Consumables are everything that ticks down during play. Some come back on a rest, some you have to replace, and the only way to avoid mid-session guessing is to track each one with the right kind of counter and the right reset behavior. The category is broader than most players first think.
What counts as a consumable
Group them by how they recover:
- Ammunition (arrows, bolts, sling bullets): depletes as you fire, does not reset on a rest. You refill it by recovering spent shots after a fight or buying more.
- Potions and scrolls: one-use items that vanish when used. You replace them by finding or buying more.
- Limited-use class features: abilities with a fixed number of uses, many of which recharge on a short or long rest.
- Spell slots: a form of consumable that spends when you cast and returns on a rest, a long rest for most classes.
Counters that fit the count
Not every resource wants the same display. A handful of charges reads best as pips you can see filled or empty at a glance. A full quiver of forty arrows does not; a plus/minus counter handles larger numbers without a wall of dots. Match the control to the size of the count.
Reset behavior is the whole game
The part that trips people up is not counting down, it is knowing when a resource comes back. A feature that recharges on a short rest should refill after every breather. A long-rest feature should not. Ammunition never resets on rest at all. Getting these tags right means a rest restores exactly what it should and nothing it should not.
Tracking consumables in Adventure Codex
Adventure Codex consumables are user-defined counters, so you set up whatever your character actually uses. Small counts render as pips; larger ones use a plus/minus counter. Each consumable carries a resetType of short or long, and when you take that rest, everything tied to it refills at once. Ammunition you simply leave untied to any rest and adjust by hand. Spell slots work the same way, so all your depleting resources live in one tracker. It is free forever on web, iOS, and Android.
Frequently asked questions
How do I track arrows and bolts?
Ammunition is a plain count that goes down as you fire and up when you recover or buy more. It does not reset on a rest. A plus/minus counter handles a full quiver cleanly, since the numbers get larger than a pip display is good for.
Are spell slots a kind of consumable?
Yes, functionally. A spell slot is a limited use that depletes when spent and returns on a rest (a long rest for most classes). Tracking it the same way you track other consumables keeps everything in one place. See our spell slot guide.
Which consumables reset on a short rest versus a long rest?
It depends on the resource. Many limited-use class features recharge on a short rest, while spell slots and other features recharge on a long rest. Ammunition does not reset at all. Tag each one so the right rest refills it.