Your Ruling: Magical Sleep

[GMMichael]

GM: You step through the ajar, oversized doors to find a gruesome sight. In the moonlight, the ceremonial balcony is an exhibit of desecrated bodies, some propped up, others arranged in bloody piles on the floor. At the far end by the railing your opponent, the werewolf blackguard, tears at another corpse, relishing his work. What do you do?

Rhonda (the knight): I move forward to get into my battle-stance. I...

Ray (the wizard): hold on - I put a hand out on the knight's arm. "I got this." I cast Sleep. (Rolls) 18 should do.

GM: Anyone else acting? (Heads shake) let's see how sleepy he gets (rolls 7). Um, the BBEG lays down for a nap.

Rhonda: (Whispering) perfect. I ready my crossbow and aim for his head...

Sleep spells, also known as "the monster stops defending itself" spells. Are they always 1st-level spells? Why? Should the level be higher?

The fifth edition of Sleep doesn't grant a saving throw, and the target "falls unconscious." That could end the spell pretty quickly, if the target was standing up when it fell asleep. Isn't falling on your face (or worse, your weapon) worth 1 point of damage? My version of Sleep is a little more gentle on the recipient: "the target lays down and goes to sleep." But both can leave a villain vulnerable to a coup de grace, no?

How do you treat Sleep magic? Does it mean the automatic end of a fight, or is its value more in-line with other 1st level spells?

 

[The Crimson Binome]

Especially in a fantasy setting, where sleep magic is likely to exist, few worthy opponents can be dispatched easily while sleeping. They simply aren't that feeble. The wizard puts them to sleep, the rogue fires a crossbow bolt at their head, and then they wake up and the battle actually starts.

Maybe, if the party is particularly inexperienced, that bolt to the head might finish off an equally-inexperienced foe; but if a bolt to the head is all it takes to kill them, then you could also do that without bothering to put them to sleep first, and the only thing you get by expending a spell slot is making the follow-up shot more accurate.

 

[Li Shenron]

I don't use any special house rule. The target is unconscious only until it gets damage. So the first attack against it has advantage and is automatically a crit if you hit from 5ft (but it's not an automatic hit). So basically one hit turning into critical is what makes Sleep better than simply shoving the target prone, which grants advantage to all until it's the target turn again. Also, you need to get to 5ft from it, then it immediately wakes up and can make OA if you move away.

 

[aramis erak]

Sleep spells, also known as "the monster stops defending itself" spells. Are they always 1st-level spells? Why? Should the level be higher?

[snip]

How do you treat Sleep magic? Does it mean the automatic end of a fight, or is its value more in-line with other 1st level spells?

I've always assumed the target crumples from the spell - otherwise, it's ultimately useless.
I also disagree about falling from standing being worth a full HP, but that's because I think of D&D PC classes more as medieval super heroes, and the 1-4 HP NPC being the typical baseline from which I extrapolate "Reasonable"...

It's not quite an automatic end to a fight, especially in 5E... why? Because all too often, it doesn't get them all.

One of the great fun things about the level 1 sleep spell: it's not selectable, per se... and so a high roll can result in taking down a PC or two.

 

[Li Shenron]

I've always assumed the target crumples from the spell - otherwise, it's ultimately useless.

Why would the spell be useless, even if it only lasts one attack before the target wakes up? You can choose not to attack the target you just made asleep, and it remains there not contributing to the fight until one of his comrades wastes his whole turn waking him up, while in the meantime your wizard can put another target to sleep. In addition, it is an excellent spell outside of combat, or when your purpose is to capture or bypass an enemy without necessarily killing it.

 

[UngainlyTitan]

I would let them finish off the Blackguard if he fell asleep in the first place. It is a fairly limited spell.

 

[aramis erak]

Why would the spell be useless, even if it only lasts one attack before the target wakes up?

If they fall, the impact should wake them, therefore, they clearly do not fall. Crumpling, rather than simple sudden fall, means they are not making a single impact, but multiple smaller ones.

 

[Li Shenron]

If they fall, the impact should wake them, therefore, they clearly do not fall. Crumpling, rather than simple sudden fall, means they are not making a single impact, but multiple smaller ones.

Oh ok... I thought "crumple" was a way to say that it enables you to kill the target easily while asleep. Me and my limited understanding of English...

I definitely agree that falling prone should not wake them up! It certainly doesn't cause damage. The only other way by the RAW to wake someone up from Sleep is to voluntarily spend an action to wake them up. I can imagine a DM ruling that an explosion might wake them up but it's not to be taken for granted either.

 

[GMMichael]

Sleep in a melee is pretty simple: the target gets drowsy, curls up for a quick nap, and then some jerk steps on him and wakes him up.

It's outside combat, against lone targets, where Sleep gets tricky. In a way, it can turn a combat encounter into a stealth encounter. Or it can be a Get Out of Combat Free card. My main concern, though, is Sleep's effect on a lone boss encounter. Do I nip that in the bud and give the boss Sleep protections? Or cop out and say, "you snapped a twig, the boss wakes up." Or go ardoughter's route and hand over the PC victory - because a boss who isn't prepared for Sleep isn't worthy of being a boss?

. . . few worthy opponents can be dispatched easily while sleeping. They simply aren't that feeble. The wizard puts them to sleep, the rogue fires a crossbow bolt at their head, and then they wake up and the battle actually starts.

So the first attack against it has advantage and is automatically a crit if you hit from 5ft (but it's not an automatic hit). So basically one hit turning into critical is what makes Sleep better than simply shoving the target prone, which grants advantage to all until it's the target turn again. Also, you need to get to 5ft from it . . .

Attacking a sleeping opponent isn't an automatic hit? A bolt to the head isn't an automatic kill? Ah, the joys of D&D. That sleeping target also drops its weapon - another Sleep benefit over shove-prone. Getting close to a sleeping opponent could be tricky and dangerous (which is why the knight in the example opted for the crossbow). Unless an opponent has a thick helmet or thick skull, a bolt to the head should significantly ruin her day.

I would let them finish off the Blackguard if he fell asleep in the first place. It is a fairly limited spell.

+1 for Merciless.

If they fall, the impact should wake them, therefore, they clearly do not fall. Crumpling, rather than simple sudden fall, means they are not making a single impact, but multiple smaller ones.

Not so clear. Maybe Sleep is significantly more effective on sitting and reclining targets, since they're less likely to fall, get hurt, and wake up from that?

 

[Undrave]

Sleep in a melee is pretty simple: the target gets drowsy, curls up for a quick nap, and then some jerk steps on him and wakes him up.

It's outside combat, against lone targets, where Sleep gets tricky. In a way, it can turn a combat encounter into a stealth encounter. Or it can be a Get Out of Combat Free card. My main concern, though, is Sleep's effect on a lone boss encounter. Do I nip that in the bud and give the boss Sleep protections? Or cop out and say, "you snapped a twig, the boss wakes up." Or go ardoughter's route and hand over the PC victory - because a boss who isn't prepared for Sleep isn't worthy of being a boss?

Never send a lone enemy against a PC with Sleep... the DM of my Feylock learned that lesson...

It also depends on how much HP they have, the bigger they are the more likely the sleep with fail.