5.5E What would your ideal rest mechanic look like?

[overgeeked]

Question to everyone: If instead of looking for a "Rest Mechanic", we were looking for a "Recovery Mechanic". So it need not be tied to a period of inactivity but could be tied to other aspects. Then what would your favorite look like?

Favorite non-rest recovery?

I have two. One’s basically a short rest mechanic, but here goes anyway. In AD&D, to recover spells you had to rest and spend 15 minutes per spell level per spell to study, pray, and or meditate to memorize spells. Keep the study, maybe make it 15 minutes per character level in class appropriate activity, study, prayer, meditation, making music, crafting, etc. The other is to reverse the notion entirely. Instead of having resources you spend and track, start with your cantrips and 1st-level spells…then on each successive round of combat you gain access to higher level stuff. Round 2 you can use 2nd level spells. Etc. Powering up instead of resource tracking.

 

[Blue]

The other is to reverse the notion entirely. Instead of having resources you spend and track, start with your cantrips and 1st-level spells…then on each successive round of combat you gain access to higher level stuff. Round 2 you can use 2nd level spells. Etc. Powering up instead of resource tracking.

I like that from a combat flow mechanic. It's slightly similar to Sentinel RPG's GYRO mechanism.

But narratively how does it work when characters are expecting combat and know they need to "power up" like about to kick in a door or ambush someone, and how does it work outside combat where time isn't a factor?

 

[South by Southwest]

I don't have a specific stance on the ideal rest mechanic because I'm not a game designer and don't pretend to know and understand all the variables that play into this question. I admire the dedication and expertise of those who do, but I'm just not there. Accordingly, my only confident claim on this is that it'd be a lot less permissive/generous than 5e. That's it. Just something whereby 5.5/6e would feel less like a text-based version of Call of Duty and a bit more like the AD&D of yore.

What would that actually look like? Wish I knew.