Baldur's Gate 3 has been a landmark project for Larian Studios. After six years in development and almost three in early access, players are more than ready to dive into the world of Faerun. Adapting rules from D&D Fifth Edition to a video game isn't a one-to-one process, but although Larian has tweaked a number of systems in Baldur's Gate 3, it's also managed to stay surprisingly true to the original.
One tabletop system that was changed by necessity in Baldur's Gate 3 is Resting, which simply wouldn't have worked in a CRPG in its tabletop form. While players still choose between taking Short Rests and Long Rests, just as they do in Fifth Edition, Larian has both added and removed conditions to simulate the restrictions that a DM would impose. Both Long Rests and Short Rests can be initiated with the campfire symbol button in the bottom right, allowing players to choose their Rest type and see how many Short Rests they have remaining.
Updated August 4, 2023, by John Higgs: This resting guide has been updated for the full release of Baldur's Gate 3, adding information on the new button that can be used to visit the Camp without performing a Long Rest.
Short Resting in Baldur's Gate 3
The Short Rest in Baldur's Gate 3 takes no time to perform but only allows characters to restore a portion of their HP and abilities. Some classes benefit more from Short Rests than others, which means that classes like the Warlock will want to Short Rest often. In total, Short Rests will restore/reset:
Class | Short Rest Benefit |
|---|---|
All | Hit points equal to half each character's maximum (rounded down) and all Weapon Actions |
Barbarian | The DC for Relentless Rage (11th Level) |
Bard | All uses of Bardic Inspiration (5th Level) |
Cleric | All Channel Divinity charges (2nd Level) |
Druid | Druids of the Land subclass recover a number of spell slots equal to half their level (rounded up). This only occurs on the first Short Rest of the day. (2nd Level) |
Fighter | Second Wind and Action Surge charges (2nd Level). Battle Master Fighters also recover their Superiority Die (3rd Level). |
Monk | All Ki Points |
Paladin | All Channel Oath charges |
Ranger | Nothing |
Rogue | Nothing |
Sorcerer | Wild Magic Sorcerers recover Tides of Chaos |
Warlock | All spell slots, subclass features, and some Eldritch Invocations |
Wizard | A number of spell slots equal to half their level (rounded up). This only occurs on the first Short Rest of the day. |
In Dungeons & Dragons Fifth Edition, players are limited to a number of Hit Dice equal to their level, which puts a limit on how much HP they can recover without a Long Rest. However, in Baldur's Gate 3, Hit Dice have been replaced by a more straightforward limit on Short Rests in total. Players can only Short Rest twice between each Long Rest, which incidentally is the ratio recommended for DMs in the Fifth Edition rules. The one exception is if the party has a Bard of at least second level, who can use their Song of Rest ability to provide an additional Short Rest per Long Rest.
Long Resting in Baldur's Gate 3
While Short Rests can help characters recover a little of their strength, they'll always need a Long Rest eventually. Long Rests are performed by using the Resting button to visit the Camp. These Rests can be considered a complete reset of a character's resources, restoring all their hit points, abilities, spells, and even some Baldur's Gate 3 item actions. In order to prevent players from overusing Long Rests to recover their resources between every fight, Baldur's Gate 3 applies some special limitations to the system.
Firstly, players can only perform a full Long Rest at the Camp if they have 40 Camp Supplies. Otherwise, they'll perform a Partial Long Rest, which only restores half the party's hit points and spell slots. All food and drink items in the party's inventory count toward Camp Supplies, with each individual item having a different value. The most valuable item in terms of Camp Supplies is the Supply Kit, which contains 40 Camp Supplies on its own, enough for a single Long Rest.
Alternatively, players can choose to Long Rest at an inn later in Baldur's Gate 3's story. This will avoid using Camp Supplies but will cost gold instead. Wherever they choose to rest, players should also be aware that some quests and events have time-sensitive elements. Long Resting too often may fail objectives or cause certain events to advance.
Companions at the Campsite
The Camp isn't only used for Resting. It's also an important place to catch up with Baldur's Gate 3's Companions. While at the Camp, players can interact with the NPCs who have joined their party to learn more about their personal stories and opinions.
In addition to these interactions, there are also many automatic events and conversations that can only occur while at the Camp. If players want to speak to their Companions but don't need to perform a Long Rest, there's a button in the Camp and Resting menu to return to the Camp without triggering a Rest.
The Baldur's Gate 3 Origin characters and Companions are a key part of the game's story. Players who want to fully develop their relationships should make sure to visit the Camp regularly. Interactions at the Camp can lead to anything from new quests to romance, giving players a reason to return beyond restoring their HP and resources.
Baldur's Gate 3 is available for PC. The PlayStation 5 version will be available on September 6, 2023. A version for Xbox Series X/S is still in development.