D&D 5E What is a Short Rest vs a Long Rest?

[Slit518]

First, let me start by saying, "Yes, I know what they are mechanically."

But, what does it mean in-game terms?

For me, I see it this way (we will use real world time to make the explanation easier and more universal),
we will say for the sake of argument, the average adventuring day is 12-16 hours long, for example 8am to 8pm/12am.

A Long Rest is the end of an adventuring day, typically. It consists of such mundane tasks as maintaining weapons & armor, going to the bathroom, sleeping, and eating breakfast.

A Short Rest (there is a reason there are normally 2 recommended in a day) is a small break to relax, do the mundane tasks of maintaining weapons & armor, going to the bathroom, and having either lunch at 12pm or dinner at 5pm.

So, for example, an adventuring day timeline may look like this:
Wake up at 7am, make & eat breakfast, get ready for day.
Break down camp and head out at 8am.

Adventure from 8am to 12pm.
Break for lunch aka a Short Rest from 12pm to 1pm.

Adventure from 1pm to 5pm.
Break for dinner aka a Short Rest from 5pm to 6pm.

Adventure from 6pm to Long Rest (anywhere from 8pm for a short day to 12am for a long day).
Wake up at 7am to have breakfast and finish a Long Rest to start adventuring for 8am.

Obviously the timelines don't have to be THIS ridged, and won't be. This is just an example of what a Short Rest is (in my opinion, of course, because I wrote this thread).

So, please be kind to your Short Rest powered classes, not only do they need their powers back, but, your characters most likely need lunch and dinner.
Just imagine working a double shift without 1 break!

 

[DEFCON 1]

The issue that comes up with Short Rests more often than not isn't that parties aren't getting a chance to take a Short Rest... it's that the way the story is playing out the group doesn't need to take a Short Rest because that's the only combat of the day.

The only times Short Rests really become necessary are under very specific adventuring scenarios... usually dungeon crawls or overland hikes (that are like dungeon crawls in disguise.) Scenarios where the expectation is to have the prototypical "6 to 8 encounter per day". But those adventures for a lot of groups do not occur all the time-- oftentimes a dungeon crawl of that sort might be only one of like ten different "adventures" or "encounters" or "stories" the party will hit. Everything else is a lot of time spent wandering cities or wandering wilderness, socializing, exploring, researching, relaxing so on and so forth. And when you have that... you might not have any combat whatsoever. Which makes Short Rests unnecessary.

 

[pming]

Hiya!

First, let me start by saying, "Yes, I know what they are mechanically."

But, what does it mean in-game terms?

Short Rest: "About an hour or so of cat-napping, sitting around a fire waiting for the rice and beans to cook, having a drink and a pipe, cleaning of weapons/armour, feeding the horses, etc". Basically, just causal, slow, non-exerting, non-mentally demanding tasks. For about an hour. (My House Rule: I roll 1d4 to 1d12 [depends on how long ago the last rest was] and multiply that by 10; add this to 30...that's how many actual minutes everyone Short Rests)

Long Rest: "A good nights sleep. Actual sleep, in a relatively safe and comfortable location. Involves all the pre and post sleep routines...change of clothes, hygiene tasks, minor repairs on clothes/equipment, full meal in your belly". Basically, a full on 'just got home from a hard days work' routine. (My House Rule: Pretty much as above, but with an additional modifier based on how safe and comfortable everyone is; rotting furs on a cold, wet cave floor with a dead ogre 15' away...gonna be some penalties; safe at your own home with your wife/husband and children/friends taking care of you as you rest and recover...gonna be some bonuses).

^_^

Paul L. Ming

 

[Flamestrike]

An adventuring day is not necessarily a 'day'.

It's the arbitrary amount of time between long rest recharges of abilities.

Using Gritty realism, an adventuring 'day' could be a month or more.

 

[jmartkdr2]

I usually liken a short rest to a meal break - enough time to cook and eat a meal.

A long rest is enough time and comfort to sleep. Even if the pc's don't sleep, if they wouldn't be able to sleep there they can't long rest there.

 

[auburn2]

An adventuring day is not necessarily a 'day'.

It's the arbitrary amount of time between long rest recharges of abilities.

Using Gritty realism, an adventuring 'day' could be a month or more.

I believe it is a minimum of 24 hours though. I don't have my books with me but I believe characters can only benefit from a long rest once in 24 hours.

You could go a month without a long rest, towards the end you would be as frendly as a hornet though. In a real life comparison people in BUDS (SEAL school) and Ranger School go a week or more without anything that would qualify as a long rest.

 

[Yardiff]

By the book, Short Rest is At Least an hour and Long Rest is At Least 8 hrs.

 

[Weiley31]

I always thought a Long Rest was at least 8 Hours.

When it comes to the variant Short Rest Rules, I always pictured the PC whipping out a water bottle and taking a quick swig with a one moment hand gesture up.

 

[jgsugden]

Short Rest = Take a break for breakfast, lunch or dinner.

Long Rest = Goodnight.

 

[jgsugden]

An adventuring day is not necessarily a 'day'.

It's the arbitrary amount of time between long rest recharges of abilities...

Not entirely arbitrary. PHB, pg 186:

A character can't benefit from more than one long rest in a 24-hour period, and a character must have at least 1 hit point at the start of the rest to gain its benefits.

There are multiple ways to interpret this rule, but generally speaking, I allow them to get the benefits once per sunrise.