Baldur’s Gate 3 rest guide: when to take a short or long rest

Use a short rest when the party needs recovery between fights but still has enough important resources for the next encounter. Take a long rest when the party needs a fuller reset and the current situation allows you to return to camp safely. Resting is useful, but some events do advance after specific triggers; check what is happening around you before leaving.

This guide covers the base game without assuming mods. Resource recovery depends on class and ability. Difficulty and custom settings can change the supply requirement, so read the rest screen in your own save.

Short rest: recover between fights

Check the party's health and the resources your characters rely on. A short rest restores health and some class resources; it does not restore every spell slot or ability. For example, Warlock pact slots have a different recovery pattern from many ordinary spell slots. Inspect each character's resource tooltip to see what a short rest restores.

If your next fight is nearby and the party still has its important abilities, a short rest can be a useful first step. If the spellcasters' essential ordinary slots remain empty and the next encounter looks demanding, the short rest alone may not be enough. Check your remaining short rests on the interface rather than assuming they are unlimited.

Long rest: plan the full reset

When the party needs broader recovery, return to camp and start a long rest through the camp interface. The rest screen shows the required camp supplies. Select enough food or other supplies to meet the displayed requirement if you want a full rest. Explorer and Balanced commonly require 40 supply points, while Tactician commonly requires 80; custom settings can differ. Use the number shown in your save.

If you proceed without enough supplies, you take a partial rest instead, with reduced recovery. Read the screen before confirming, especially if the party is relying on restored spell slots for a difficult fight. Collect food and supplies while exploring rather than assuming every item has the same supply value.

Camp can also contain companion conversations and story events. Taking a long rest is not inherently a mistake; avoiding all rests can leave those interactions unseen and the party underprepared.

A full long rest restores both ordinary short-rest uses; a partial rest does not. If you rested without enough supplies and still have no short rests, gather supplies and complete a full long rest when it is safe. Some abilities can provide additional recovery.

Check urgent scenes before leaving

Different events have different triggers. A warning about entering a new area, the party approaching a scene, or a quest action may matter more than a simple number of rests. Do not assume every quest advances after one rest, or that every urgent-looking quest is safe indefinitely.

One concrete early example: after approaching the burning buildings at Waukeen's Rest, leaving for a long rest or fast travelling can cause trapped survivors to die. If you want to rescue them, handle the immediate scene before leaving. This example contains an early-game location spoiler; other quests have their own triggers.

Before a long rest, ask: are people in immediate danger, did a dialogue start an urgent rescue, or did the game warn about moving on? If unsure, make a manual save when possible, review the journal and the scene, then decide. A save does not replace understanding the consequences, but it gives you a way to reconsider.

Sources: bg3.wiki: camp supplies and partial rest · Time-sensitive activities and triggers · Resting