Going without sleep

[Nahat Anoj]

Does D&D have any rules for going without sleep? I know in the MM it says "Humanoids must eat, breathe, and sleep," but does D&D describe the consequences for not sleeping?

 

[Felix]

Nope.

You get fatigued if you don't go without rest, but never does it specify sleep.

 

[Kae'Yoss]

I'd say that sleep was implied, and they mainly stated the stuff about rest because some races - like elves - don't exactly sleep. So instead of saying: If you go without sleep for more than 24 hours - except if you don't sleep, then you need to do whatever you do once every 24 hours - you become fatigued.

 

[mvincent]

From the WotC custserv database (if desired):
"Sleeping in Dungeons and Dragons
The rules are silent on not sleeping at all, but based on the penalties you receive from a night of uncomfortable rest (page 122 of the 3.5 Player's Handbook, under Sleeping with Armor Worn) a Dungeon Master could assume that not sleeping at all could have some pretty hefty penalties. One house rule could be that the person becomes exhausted after not sleeping an entire night."

 

[Darklone]

I use fatigued after one night and exhausted after two.

 

[hong]

I use fatigued after one night and exhausted after two.

Mang, I hope you don't say that to all the girls.

 

[moritheil]

The interesting question is, how does that interact with feats/abilities that make one immune to fatigue?

 

[Darklone]

The interesting question is, how does that interact with feats/abilities that make one immune to fatigue?

Lesser Restoration comes to mind. Easy. I tell the players the spell only relieves the effect ... and going some nights without sleep causes Con damage.

Hong: I do.

 

[moritheil]

Lesser Restoration comes to mind. Easy. I tell the players the spell only relieves the effect ... and going some nights without sleep causes Con damage.

Well, I meant RAW. I personally wouldn't find it imbalancing to just let them go without sleep. After all, the ring of sustenance is pretty cheap, and similar (still requires 2 hrs of sleep, but it also takes care of food.)

 

[Caliban]

I had an idea for a cleric with a few Pearls of Power II who just stops sleeping, using Lesser Restoration and pearling it back every day. He would slowly grow more and more paranoid and erratic as the loss of dreamtime gradually ate away at his sanity...


He's 9th level now, but I never got around to doing it (things got kind of dangerous in the campaign without worrying about that). Maybe I still will.