Itemized Safe Rests

SSanityWithIn

Nimbles GM facing safe rests are a great way to limit recovery and keep stakes high even on longer stretches of ingame time. Sometimes it might be hard to place believable safe rest spots in the world, for example when doing wilderness exploration.

Design Goals:

  • Provide even more flexibility for safe resting
  • Play nicely as add-on to the existing rules instead of being a replacement
  • Give players a bit of agency back, when it comes to resting (while still remaining limited and predictable enough for the gm to plan around)

How does it work? Here are a two of many possible variants (also check the gm guide p20. for the secret Spell Hearth & Home):

Camping Supplies

Effect: Can be used to upgrade a Make Camp Field Rest to a safe Rest.

Item Slots: 2+2 per Hero

Uses: 1

Flavor wise Camping Supplies enhance the quality of your rest and usually contain things like premium food, a relaxing bath, a bit of entertainment etc. Involve your players when thinking about what kind of amenities make sense. Optionally upgrading to a safe rest might cost extra time as well.

Ritual of Replenishment

Necrotic School - Secret Utility Spell

Casting time: 1 hour of precise uninterrupted incantation

Effect: Every person participating in the ritual gains the benefit of a safe rest

Flavor wise the replenishment comes from transferring life force. Too much to be supplied by the caster. Usually the life force is supplied by rare magical materials (e.g. life crystals) or bound into the scroll as part of a contract with powerful beings.

Honorable Mention:

Availability & Pricing: Completely depends on the game you run, the ritual should be a lot more pricey than the Camping Supplies as it is much less restricted.

Rough Pricing : The Camping Supplies could be the lower end of the price of a magical item of the respective level range (See gmguide p39.) The Ritual should probably be priced on the middle to higher end of the price of a magical item of the respective level range.

Augments

Safe Rests

Safe Rests take place in a safe location designated by your GM, typically lodging at an inn overnight—but could also be at a secret oasis, a well-stocked cabin in the woods, near a sacred shrine, or the like. Camping in the open wilderness or in a dungeon is not sufficient for gaining the benefits of a Safe Rest.

After a Safe Rest, heroes recover all of their HP, Hit Dice, mana (and other class-specific resources), and heal 1 Wound. Safe Rests are a great opportunity for downtime activities as well.