How to use Short and Long Rest

In Baldur's Gate 3 (BG3), you can use short and long rest through the Rest button at the rightmost side of the Actions HUD. Read on to find out how to use short and long rest and the effects of both types.

How to Rest

How to Use Short Rest

How to Use Short Rest
Press Rest Button, then Choose Short Rest Can Only Short Rest Twice a Day

Press Rest Button, then Choose Short Rest

The Rest Button is the tiny round button with a campfire icon, located at the rightmost side of the Actions HUD at the bottom of the screen. Press the button outside of battle to show the menu showing the resting options.

To perform the short rest, press the Short Rest Button, which is the one with the closed eye icon. Note that you'll only be able to short rest if you still have a green dot below the eye.

Can Only Short Rest Twice a Day

You can typically only Short Rest twice in an in-game day. The amount of Short Rests you have is indicated by the green dots below the eye in the Short Rest button, and is also shown in the popup that appears when you hover the Short Rest button.

To make a day pass in the game and restore your Short Rests, you need to use a Long Rest.

There's actually another way to get another Short Rest charge: using a Bard's Song of Rest ability. This ability is able to be used once per Long Rest.

How to Use Long Rest

How to Use Long Rest
Press Rest Button, then Choose Long Rest Get the Effects of Full Rest with Enough Camp Supplies Use Partial Rest if You Don't Have Enough Supplies

Press Rest Button, then Choose Long Rest

The Rest Button is the round button with a campfire icon, located at the rightmost side of the Actions HUD at the bottom of the screen. Press the button outside of battle to show the menu showing the resting options.

To go to camp to do the long rest, press the Long Rest Button, which is the one with the moon icon. You'll be sent to camp; press the campfire or one of the bedrolls to bring up the Long Rest menu.

Get the Effects of Full Rest with Enough Camp Supplies

You can perform a Long Rest no matter what except for when you're in certain areas or near enemies. However, if you don't have 40 or more Camp Supplies, you won't be able to perform the Full Rest, and will miss out on some effects.

Camp Supplies is an item that automatically gives the required amount of 40, but the food items that you can collect in your journey can also be used as Camp Supplies as long as you have enough of them. To check your total Camp Supplies, hover over the Long Rest Button to show the Long Rest popup. The amount you have and the amount required (40) is shown below the Long Rest text.

Use Partial Rest if You Don't Have Enough Supplies

You can still press the Long Rest button if you don't have enough Camp Supplies, but when you proceed to rest in Camp, you won't be able to select the Long Rest button; the only button you can press is the Partial Rest. You'll miss out on some effects like restoring your Short Rests. If you have Camp Supplies, they won't get used up when you Partial Rest.

You can also use Partial Rest even if you have enough Camp Supplies; this can be sometimes useful if you just want to progress the days or just wanted to make your characters bond without using supplies.

Rest Effects

Short Rest Effects

Short Rest Effects
Restores Half of Max HP to Party Provides Benefits to Certain Classes

Restores Major Amount of HP to Party

Whenever you perform a Short Rest, all your party members will have their HP restored by a major amount, though usually not fully restored especially when they have very low HP.

Restores Skill and Spell Points

Doing a Short Rest also provides certain benefits, with some classes benefiting more than others. Warlocks are the most prominent, with their spell slots being restored every Short Rest.

Some classes get back other resources or uses of their abilities; make sure to examine the abilities of your characters by hovering over them. Some classes don't get benefits from Short Rests at all (aside from the HP restoration).

Long Rest Effects

Long Rest Effects
Advances Journey to Next Day Allows You to Bond with Party Members Consume Supplies to Fully Restore HP and Abilities Restores Short Rest Charges

Advances Journey to Next Day

Upon pressing Long Rest, your party will set up camp and prepare to rest for the night. You can finally Long Rest by pressing one of the bed rolls or the campfire, progressing to the next day.

Note that progressing to the next day has certain consequences. Some quests are time sensitive and will fail after you use a certain amount of Long Rests. Be careful not to use it too often especially if you have rescue missions to do!

Allows You to Bond with Party Members

During the camp portion of the Long Rest, you can make your character chat and bond with party members. There are more chatting options in camp compared to outside of camp. These conversations can potentially lead to romantic dialogue when you've bonded enough with the characters.

You'll miss out on a lot of conversations if you don't take long rests.

Consume Camp Supplies to Fully Restore HP and Abilities

When you opt to consume Camp Supplies by doing a Long Rest, you'll be able to get the full effects of a Long Rest. All the HP of your party members will be restored to the maximum, and all ability uses will be replenished.

However, when you opt to Partial Rest, the HP restored will only be half of the maximum HP, same as the effects of a Short Rest. Ability resources such as spell slots will also only recover half instead of full.

Restores Short Rest Charges

A Long Rest will restore your Short Rest charges back to the full amount of two. This is only available by consuming Camp Supplies; a Partial Rest will not restore these charges.

Baldur's Gate 3 Related Guides

Baldur's Gate 3 Beginner's Guide