Quote Originally Posted by Psyren View Post
I think I'm missing something - I don't see how "there's a time limit so you can't stop for an hour" somehow "encourage 5 minutes of adventure and then resting for 8 hours. The whole point of having a timed plot is to discourage both approaches.
If there's time for a long rest, there's time for a short rest. I am stating it for clarity, not because I think you don't know it.

If the DM is denying access to a long rest, he might not be denying access to a short rest. Either intentionally or just by letting the dice fall where they may regarding the timing of whatever is creating time pressure. Of course, there may be time for neither. It is unusual, but actual time pressure that isn't "go go go right now" can do that.

I see where you're coming from: if players are pacing out their LR powers they can use more often than SR powers, they may have some left when they get to that boss fight with no time for any rests at all. The trouble is, if they can pace that out, they can also pace out their SR powers. Further, I don't find the increased pressure to have 5-minute adventuring days that the pure-LR model that WotC is pushing towards with everything becoming more uses/long rest worth the rare times when a boss fight has zero chance to rest before it being left with those players who wisely kept some LR powers rather than nova-ing but where SR players would have blown everything already.

...that's a mess, but I'm tired enough I can't figure out how to word it better.

Anyway. The trouble with WotC's approach is that it doesn't solve most of the problems it wants to, and what little help it gives to your very specific scenario is overshadowed by the preponderance of 5-minute adventuring days it encourages coupled to the fact that players are encouraged by the way this trains them to have nova'd away their LR resources, anyway, making the boss fight impossible (and forcing the DM's hand to grant them a LR for the sake of the fight being "fair," or ending his campaign with a downer ending because the way the rules trained them to play didn't work in his big boss encounter).

Your suggestion of SRs restoring an LR bloc of resources is...something with potential. But I still prefer there actually be SR classes, as well. Give them some amount of LR "deeper well" of resources, perhaps, too, but don't eliminate the SR design space.

Besides, those scrolls of catnap or energy drink potions or whatever can serve for those clutch moments when you NEED a short rest but have only 2 minutes.