Troubles with players.

[Amaroq]

They are level 3 now, and I use level 3-5 encounters. I have never used something beyond their level+2.

Seriously?

My last session involved Level 1 characters - after a full session the previous time, they had had no time for more than a 5-minute rest, and were getting tired enough that they needed to make Endurance checks or suffer potential negative consequences ... but things are moving too fast for them to rest.

Their encounters - for a party of 4, with no rest - were:

650 xp - 2 L2 Skirmisher, 2 L1 Soldier, 8 L1 Minion
750 xp - 3 L2 Skirmisher, 3 L2 Artillery
725 xp - 1 L5 Brute, 1 L3 Skirmisher, 3 L2 Skirmisher
750 xp - 1 Elite L3 Skirmisher, 2 L3 Soldier, 6 L1 Minion
(550 xp - 1 L5 Obstalce, 2 L4 Soldiers
+625 xp - 1 L4 Controller, 1 L3 Controller, 2 L2 Skirmisher, 6 L1 Minion
+ even worse deeper into the battle)

PC's goal is simply to get past the L5 Obstacle in the final encounter, before the Shaman (L4 Controller) does, without getting caught.

a.) If they stand and fight, they face basically "every remaining encounter at once"
b.) If they hide and sleep, the Shaman gets the McGuffin
c.) They can gain XP for successfuly avoiding enemies, not just defeating them.

The L5 Obstacle challenges them to get past it before the reinforcements arrive (reinforcements arrive staggered) to make the "fight" portion desperate.

The party was allowed the benefits of 5-minute-rests between encounters, and was allowed to level up and regain 2 healing surges between encounter 3 and encounter 4.

That made the day's script:

Level + 2.5
Level + 3
Level + 3
Level + 2.5
Level + 4

All with no extended rest .. plus chances of Surprise, negative terrain, penalties from failed Endurance checks, the works.

The result?

The party made it to the final encounter, got past the L5 Obstacle with all four PC's standing, and got the doors shut to bar the surviving bad guys outside - except for the L4 Controller, who took multiple Opportunity Attacks to get in with them. He got lucky, dropping two of the party members who still had healing surges left to exactly zero hit points, but the other two took him down with scant hit points to spare.

.....

Why am I describing this? Not because I recommend pushing your group that far, but just to point out just how much you're coddling your group if you're afraid to go past Level + 2 and you let them sleep every thirty seconds.

 

[Obryn]

What have they said when you've talked with them about this? Do they seem to care that you're not enjoying yourself?

-O

 

[Amaroq]

I thought of another couple ideas:

1. Give 'em a number of magic items that buff up after milestones reached, e.g., Meliorating Armor +1 (becomes +2 after one milestone, +3 after a second, etc.), or the Lifegiving Plate (heals 20-N hit points, where N is your number of remaining healing surges).

2. Don't give them a "free" Action Point after an extended rest. Use Action Points solely to encourage them to "fight on", maybe after encounters 1, 3, 5, etc. Extended rest re-sets A.P. back to zero.

3. Re-set dailies only at the end of each session .. regardless of when they take an extended rest.

 

[ricardo440]

It was said already but I think it is really important for your group.

You have to wait 12 hours before you can take another extended rest (PHB pg. 263).

also if they don't care about the NPCs then put THEM on the line.
Villain swears vengence.
Will kill PCs if he gets to maguffin and performs ritual before them...

What I mean is make it personal. They have something on the line.

e.g. the king siezes them. Takes their favourite thingy and holds it to ransome "clear out the dungeon of multiple encounters and milestones in 2 days and you can have your shiney back"

Or link all treasure to quest completion. Not monster slaying.

Have another group of NPCs beat them to the treasure while they are snoozing. Again those NPCs could make it personal.

 

[RigaMortus2]

Ugh, couple of things here people to help clarify the whole Extended Rest issue.

There is NO SUCH THING as being able to take an Extended Rest every 30 seconds, or after every encounter (unless there is a 12 hour gap between each encounter).

Page 263 of PHB
Under EXTENDED REST
Once per Day: After you finish an extended rest, you have to wait 12 hours before you can begin another one.

Secondly (and this is actually beneficial to your players), just because they are taking an Extended Rest does not mean they have to be sleeping. Which also means they can lounge around in their heavy armor if they wanted to, and they can act quicker if attacked during such a rest.

Again on PAGE 263 of PHB, under (surprise, surprise) the EXTENDED REST section...
No Strenuous Activity: You normally sleep during an extended rest, though you don’t have to. You can engage in light activity that doesn’t require much
exertion.

Lastly, it is perfectly "legal" to use Second Wind outside of combat, multiple times. In fact, it is encouraged. You can only use Second Wind once per Encounter OR once per Short Rest (once every 5 minutes). It is more beneficial if you have a Leader type that can Heal you, as you'll get more HPs back faster. The Leader can substitute their Heal in place of your Second Wind (in fact, you can actually do both at the same time).

Page 291 PHB, located under (surprise, surprise):
SECOND WIND
Once per Encounter: You can use your second wind once per encounter and can use it again after you take a short rest or an extended rest. Some powers (either yours or another character’s) allow you to spend healing surges without using your second wind.

These are the basic rules right in the core PHB. Not sure why you would even think you should allow Extended Rests after every encounter. Or why we would assume the party is "sleeping" during an Extended Rest. Or why you feel it is a BadThing(TM) to allow Second Wind outside of combat, when it is specifically called out that you can? This isn't just directed to the OP, but other posters that seemed to have missed these points....

Just saying...

 

[Nytmare]

There is NO SUCH THING as being able to take an Extended Rest every 30 seconds, or after every encounter (unless there is a 12 hour gap between each encounter).

For the record, as (I think) the only person to mention the whole 30 seconds thing, I thought that was exactly what the OP was saying that they were doing.

Open door, get in fight, camp out for 18+ hours (of which at least 6 must be spent asleep), open next door, wash, rinse, repeat.

 

[UngeheuerLich]

Didn´t hear anything about washing from the OP...

Actually i believe your players don´t want to play an RPG... they want to play a fantasy board game with cusumizable armies...

and D&D does it well... you can play perfectly without roleplaying...

if it is not what you want as DM, stop DMing... or search yourself a different group...

A good way to play for your group could be making up some encounters, some "quest cards" and some dungeon tiles and just run some battles...

 

[Ryujin]

Lastly, it is perfectly "legal" to use Second Wind outside of combat, multiple times. In fact, it is encouraged. You can only use Second Wind once per Encounter OR once per Short Rest (once every 5 minutes). It is more beneficial if you have a Leader type that can Heal you, as you'll get more HPs back faster. The Leader can substitute their Heal in place of your Second Wind (in fact, you can actually do both at the same time).

This is completely superfluous, as you can spend as many healing surges as you like after a short rest. The only reason to use Second Wind, out of combat, would be if you have a bonus to hit points gained.