Rest restores HP, Stamina, and Injuries.
HP returns quickly.
Stamina returns more slowly.
Injuries require safety and care.
Wounds require true recovery.
Rest should be simple, but safety should matter.
A cold camp in the rain while wolves stalk the ridge is not the same as a bed in a warm inn.
The key distinction is not only time.
It is safety, shelter, and relief from danger.
Rest Type | Time | Recovery |
|---|---|---|
Short Rest | 10–30 minutes | Recover 50% HP and 1 Stamina |
Unsafe Long Rest | 6 hours | Recover all HP and Stamina equal to 1/3 maximum |
Safe Long Rest | 6 hours | Recover all HP, Stamina equal to 2/3 maximum, and 1 lesser Injury |
Respite | 24 hours | Recover all HP, all Stamina, and 2 Injuries |
Recovery cannot raise HP or Stamina above maximum.
When recovering a percentage or fraction, use the character’s current maximum HP or Stamina.
Round recovery up, minimum 1.
Maximum HP is based on the character’s current CON Ability Die.
Maximum HP = CON maximum + CON maximum
Maximum Stamina is also based on CON.
Maximum Stamina = CON maximum
CON Die | Maximum HP | Maximum Stamina |
d12 | 24 | 12 |
d10 | 20 | 10 |
d8 | 16 | 8 |
d6 | 12 | 6 |
If an Injury reduces CON, maximum HP and maximum Stamina are reduced immediately.
An Injury reduces one Ability Die by one step:
d12 → d10 → d8 → d6
A lesser Injury is an injured Ability that has not fallen to d6.
A Wound is an Ability reduced to d6.
A character may have several injured Abilities, but only one Ability may be at d6.
If an Injury would reduce a second Ability to d6, the character dies.
If an Injury would reduce an Ability already at d6, the character dies.
When a character recovers an Injury, one injured Ability Die steps up one step:
d6 → d8 → d10 → d12
An Ability Die cannot recover above its normal healthy rating.
If the character is Wounded, the Wound must recover first.
After the Wound is recovered, further recovery may be applied to other injured Abilities.
If no Ability is at d6, recover the worst remaining Injury unless the fiction points elsewhere.
A Wound does not recover naturally from a Long Rest.
Only a Respite can recover a Wound naturally.
A Safe Long Rest can recover a Wound only if the character receives meaningful aid.
Meaningful aid may include medicine, herbs, healing arts, prayer, sanctified care, magic, surgery, or removal of the source of harm.
If a character is Wounded and completes a Safe Long Rest without meaningful aid, they recover HP and Stamina but do not recover the Wound.
Because the Wound must recover first, they do not recover lesser Injuries during that rest.
A character may have only one Ability at d6.
If an Injury would reduce a second Ability to d6, the character dies.
If an Injury would reduce an Ability already at d6, the character dies.
A character with an Ability at d6 is Wounded and close to death.
A Short Rest is a brief pause of 10–30 minutes.
Characters may bind cuts, drink water, eat a little food, catch their breath, and steady their nerves.
After a Short Rest, recover:
HP equal to 50% maximum HP
1 Stamina
A character may benefit from only 1 Short Rest per phase.
A character may benefit from up to 3 Short Rests between Long Rests.
After the third Short Rest, further brief rests provide no recovery until the character completes a Long Rest.
A Short Rest is not sleep.
It is a breath stolen from danger.
A Long Rest requires 6 hours of sleep or deep rest.
A Long Rest may be Unsafe or Safe.
Light watches and quiet camp tasks are allowed.
Travel, combat, spellcasting, hard labor, or serious disturbance interrupts the rest.
A character may benefit from only 1 Long Rest in a 24-hour period.
Unsafe Long RestAn Unsafe Long Rest is sleep in a dangerous, exposed, or uncomfortable place. Examples include a dungeon room, roadside camp, wilderness camp, ruin, cave, battlefield, or hostile territory. After an Unsafe Long Rest, recover:
An Unsafe Long Rest does not recover Injuries or Wounds. If the rest is especially poor, cold, wet, exposed, haunted, watched, or disturbed, the Referee may reduce or deny recovery. A dungeon camp with a watch posted may allow an Unsafe Long Rest. It is not safe rest. | Safe Long RestA Safe Long Rest is sleep in a secure place. Examples include an inn, home, sanctuary, stronghold, friendly farm, defended camp, or trusted hall. After a Safe Long Rest, recover:
A Safe Long Rest does not naturally recover a Wound. A Safe Long Rest can recover a Wound only if meaningful aid is provided. A Safe Long Rest requires food, water, shelter, warmth, removal of armor, and no immediate threat. Safety matters. A locked door is not the same as peace. |
A Respite is true recovery.
It requires 24 hours of uninterrupted rest in a safe location.
After a Respite, recover:
all HP
all Stamina
2 Injuries
A Respite can recover a Wound naturally.
If the character is Wounded, the Wound must recover first.
A Respite requires no combat, no travel, no spellcasting, no strenuous activity, and real safety.
A Respite is also required for advancement.
A character may not gain Rank without Respite, training, reflection, or other meaningful downtime approved by the Referee.
When rest, travel, watches, or hardship matter, time is measured in phases.
A phase is roughly 6 hours.
There are usually four phases in a day:
Phase | Length |
Morning | 6 hours |
Afternoon | 6 hours |
Evening | 6 hours |
Night | 6 hours |
The Referee does not need to track phases exactly unless time matters.
A single stretch of rest grants only one rest benefit.
Use the best rest type that applies.
A Long Rest does not also grant Short Rest recovery.
A Respite does not also grant Long Rest or Short Rest recovery.
No double recovery.
A rest is interrupted by combat, travel, strenuous activity, spellcasting, serious disturbance, or being forced to flee.
An interrupted Long Rest becomes a Short Rest if at least 10–30 minutes of rest occurred.
An interrupted Respite becomes a Safe or Unsafe Long Rest only if at least 6 hours of rest occurred.
The Referee decides whether any benefit is gained.
If a character goes 24 hours without completing a Long Rest, they risk harm from fatigue and failing endurance.
For every additional 6 hours without a Long Rest, the danger increases.
The Referee may call for a CON + PRE or CON + CON Check.
On a failure, the character may lose Stamina, lose HP, suffer reduced recovery, or face another consequence from the fiction.
On a Fumble, the character may suffer an Injury to CON or PRE if the hardship is severe.
Completing a Long Rest resets this timer.