D&D (2024) The new playtest Exhaustion rules has already fixed the exploration pillar a lot.

[TheSword]

The new system is just negative levels by another name (for the most part) I think it’s fine. Now they just need to add lingering injuries at zero Hp that bestow a number of levels of exhaustion and additional penalties keyed to the levels until the exhaustion is removed…. Injured leg - reduce speed by 5 feet for each level of exhaustion (minimum speed 5’).

 

[CubicsRube]

I prefer a the current exhaustion list reordered, however i'm not opposed to the proposed system.

However my main gripe is how slow exhaustion is to recover. I personally would prefer maybe half hp healed on a long rest but all exhaustion is healed. On a short rest 1 exhaustion point is healed.

I feel that how long it takes it takes to recover impacts play a lot more than the penalties. If I know that i'll have disadvantage on attack rolls if i push on, but i know i need to just make it out of the valley and then i can sleep and be functional again, it might just be worth the risk. And as a DM I can feel less mean by hitting players with exhaustion if i k ow they can bounce back quickly from it.

 

[cbwjm]

I don't think the new system is any better than the last, players still won't really engage with it because they are averse to any kind of penalty. So in that respect, I think this system will have about as much impact as the current one, any level of exhaustion will cause the players to look for an area to take a break so that they can recover.

 

[Uni-the-Unicorn!]

Would a solution to the harshness of the existing system be to remove on level of exhaustion on a short rest instead of a long rest?

 

[Fifth Element]

Obviously I can't dispute your findings at your table... but those are quite a bit different than what I see at my own

It's like different groups approach the game differently, explaining why some posters claim something in the game is completely broken while others think it works just fine.

 

[kigmatzomat]

Really? Speed halved? That's the infirmity that shut heroes down? That's an opinion that is surprising to me.

We would never willingly take that kind of penalty. I want the new version to have a bit more flavor than it does but we've never gone over Exhaustion:1 without a vampire attack or the like.

Movement in our games is vital. More than half of our group have chosen optional class features or feats that improve movement. I would say all our biggest fights required taking dash actions or other movement boosts and that doesn't include the running combats and chases that covered hundreds of feet.

I could see adding -5ft movement to odd levels (1,3,5,7,9) for that slow degradation.

 

[Dausuul]

I prefer a the current exhaustion list reordered, however i'm not opposed to the proposed system.

However my main gripe is how slow exhaustion is to recover. I personally would prefer maybe half hp healed on a long rest but all exhaustion is healed. On a short rest 1 exhaustion point is healed.

I very much disagree. D&D really suffers from being unable to have consequences that persist longer than 24 hours. Overland travel is a good example of something that tends to get handwaved away because of this.

You can, of course, adopt something like the "gritty rests" variant in the DMG, but that is a sledgehammer solution with a host of side effects. The new exhaustion is a natural fit for the exploration pillar, and could also support a lot of other uses, without throwing combat out of whack.

 

[Vaalingrade]

Would a solution to the harshness of the existing system be to remove on level of exhaustion on a short rest instead of a long rest?

One level on short, all on long seems about right.

This doesn't really 'fix' exploration for me as there's really not much to exploration aside from a list of punishments and penalties for trying to leave town.

 

[Uni-the-Unicorn!]

One level on short, all on long seems about right.

This doesn't really 'fix' exploration for me as there's really not much to exploration aside from a list of punishments and penalties for trying to leave town.

Yes, I don’t see exhaustion mechanics as a fix for exploration

 

[Baron Opal II]

Would a solution to the harshness of the existing system be to remove on level of exhaustion on a short rest instead of a long rest?

No, unless it is acceptable to have all levels of exhaustion removed on a long rest. Which then obviates exhaustion, you might as well just make it a -2 penalty with some hp damage. There isn't any rule or guidance on how many short rests you can take each day, as far as I know.