>>43784547
Make the encounters worthy of their caution.

>>43784978

But that, at least to me, seems somewhat suboptimal.

I mean, a very classic part of general strategy in RPGs is conservation and expenditure of your temporary resources, your spells and energy abilities.

If I follow your suggestion, and have no time constraints, and one really really tough opponent/encounter every 2-3 days, you completely obviate the entire principle. Every time you fight, you go all out and then run away and hide, which still leaves tactical considerations, but no real strategic ones.

>>43785072
It sounds like the system is too forgiving and gives them a bit too much agency, try a different system that doesn't allow them to go "full retard" mode like they have been in this game and pretty much makes every combat the same whether they prepare weeks or are only slightly off guard where the bonus/malus of each doesn't turn the fights either way for the most part

Have them chased by NPCs, FTL style

Change the system and the time of game. These guys don't seem to want to play the kind of game you're running - find a different system, one that rewards careful planning then ridiculous overkill.

Maybe not this exactly, but a party full of D&D casters would play like that - carefully prepare, then an overwhelming strike. Having them facing OTHER wizards, who will fuck their shit up if they screw it up at all.

Or do shadowrun? Not sure here. Other option is have a game or setting in which the enemy comes to them, make it so they can't just retreat and rest at will.

>>43784547
Have them walk into a labyrinth of sorts, make them not know which way it is to get back to town, have the entrance to the dungeon collapse, or a door slam shut, whatever. Just don't allow them to fall back. Or (if they work they way out of that) have the group be harassed as they leave, don't give them the time to rest and keep them on their toes all the time.

>unbefitting of the sort of heroic adventure all of us want to play. (at least supposedly)
>supposedly
I think this is the key. It looks like you and the players each have different expectations about the game.

>>43784547
You sound like a complete twat.

>>43784547
If they consider this to be fun, tailor the game to be like this. Give them a lot of opportunities to get their hands on a stronghold of some kind and some followers and encourage them to start mounting expeditions from it.

Alternatively, have threats that will pursue them and that can encounter them by chance in the wilderness. This doesn't mean you just roll some dice and they get attacked by bandits every time they try to rest.

What's wrong with that? Would YOU travel and possibly risk your life because you weren't at full strength under normal circumstances?

>>43786334
no, but most people who play RPG's aren't heroes and adventurers.

>>43784547
So I am gonna be the guy...

Have you tried actually talking to them before pulling passive aggressive bullshit?

I have never encountered an issue like this that wasnt easily solved by a 20min conversation

>How do I stop this?
talk to your players

>>43784547
>How do I stop this? It's kind of ridiculous, and certainly unbefitting of the sort of heroic adventure all of us want to play. (at least supposedly)

Put them into a location under siege. There won't be a chance to keep on burning all their points and then recharging / resting without issue.

So they like to fall back and rest in town?
Attack the town with overwhelming force, make then JUST BARELY escape, then harass them in a way that prevents them from fully recharging until they learn how to fight with limited resources.

>>43785635
This is a good idea, make the chase hard and fast to get them out of thier comfort zones.

>>43786695
As this guy said.

You're passively aggressively bitching about your players online because they aren't doing what you want.

Talk to them like human beings.

Games are collaborative experiences. Its good to talk about what you and they can do better at the end of every session.

>>43786137
To be sure, I'd agree if the players did not know they were on a time limit.

>>43788503
Talking to your players about problems and trying to work out solutions is the worst thing you can do.

Trust me, I've had problems with many, many groups over the years, and complaining about them anonymously online always solves the issue.

>>43784547
First, this
>>43786695
>>How do I stop this?
>talk to your players

Second, Kobolds.
The answer is kobolds.
They get sent to find, or even better just find while travelling for other reasons, a lost caravan that took an old, rarely used valley road.
The caravan is devastated and stripped.
Play up the mystery and fear here.
Then reveal the cause: Kobolds.
The party is attacked by an ambush party of Kobolds.
The little guys are wiped out easily.
Their weapons match the damage done to the caravan, a few are wearing strips of human clothing, and other clues.
Mystery solved.

But the Kobolds have been busy blocking either end of the valley.
Now the PCs have to fight their way out of valley filled with thousands of Kobolds.
They might stumble upon some loot from the caravan, but this is not a retrieval mission or a mission of attack and slaughter.
This is a mission of survival.

The Kobolds won't let them idly camp and regain strength.
They won't let the PCs that violated their valley and killed their kin simply walk away.
They can always make more Kobolds, they cannot make more honor.
The PCs must die.
They will be hunted.
They will be chased.
They will swim in kobold corpses.
And more will come.

The party will slowly weaken under the death of a thousand cuts.
They will bitterly regret the overkill they initially deployed.
They will still be able to kill each individual kobold as it comes, but they will need to manage their resources to make their way out of the valley.
If they find a cave to rest, some must defend it while the others rest.
If they continue to blast with everything, they will be trapped in the cave forever.

Reward intelligence, cunning, and restraint with success.
Reward unthinking, head on tactics with increased attention from the kobolds.
Kobolds have learned the methods of survival through tenacity and fearlessness.
Allow them to teach your players.

>>43788876
beautifull. I'm stealing this.

>>43784547
Reinforcements? Basically, have enemies discover and react to their attacks given time. Make it like a SEAL rescue or assassination mission or something, where they have to infiltrate an enemy stronghold. You can't just kill a few guards, go home and rest up, and return expecting things to be the way you left them. By the time you get back, everybody'll be on high alert and your mission (and quite possibly you) will be completely fucked.

Alternately, make it harder to replenish mechanical resources, having as many things as possible replenish per adventure rather than per day. Maybe even add in some kind of "overdrive" mechanic (but with a better name than that), whereby the players actually get a bonus for continuing. Also, any sort of potion, blessing, enchantment that enhances them but which will expire if they try to sleep things off could be helpful in encouraging them.

>>43790015
Absolutely this. If they leave the adventure site, things will change dramatically.

Perhaps the guard is doubled, powerful items or elite monsters are called up from a reserve force.

Or maybe it's mostly empty except for booby traps and unintelligent foes, with only a few hundred gold left behind as a lure.

None of this is meant to fuck over players--it's all part of running your setting like it's an actual world instead of a video game where the "levels" stay the same no matter how many times you run through them.

I think your issue is not so much that they are too cautious, but that they never put themselves at real risk.