1. Notes

Short & Long Rests

Rules

A short rest takes 8 hours of sleep (4 hours with Elven Trance) and a ration. A short rest removes 1 level of Exhaustion and allows you to roll Hit Dice.

A long rest takes 4 days of rest (and 4 rations), during which a character sleeps, meditates, or performs light activity: reading, talking or eating. A long rest restores all HP, all Hit Dice and all levels of exhaustion.

“It's a dangerous business, Frodo, going out your door. You step onto the road, and if you don't keep your feet, there's no knowing where you might be swept off to.”

Traveling is a dangerous activity. You cannot travel during your Long Rest. If you're out in the wilderness, you would make camp at a safe spot and stay there for 4 days. If you're out at sea, you would find a deserted island to drop anchor for 4 days, etc.

Basically: any form of travel that would otherwise involve random encounters and such, prevents Long Rests (or more specifically - runs the risk of your Long Rest being interrupted, and the need to start the 4 day period over again.

Note that Long Resting means very little activity; foraging and hunting are activities that can invoke random encounters, so it's safer to Long Rest with 4 days worth of supplies (from your Adventuring Gear, for instance).

Long Resting implies being comfortable to some degree, to rest body and mind. This means not wearing armor - further increasing the need for some measure of security and safety, as putting on one's armor takes time.

If the rest is interrupted by a period of strenuous activity—at least 1 hour of walking, Fighting, casting Spells, or similar Adventuring activity—the Characters must begin the rest again to gain any benefit from it. A character receives all benefits of a Long Rest once it's fully completed.

Exceptions & Variations

Specific spells, locations or magic effects might reduce the length of Short- or Long Rests.

Short Rest

A short rest is a period of downtime, at least 1 hour long, in which characters sit down to perform a few basic tasks—such as eating, drinking, and treating wounds.

During a short rest you can spend hit dice, bind your injuries, and consume some essential supplies—but anything more intensive will require you to settle down and set up camp for a longer stay.

  • Spend your hit dice to recover lost hit points. If you are Bloodied (below 50% HP), you will need to use a First-Aid Kit - or similar medical supplies - to spend any hit dice.
  • You regain relevant class/racial features
  • You can spend your time researching, reading or investigating something within reach, such as a book, a strangely carved monolith or an unidentified magic item.

Setting Up Camp

If you decide to rest for a prolonged period of time—or need to perform some complicated tasks—it's time to set up camp. Find a secure site, start a campfire, pitch your tents, and secure any animals, vehicles, or cargo.

  1. Make Camp: Make Camping checks to see how well you set up camp—the more successes you have, the nicer your campsite is.
  2. Nominate the Lookout: The lookout is in charge of camp defense, keeping watch for any threats.
  3. Perform Camp Activities: Each party member (who is not on lookout duty) can perform one primary camp-related activity in addition to any other basic short rest activities.
  4. Sleep: Try to get some rest for a few hours.
  5. Pack Up: Pack up camp and prepare to move on.

Making Camp

To make camp, each party member must roll a Camping check—a Strength/Intelligence/Wisdom (Survival) ability check—against a target DC (see the Camping DC table) as they each try to help set up the campsite.

The more successes the party has, the more thoroughly they prepare the final campsite—making it easier to defend, rest, and perform other camp activities.

Camping Check DC

  • DC 10: Safe, dry land is easy to find, weather is clear.

  • DC 15: A campsite requires effort to find / there's bad weather, like rain, light snow or heavy fog etc.

  • DC 20: It's hard to find a safe campsite / the weather is terrible (heavy rain, fierce storm, howling wind).

Camping Results

  • 0 Failures: A perfect campsite. Activity checks are DC 5.

  • 1 Failure: A decent campsite with one glaring flaw. Activity checks are DC 10.

  • 2 or more Failures: A shoddy campsite just barely fit for purpose. Activity checks are DC 15.

Camping Equipment

It's hard to set up camp if you're relying on nature alone to provide you with shelter and comfort. If you don't have any appropriate camping equipment—such as a bedroll or tent—roll your Camping check with disadvantage.

Some equipment, such as a two-person tent, may count as camping gear for multiple people—if they're willing to share.

The Lookout

It's a big risk to set up camp without appointing someone to watch out for any would-be intruders. A lookout is in charge of camp security and keeps an eye out for potential threats.

If you are the lookout, roll an Intelligence (Survival) check to see how well you secure the camp against potential dangers. If you have any tools, equipment, or magic that might help—traps, bells, the Alarm spell—you may roll your check with advantage.

  • Success: You noted some weak spots in the camp's defense and secured them.

  • Failure: You made a bad job of securing the camp. You have disadvantage on perception checks against any would-be intruders while camping.

Camp Activities

While camping, you can perform one primary activity (in addition to the normal basic activities) before you sleep. Below are listed some example activities. Keep in mind that this all uses the Activity DC.

Regaining Hit Dice

Some campsite activities can allow you to regain expended hit dice. These activities stack with each other—if you eat a hot meal, drink a restorative, and get a good nights sleep, you can regain 3 expended hit dice in total.

