D&D 5E Concentration while Short Resting

[Werebat]

Can a character take a Short Rest while Concentrating on a spell?

This has repercussions for the warlock's Hex spell, among other things.

 

[cbwjm]

I just checked the rules for concentration, yes, you can maintain during a short rest as nothing you're doing prevents it (unless the player decides to take a nap, which would since being unconscious makes you incapacitated which specifically ends concentration).

 

[aco175]

It has not come up in my play, but I would be tempted to nerf that rule. I do allow characters to bust into another room while a concentration spell is going on, but that makes the next encounter more deadly since the party did not rest or even had time to cast a few heal spells. To take an hour rest and still have my spell on hand is a bit much.

I'm interested as what others are saying on this since I have not looked at the spells and how their power level would boost the PCs.

 

[mach1.9pants]

Yes you can according to the rules, confirmed by Mearls, as stated in the other thread. But as I also stated I wouldn't have it that way IMC.

Also 4,000 posts!

 

[Caliban]

Can a character take a Short Rest while Concentrating on a spell?

This has repercussions for the warlock's Hex spell, among other things.

Of course. Some DM's have a poorly thought out, knee-jerk reaction against it, but it's really not a big deal.

 

[Saeviomagy]

It has not come up in my play, but I would be tempted to nerf that rule. I do allow characters to bust into another room while a concentration spell is going on, but that makes the next encounter more deadly since the party did not rest or even had time to cast a few heal spells.

I don't think you actually understand the spell system then. There are spells that have concentration durations of more than 8 hours, and you can cast other spells even while concentrating. Nothing apart from the duration of a spell stops players from keeping one up while recuperating and then going to the next room.

Long rests are a different matter, because some DMs conflate being unconscious with being asleep. I would just let a spell be concentrated on even while sleeping. Otherwise it's a substantial perk for elves that they're the only ones able to really benefit from spells with a 24 hour or more duration.

 

[Plaguescarred]

Taking a short rest shouldn't interfere with concentration, provided you don't become incapacitated by taking a nap or something.


Yan
D&D Playtester

 

[Arial Black]

This has repercussions for the warlock's Hex spell, among other things.

It's the other way round. Hex has (up to) a 24 hour duration (concentration) precisely because you can maintain concentration while resting and you are able to rest while concentrating. It wouldn't make any sense to write the spell in a way that doesn't work!

 

[GameOgre]

I agree that as part of game balance you can concentrate while resting. It would be very harmful for many class's to rule otherwise. I personally wouldn't even care about sleeping ect..

A few DM's I know have ruled otherwise and found it grossly effected game balance and also lead to many tactics changes they really didn't like.

 

[Gardens & Goblins]

Can other players break your concentration?

Like, say, the barbarian and the rogue are unwinding by playing 'pass the pig's bladder' and knock the concentrating character on the head.

Or the bard is learning the violin. Slowly. Or it's raining cats and dogs.

Or maybe a gaggle of cute orphans rushes over and tugs on the poor caster's robes, demanding he do that cool magic trick again.

etc...

From the PHB:

The DM might also decide that certain environmental
phenomena, such as a wave crashing over you while
you’re on a storm-tossed ship, require you to succeed
on a DC 10 Constitution saving throw to maintain
concentration on a spell.

I could see a DM asking of a caster to make a flat DC 10 Con check during the short rest, to represent something distracting them. When the check would be made, I don't know. Probably at the start, then roll a D6 to see determine how far into the rest 'something' happened to disrupt the concentration, assuming the check failed of course.