Threat Timer for 5e

Last week I wrote up the threat clock for Shadowdark. I made a tweak to the name - going from clock to timer - based on some feedback I received. Clock is a term popularized by the excellent Blades in the Dark, and timer does a better job of getting across what the mechanic actually does.

The Threat Timer in 5e

For 5e, I want the threat timer to add uncertainty by combining random encounter rolls and short rests. Here are the basic rules:

• Start a 10-minute timer when the session begins

• When it goes off, roll 6d6

  • For each 6, the party suffers a drawback

  • For each 1, the party gains a benefit

  • The party can gain both benefits and drawbacks from a single roll

  • When in doubt, apply the benefits first then the drawbacks

• Reset the timer

Benefits

Each 1 rolled grants the following benefits:

• Each character regains the use of one feature that they regain on a short rest

• Each character regains hit points equal to a roll of their hit die + their Con bonus + level

This benefit replaces short rests in the game. They are no longer an option, but long rests remain available. In return, characters have no limit on the number of hit dice they can spend each day. Healing for long rests becomes roll a number of HD equal to your level + your Con bonus * your level.

Drawbacks

The party has an encounter with monsters, or the equivalent, based on the number of 6s rolled:

• One: Easy encounter

• Two: Medium encounter

• Three: Hard encounter

• Four or more: Deadly encounter

Outside of a dungeon or dangerous location, the encounter could also serve as a complication of similar intensity. An NPC might arrive to harass the characters, the weather might turn awful and slow down their progress, and so on.

Why Do This?

This mechanic came about due to my experience with Shadowdark's torch timer. Putting the players under a one-hour timer pushed them to get a lot more done when we finally coordinated our schedules for a gaming session.

Time is our most precious resource. This mechanic underlines that by making the actual, real world time we spend on the game matter. You could spend 40 minutes arguing over which inn to stay at, or you could just make the decision and get on with things.

My experience is that players tend to come up with good plans in 5 minutes, then spend 30 additional minutes trying (and invariably failing) to turn that good plan into a great one. In the moment of play, we all too easily forget that actually getting six people around the table is the boss monster of all TTRPG campaigns. Those few hours are precious. Let's use them effectively!