Elves and Armour

[Zarthon]

Greetings all,

Here is my question:

According to the SRD : Sleeping in Armor: If a character sleeps in a suit of armor with an armor check penalty of -5 or worse, the character is automatically fatigued the next day. The character suffers a -2 penalty on Strength and Dexterity, and can't charge or run.

According to the PHB: Top of page 16, col 1 : Elves do not sleep, as members of the common races do. Instead, an elf meditates in a deep trance for 4 hours per day... The common word for an elf's meditation is "trance", as in "four hours of trance"

Now is it possible for an elf to "trance" while wearing armour with a check penalty of -5 or worse and not be fatigued the next day?

What say you.


Edit: Spelling

 

[Li Shenron]

Mah...

I'd treat trancing as sleeping for almost all purposes, it seems to me more a fancy difference than anything.

 

[Zarthon]

Mah...

I'd treat trancing as sleeping for almost all purposes, it seems to me more a fancy difference than anything.

It seems to me that if the elven "Trance" is the same as sleeping, then there would be reference to it in the "Sleeping in Armor" section of the PHB.

I have had a look in the Errata and the FAQ and can find nothing that says that the elven trance is the same as sleeping, even the dictionary says they are different.

 

[Li Shenron]

Well, I really don't know where "trancing elves" came from, if it's from Tolkien literature, previous D&D editions or whatever... But apart the fact that it comes together with immunity to magic sleep, I can't now recall other mentions of it in the core books, so I don't know if there are other consequences.
I remember that Elves trance only 4 hours/day, but still they need 8 hours of total rest for spellcasting, so not a real difference.

If you know other consequences, let me know! I'd like it to make a bit more difference, otherwise why such a thing?

 

[Zarthon]

Well, I really don't know where "trancing elves" came from, if it's from Tolkien literature, previous D&D editions or whatever... But apart the fact that it comes together with immunity to magic sleep, I can't now recall other mentions of it in the core books, so I don't know if there are other consequences.
I remember that Elves trance only 4 hours/day, but still they need 8 hours of total rest for spellcasting, so not a real difference.

If you know other consequences, let me know! I'd like it to make a bit more difference, otherwise why such a thing?

It says that elves "trance" in the phb on the top of page 16, it also says that elves that trance for 4 hours gain the same benifits that a human does from 8 hours of sleep.

So if that is the case an elven wizard only needs to "trance" for 4 hours where as a human wizard needs to sleep for 8 hours.

 

[mkletch]

So if that is the case an elven wizard only needs to "trance" for 4 hours where as a human wizard needs to sleep for 8 hours.

It says quite specifically, either in the spells section or the FAQ that elves must still rest (no spellcasting, strenuous activity, etc.) for the full 8 hours. They will be awake, though.

In addition, humans and other races do not need 8 hours of sleep. That is only approximate. I see all these adventurers with their magical alarm clocks and sleeping masks...

-Fletch!

 

[pontus]

I say yes, elves can trance while wearing heavy armor, and suffer no penalties.

But, I also say that anyone who tries to wear full plate 24/7 (or 24/10 in faerun, I guess), is going to end up very sore. Well, unless he's undead.

 

[Zarthon]

It says quite specifically, either in the spells section or the FAQ that elves must still rest (no spellcasting, strenuous activity, etc.) for the full 8 hours. They will be awake, though.
-Fletch!

I can't find this, give me a page number if you can.

Thanks

 

[pontus]

I can't find this, give me a page number if you can.

Page 154, right column, at the end of the section on Rest.

 

[candidus_cogitens]

Definitely, yes, elves CAN wear heavy armor while trancing.

A trance is not sleep. (And "rest" for elven wizards is not sleep either!)

Nothing in the rules, explicit or implicit, says that trance or rest should be treated as sleep as regards the matter of wearing armor.

The burden of proof would have to be on the side of those who wanted to assert that elves SHOULD suffer the fatigue effect.