  • Cook food

  • Brew drinks

  • Play music

  • Tell a story

  • Craft an item

  • Play a game

  • Relax in solitude

Cook Food

If you know how to cook and have the right supplies, you can prepare a meal for the group. This requires use of a campfire and cooking tools. Expend one use of your cooking supplies to attempt one of the following actions:

  • Create rations: You slow-cook and preserve some fresh ingredients—usually meat or grains—to create 1d4 + 1 new, basic food rations that can be preserved.

  • Stretch rations: You thin out some basic rations into a simple meal, feeding two people for each ration you cook. If cooked successfully, everyone who eats gains 1d4 + 1 hit points (max. once per day).

  • Cook a hot meal: You cook a hot meal for everyone, using one ration—or ration substitute—per person. If cooked successfully, everyone who eats the hot meal regains 1 spent hit die (max. once per day).

Before you serve the meal, roll a Wisdom (Survival) check to see how well you prepared everything. Meals spoil after an hour, losing any restorative properties.

  • Success: The meal is well made.

  • Failure: You spoiled the meal and wasted the ingredients—no one can eat your cooking.

Brew Drinks

If you know how to brew drinks and have the right supplies, you can prepare some for the group. This requires a campfire and brewer's kit. Expend one use of your brewing supplies to try one of the following actions:

  • Create rations: You distill some impure water overnight to create 1d4 + 1 new, drinkable rations.

  • Brew a balm: With a few herbs you turn some basic water rations into a delicious, soothing drink—one ration per two drinks. Everyone who drinks a fresh balm gains 1d4 + 1 hit points (max. once per day).

  • Brew a restorative: You turn some basic water rations into a tasty, hot drink using one ration per drink. Everyone who drinks a fresh restorative regains 1 spent hit die (max. once per day).

Before you serve the drinks, roll a Wisdom (Survival) check to see how well you prepared everything. Your brews lose their restorative properties after an hour.

  • Success: The drinks are well made.

  • Failure: You spoiled the brew and wasted the ingredients—no one can stomach your drinks.

Play Music

If you know how to play an instrument, you can attempt to play some music for the group. Roll a Dexterity (Performance) check to see how well you play.

  • Success: You perform well and inspire one of your allies. Choose a party member other than yourself or the lookout—that character gains a point of inspiration.

  • Failure: You made an embarrassing mistake.

Tell a Story

People like to hear a good story. If you are proficient in Arcana, History, or Religion—or are carrying an interesting book—you can attempt to tell a captivating story to the group. Roll a Charisma (Performance) check.

  • Success: Your story is well told and inspires an ally. Choose a party member other than yourself or the lookout—that character gains a point of inspiration.

  • Failure: You made an embarrassing mistake.

Craft an Item

You can spend time crafting simple items—bandages, salves, arrows—if you have the right materials and appropriate crafting tools. Roll the appropriate check for your specific craft.

  • Success: You successfully craft your item.

  • Failure: You were unable to craft the item.

Play a Game

If you have a gaming set and know the rules, you can play a game to unwind. Anyone can join in—so long as they're not occupied with another activity—but at least one person playing must be proficient in the rules.

Everyone who plays can roll an Intelligence (Game) ability check—the highest roll wins.

  • Winner: You feel inspired—gain a point of inspiration.

  • Loser: You lost the game.

Relax in Solitude

If you prefer to spend some time alone—reading a book, meditating, painting—you can do so. Roll a Wisdom ability check to see if you are able to unwind.

  • Success: You feel inspired by your seclusion—gain a point of inspiration.

  • Failure: You couldn't relax as something—or someone—was irritating you too much.

Getting Some Sleep

Sometimes the best way to clear your mind is to shut it down for a while—rest is often the best medicine.

When you attempt to sleep, make a sleeping check (Constitution saving throw) against the Camping Activity DC—if you are sleeping in a bedroll or tent, you can make the roll with advantage.

  • Success: Your sleep was undisturbed. Regain 1 spent hit die (max. once per day).

  • Failure: You couldn't sleep well, waking up tired.

Trance

Some races don't sleep as others do—instead, they fall into a meditative state known as a Trance. In this state, your character is semi-conscious and only partially aware of their surroundings.

While you are in a trance, you have disadvantage on all Perception rolls. You may, however, roll your sleeping checks as normal.

Wearing Armor

Armor—while great for defense—does not make for comfortable sleeping attire. If you choose to keep your armor on while you sleep, you must roll your sleeping check with disadvantage.

The Lookout

While the lookout is on active guard duty, they can still make a sleeping check—simply assume that they find some time to have a quick nap whilst the other party members are still awake.

The lookout rolls their sleeping check with disadvantage, however—it's hard to feel completely refreshed after a night on watch.

Ambushed!

If an intruder approaches, the lookout rolls a Wisdom (Perception) check against the intruder's Stealth:

  • Success: The lookout is able to detect the intruders and, if they choose to, rouse the party with enough time for people to don light armor.

  • Failure: The lookout—and the rest of the party—are caught off-guard and surprised.