A Resting Warforged

[schnivelbiv]

A warforged wizard needs 8 hours of "rest" to get its spells back. What exactly does 8 hours rest mean for something that does not sleep? In particular what does it mean at night when everyone else is asleep. Do you get to make your spot and listen checks as normal or do you get penalized as if you were asleep becasue you need to "rest"? Or does rest simply mean you cannot do heavy labor or craft stuff while you rest? Can a warforged that needs to rest 8 hours still be the party night watchman and still get its spells back in the morning?

The way it is currently working in the game I am in is if my warforged wizard/ranger is resting then he cannot make spot checks and makes listen checks the exact same as the sleeping humans (at -10). I do not think this is correct so I am asking here.

 

[Kanegrundar]

A warforged wizard needs 8 hours of "rest" to get its spells back. What exactly does 8 hours rest mean for something that does not sleep? In particular what does it mean at night when everyone else is asleep. Do you get to make your spot and listen checks as normal or do you get penalized as if you were asleep becasue you need to "rest"? Or does rest simply mean you cannot do heavy labor or craft stuff while you rest? Can a warforged that needs to rest 8 hours still be the party night watchman and still get its spells back in the morning?

The way it is currently working in the game I am in is if my warforged wizard/ranger is resting then he cannot make spot checks and makes listen checks the exact same as the sleeping humans (at -10). I do not think this is correct so I am asking here.

That's the way I would handle it. The "rest" period for Warforged would be in a meditative state similar to sleep. If nothing else, you could reduce the penalty to -5 on the Listen checks.

Kane

 

[Ferret]

I can imagine the warforged just standing upright stock-still 'resting'. I would still penalise the spot and listen checks as they are focusing on preparing spells/resting.

 

[Klaus]

SRD: "she must refrain from movement, combat, spellcasting, skill use, conversation, or any other fairly demanding physical or mental task during the rest period."

Each interruption during these 8 hours adds another hour of rest needed. The final hour *must* be of rest, though.

 

[Krelios]

SRD: "she must refrain from movement, combat, spellcasting, skill use, conversation, or any other fairly demanding physical or mental task during the rest period."

Each interruption during these 8 hours adds another hour of rest needed. The final hour *must* be of rest, though.

Yep. Technically you could read "refrain from skill use" to mean that the warforged isn't even entitled to make spot/listen checks at all--consider your DM's house rule to be in your favor.

 

[Li Shenron]

A warforged wizard needs 8 hours of "rest" to get its spells back. What exactly does 8 hours rest mean for something that does not sleep?

Do you need to ask? It just means nothing. It was put there only to "balance" the warforged spellcaster against the others.

 

[noeuphoria]

I just have this cool vision of a warforged: "Initiating arcane rejuvenation cycle.....beoooop!!" The head slowly nods down as the light fades from the eyes.

 

[Kanegrundar]

I could see all sorts of ways to describe the process that warforged "rest" rather than simply looking at it as it not meaning anything. It's another way of depicting how different they are, but essentially are the same as any other sentient being.

Kane

 

[Klaus]

I think Listen and Spot as reflexive skills should be allowed (at no penalty, or at most at -5 for "distracted"). After all, it's not like the warforged is going "lalalala, can't hear you!". The RAW do preclude sentry duty, though (active use of these skills).

The warforged can't use Craft to repair himself, though, so he'd better have Repair Damage spells ready...

 

[blargney the second]

I have a funny image of a warforged winding up the wingnut crank on its back.
-blarg