I've noticed that it's often hard for PCs to take a short rest, since doing so takes about an hour. Either things are too busy to rest at all, or they're quiet enough that they can just as well take a short rest. If my group had had access to rope trick, things might have been different, but they don't, and I don't think the intention is that a major game mechanic should require a specific spell.
But the game is set up with the expectation that PCs will be able to take two short rests per adventuring day. Certainly, not all days are created equal, but so far we've seen little ability to take short rests. This removes a major healing mechanic (using hit dice), and makes short-rest abilities (action surge, second wind, bardic inspiration, channel divinity, wild shape, arcane/natural recovery, ki, warlock casting) less useful. So, I want to make short rests a bit easier to come by.
At the same time, I don't want to go back to the 4e version of short rests (5 minutes) which made all short-rest resources "per encounter" resources. That makes them too useful. So my idea is instead that the first short rest each day takes 5 minutes. You're still fairly fresh, so you just need a quick breather to get rolling again. The second short rest would take 15 minutes - now you're getting winded and need a proper break and maybe a quick snack. The third and subsequent rests would take 1 hour each as normal - now you're getting worn out for real.
Anything I'm missing here and should account for?
But the game is set up with the expectation that PCs will be able to take two short rests per adventuring day. Certainly, not all days are created equal, but so far we've seen little ability to take short rests. This removes a major healing mechanic (using hit dice), and makes short-rest abilities (action surge, second wind, bardic inspiration, channel divinity, wild shape, arcane/natural recovery, ki, warlock casting) less useful. So, I want to make short rests a bit easier to come by.
At the same time, I don't want to go back to the 4e version of short rests (5 minutes) which made all short-rest resources "per encounter" resources. That makes them too useful. So my idea is instead that the first short rest each day takes 5 minutes. You're still fairly fresh, so you just need a quick breather to get rolling again. The second short rest would take 15 minutes - now you're getting winded and need a proper break and maybe a quick snack. The third and subsequent rests would take 1 hour each as normal - now you're getting worn out for real.
Anything I'm missing here and should account for?