D&D Short Rest Calculator

A short rest in D&D 5th Edition is a period of downtime, at least 1 hour long, during which characters can catch their breath, tend wounds, and recover some spent resources. Unlike a long rest (which restores nearly everything), a short rest is a tactical decision — you trade time for partial recovery.

Hit Dice: Your Short Rest Healing

Every character has a pool of hit dice equal to their level. The die type depends on class — a d12 for Barbarians, d10 for Fighters and Rangers, d8 for most classes, or d6 for Sorcerers and Wizards. During a short rest, you can spend any number of remaining hit dice to recover HP. For each die spent, roll it and add your Constitution modifier — that's how much HP you regain (minimum 1).

When to Take a Short Rest

The “adventuring day” in 5e is designed around 2–3 short rests between long rests. If your party has short-rest dependent classes like Warlocks (who regain all spell slots), Fighters (Action Surge, Second Wind), or Monks (all ki points), short rests are essential. Even classes without short rest features benefit from hit dice healing.

Hit Dice Recovery

You don't get all your hit dice back each day. After a long rest, you recover spent hit dice equal to half your total (minimum 1). A level 5 character recovers 2 hit dice on a long rest, so resource management across the day matters.

Short Rest vs. Long Rest Classes

Some classes are “short rest classes” — they recover their key resources on a short rest and are designed to perform consistently across multiple encounters. Warlocks get all spell slots back, Fighters recover Action Surge and Second Wind, Monks restore all ki points. Meanwhile, “long rest classes” like Wizards and Sorcerers rely on spell slots that only return on a long rest (though Wizards get partial recovery via Arcane Recovery during a short rest).