Variant Rest Rules

The DMG offers variant resting rules that change the pacing and resource management of the game.

• Short rest: 8 hours (overnight)
• Long rest: 7 days of downtime in a safe location

Effect on gameplay: Resources recover much more slowly. Spell slots, class features, and HP recovery are dramatically reduced between encounters. This variant:

• Makes every encounter more dangerous and meaningful
• Increases the value of short-rest classes (Warlock, Fighter, Monk) relative to long-rest classes
• Works well for low-magic, survival-focused, or political campaigns
• Makes healing potions and healer's kits much more valuable
• Can frustrate players who enjoy frequent spellcasting

• Short rest: 5 minutes
• Long rest: 1 hour

Effect on gameplay: Resources recover extremely quickly. Characters can nova (use all resources) in nearly every encounter because rests are trivially fast. This variant:

• Works for high-action campaigns with many encounters per day
• Makes every character feel powerful in every fight
• Reduces the value of resource conservation as a tactical skill
• Can make the game feel less challenging if encounters aren't individually dangerous

The standard rest rules assume 6-8 encounters per long rest. If the campaign features fewer encounters per day (1-2 big fights), Gritty Realism helps balance resource expenditure. If the campaign features many quick encounters, Epic Heroism keeps the pace moving. Most tables use the default rules, which balance well for 2-4 encounters per long rest with 1-2 short rests.