game limiters would instead need an in-rules limiter.
Verisimilitude within the world ensures that a rules limit need not exist.
I suppose a game that had no such in-game limiters would instead need an in-rules limiter.
TwoSix
Dirty, realism-hating munchkin powergamer
That's good to know. Since my campaigns tend to not be site-based, but more travel-based with large battles, I think I'll stick to my other houserule of short rests taking 6 hours, and long rests taking between 24-48 hours and requiring a safe place.
ZombieRoboNinja
First Post
That sounds ideal. But I can certainly envision some ticking-bomb scenarios where an hour rest might never be practical, or conversely a wilderness-exploration campaign where there is little realistic reason why the party wouldn't rest for an hour after every combat. Turning the dial on short and long rest times is an easy way to make the rules fit the narrative rather than twisting the narrative to fit the rules (by, say, adding wandering bands of monsters where they don't belong.)
Mouseferatu
Hero
It did not. In fact, while I (obviously) haven't read the entire thing cover to cover yet, it appears to me as though there is no DoaM in the PHB.
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