Questing Rest System

The is the Homebrew rest system which is a tweaked version of the Gritty Realism Resting system. The intent is to take a 'adventuring day' concept and slow it down to a 'quest' concept for low-encounter campaigns. The result is that players traverse the path to an objective, the objective encounter, and potentially the return trip as necessary on a single long rest, with camping being a short rest. Or phrased in another manner, the journey from a town, to the location, and back, is treated comparable to exploring a dungeon under the regular rest system. This is recommended for use in campaigns where a DM does not want to have numerous (effectively filler) encounters during a quest, and would rather limit encounters to key, story-relevant encounters, and encounters en-route to and from a destination.

NOTE: There is a measure of subjectivity in determining what qualifies as a long rest under this system. The DM should view long rest as a significant check point marking the end of a quest, as a turning point following a plot twist, or as a quest designed necessity where it would make sense. It is not intended to be something players 'game' or attempt to break.

Break: A period of idle, or low-activity, down-time that is at least a hour or so long. It allows character to use 1 hit dice per hour of a break to restore hit points.

Short rest: A short rest is a period of sleep (trance for elves), and functions as a typical short rest. When converting to this system, it is advised to adjust any magic items, exhaustion, and the more typical 'daily' based checks to this short rest system and treat as a 'daily' recharge, effect, recovery, etc..

NOTE: For my games, I usually move exhaustion to something recovered on short rests. Any magic items recharge on a daily system.

Long Rest: A long rest is achieved by characters having a day of no or low-intensity activity and then a night of rest all in a place of safety. A DM decides if the 'safety' condition and 'no or low-intensity activity' conditions have been met. It is possible for one character to fail one or both conditions and only receive a short rest while another character has received a long rest.

NOTE: It is advised that, when at a point where a long rest would be expected, the DM should warn a player when their character plans on either engaging in an activity that would prevent a long rest. It is also advised that a DM be clear in communicating if an area is a 'safe area' or not, especially if the players express interest in achieving a long rest.

LONG REST EXAMPLES: (Some sample scenarios which should illustrate long rests and short rests) SHORT REST EXAMPLES: COMPLICATED EXAMPLES:
 * The characters have either arrived in town in the morning, or have woken up after a short rest at the conclusion of a trip the previous day (either returning from a quest, or just on a long journey). They spend the day primarily shopping to stock up on supplies, engaging in RP, talking to NPCs, messing around, or just drinking. They go to bed that night, it should be a long rest.
 * The characters were tricked by a powerful NPC, but a nearby friendly town/village has sent forces as they caught wind of this plan. The forces help drive off the bad guy, and camp is established at that spot. The friendly forces being present can watch over/guard the characters. The next day, the friendly forces and characters exchange information, make plans for what to do next, and receive supplies from the friendly forces. They rest up that night before heading out. That should be a long rest.
 * The characters have a rough encounter, but have a rather high level. One character has access to the Magnificent Mansion spell. The characters spend the day resting in the mansion, and then sleep that night. At the end of the spell, it would count as a long rest.
 * The characters are low level, one has the Tiny Hut spell. They cast it to avoid ambushes at night. They then stay idle in the wilderness that day and have another night's rest with another Tiny Hut. This does not qualify as a long rest.
 * Why? Unless there are special circumstances, this would not be considered a 'safe' location, even if the characters spent the day with no or low-impact activities. In a more conceptual sense, it is also not a significant checkpoint.
 * The characters have made an enemy of the local thieves guild and there is information that they are active. Regardless of whether the players decide to take watch at night or not, it would not qualify as a long rest.
 * Why? While a town is typically a 'safe' place, conditions have been established that there is an active threat in the area.
 * The characters have spent the day shopping in a town, there are no known risks of danger. They rest that night, but a rival NPC from a character's backstory calls them out at night and a fight occurs. For that character is not a long rest, but for the other characters, it is a long rest.
 * Why? The character who got into a fight had their long rest interrupted by a conflict. The conflict negated the effects of a long rest. It is possible that it still counts as a short rest at the DMs discretion of whether the contents of that late night event interrupted whether it was a 'rest' of any length.
 * It is advised that if a DM has plans for this sort of occurrence they be aware of what the characters will have just finished doing or may have to do after in the interest of maintaining balance as expected of the campaign.
 * The characters stay with a tribe in the wilds and the tribe is neither friendly nor overtly hostile. There are two choices now. The characters could keep watch in case the tribe has something planned at night. Or they could trust the tribe and just take it as a rest.
 * If they keep watch, I would then state that it indicates the party does not view it as a safe location and consequently it would not be a long rest.
 * If they trust the tribe, then the DM would need to determine if the scenario was sufficiently 'safe'. However, if the DMs intention is to treat this as a long rest before a larger upcoming conflict, then informing the players of your intentions 'Your characters, while wary, feel like they will be safe, at least in the immediate future with these tribes people and this will end up being a long rest' is advised.