Resting on the Run
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By Chris Fry
By Kyle Hunter
“After dispatching the ancient guardian, you find yourselves before a large door, one that obviously leads into the Inner Temple. The door creaks open, revealing…”
PC: “Hey, wait! We’re not going anywhere yet! That golem was tough, and we’ve got to replenish hit points and spells! We’re going to stop and rest here.”
“You’re going to stop and rest on the blood-soaked steps of a temple of Orcus? But you just arrived…”
PC: “Hey, it may be a little uncomfortable, but it’s only for eight hours…”
There’s no question that a party has the best chance of success when they are at their strongest, with maximum hit points and a full allotment of spells. Knowing this, most groups try to plan their movements so that they are fully rested and ready to go when it comes time to take on the biggest, meanest threats. The problem is that they usually don’t know what’s lurking around the next bend in the dungeon corridor. This can result in an overly cautious group of adventurers who would rather rest than take a chance at being unprepared for “just one more room.”
As a DM, you can’t always anticipate when or where your party is going to want to set up camp. While leaving the dungeon to rest is probably the safest option, no one wants to “give up ground” when fighting through an enemy stronghold, so parties often try to catch the requisite eight hours of rest wherever they are, despite the inhospitable, uncomfortable, and generally dangerous surroundings. With this in mind, here are a few optional rules to make your players work for their rest.
MAKING CAMP
Before hit points can be recovered and spells can be regained, the party must establish where they will be making camp. Some groups prefer to return to the closest cleared-out room, while others may be content just flopping down in the middle of the hallway where they just fought their latest battle. Dungeons are cramped, crowded, and not designed for the comfort and convenience of the loitering wanderer. Of course, a skilled adventurer knows how to make the most out of any situation.
When your party decides to stop and rest within the dungeon, have them make a Survival check to set up a suitable campsite. The base DC of this check should be 10, adjusted by the following:
Conditions
| Condition | Adjustment to Base DC |
|---|---|
| Per additional party member after the first | +2 |
| Inhospitable conditions (dampness, extreme temperatures, uneven ground, dangerous flora, etc.) | +2 |
| Area has been designed/modified for habitation by humanoid creatures (furniture, tapestries, rugs, firepits, etc.) | –4 |
Once the base DC is established, the skill check roll is adjusted by the following:
Factors
| Factor | Adjustment to Roll |
|---|---|
| Per additional party member that successfully assists | +2 |
| Familiarity with local area/terrain | +2 |
| Access to available stores and provisions (food, potable water, fuel) in the area | +2 |
| Party re-uses a previously successfully established campsite | +4 |
Keep in mind that other factors (level of illumination, fatigue, etc.) could affect the skill check. A character can search for no minutes to take 10 on the check, but normally cannot take 20 because there are consequences for failure.
Once the check is made, the quality of the campsite is determined based on the difference between the roll and the target number.
Missed by 5 or more: No place well suited for a camp can be found nearby. The party can still opt to stop and rest even after a blown skill check, but the benefits (if any) of such rest will be negligible. No hit points are regained for resting. Arcane spellcasters do not get enough uninterrupted rest to prepare new spells.
Missed by less than 5: The conditions or terrain prevents adequate rest. No hit points are regained for resting. Arcane spellcasters must make a DC 15 Concentration check to overcome the discomfort and get into the proper state of mind needed to prepare new spells.
Success: The party establishes a functional camp. While not the most comfortable or luxurious of rest sites, the characters manage to make the most of things and can get enough well-deserved rest (assuming nothing untoward happens during the time…). Hit points are regained after 8 hours of resting at a rate of 1 hp/level. Arcane spellcasters can prepare new spells.
Successful by +10 or more: Hit points are regained after 8 hours of resting at a rate of 1 hp/level. Arcane spellcasters can prepare spells as normal. In addition, the drain on the party’s stores (in the form of food, water, torches, fuel, etc.) is reduced by one half, reflecting the group’s ability to be more efficient and use resources at hand.
OTHER SUGGESTIONS, THREATS, AND OBSTACLES
Even with a successful camp established, stopping in the same place for several hours in a dungeon setting is a dangerous proposition. Here are some suggestions for making the rest break a little more interesting.
Wandering Monsters: The classic bane of camping in a dungeon, wandering creatures could be attracted to the light of a party’s campfire or the smell of a meal being prepared, or they might just happen upon a party that is camped along their patrol route. Alternatively, the remains from the party’s most recent battle could attract scavengers such as rats, carrion crawlers, or oozes. Intelligent foes should take the opportunity to size up the party’s strength, possibly waiting until most are asleep or otherwise distracted to attack. Or they could use the extra time to set up an ambush or get reinforcements.
Resetting Traps and Wards: A party may defeat traps and magical wards to win through an area, but in many cases those same traps and protections may be set to renew themselves after a period of time. Nothing is worse than realizing that you’ve spread your bedroll out over an electrified floor, or that the altar in the corner recharges its unholy power every four hours, or that the pieces of the stone golem are set to reassemble themselves six hours after its defeat.
Dangerous Ecologies: Dungeons, especially natural caverns, may contain dangers that are not readily apparent to the average adventurer. A cavern may be dry when the party decides to rest there, only to flood without warning with the incoming tide. Innocuous looking fungi may slowly release spores into the air that prove to be toxic over several hours. A horde of stirges or other vermin could use the chamber as a route when leaving for or returning from a hunt. If you use any of these options, be sure to allow the characters a chance to find a clue or notice some sign that the campsite may not be suitable for very long.
Keep in mind that the point is not to penalize your players for being cautious, but to encourage them to extend that same caution to non-combative encounters such as resting to recover and prepare. Asking the players to use their skills and take precautions in a dungeon makes things a little more realistic, and the occasional encounter with the unexpected makes something as straightforward as making camp a little more exciting and memorable.
