Recharging Uses Per Day Magic Items

[Illeist]

At what point in the day do magic items with a set number of uses per day recover their uses? Is it at midnight, in the evening, or in the morning? Is the time determined when the item is created, or does its user determine it?

I recently had a PFS DM rule that another player's Boots of Haste were still partially expended from a fight the previous night, and I was unable to find any ruling on the matter.

[Dust Raven]

I've seen some GMs rule a charge recovers 24 hours after it was expended, so you'd get it back at the same time you used it the previous day.

I've seen others have all uses return at dawn.

I personally prefer the return at dawn method.

[VRMH]

"Day" is kept pretty vague in the rules, for the express purpose of being able to handwave the details. So when a GM decides not to wave a hand, they're pretty much free to rule whichever way they like.

[Gwaihir Scout]

I treat them the same way I do spells. When the party stops to get spells back, magic items get their uses back too. Limited to once per day, of course. It may not be technically accurate but it's far easier to administrate.

If the party is attacked in the middle of the night, any spell slots that get used during the attack do not get returned the next morning, as the caster has not had sufficient rest. If the party waits around for the casters to get eight hours rest after the attack, then they do get all their spells back. The same goes for magic item uses.

[Adamantine Dragon]

We treat them as spells. Frankly, as a GM, I have no interest in tracking time on each use of each item to that level of detail. I'm not an accountant for a reason.

[Arazyr]

I too have items revive at dawn / when the party regains their per day abilities. It's just most convenient.