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Message: <blockquote data-quote="reanjr" data-source="post: 1973424" data-attributes="member: 20740">It doesn't take much to disrupt arcane spellcaster preparation.  I believe it's two minor interruptions throughout the night and they don't get to prepare in the morning.  These can even be red herrings.  A weird light might set the guard duty person to wake everyone up.  Upon further investigation, the light leaves the area.As for resting in general, you should pay attention to those without Endurance who leave their armor on.  They get fatigued and subsequently exhausted.  Donning armor takes a looooong time in combat, so a night ambush while the party is unarmed and unarmored (move action to draw a weapon, even if they leave it at their side, another move action to stand up, possible suprise for flat-footedness, everyone is without armor).  Remember to apply all the appropriate penalties to spot and listen checks for the person on watch (-1 for every 10 feet from target for instance, IIRC).  You don't even need to attack them with a major encounter from the dungeon since a minor one should do.Another thing to do when possible is give them incentive to complete the dungeon quickly.  Maybe the BBEG is leaving that night, or there is another group after the same goal, or the aprty is being tracked by creatures beyond their power to deal with and they need to get done and out before they get backed into a corner.Another good one is the nightmare spell.And two applications of a 2nd level spell, silence, can almost guarentee an ambush.  One on the ambushers so that they can not be heard (or invisibility depending on the situation, but ins a dungeon with winding corridors, spot isn't usually so much of a problem).  The other one (when nearing) on the guard (or a point in space 11 feet behind him; he is forced to take a full move backwards to notify his companions, or move forwards towards the ambush - whichever he chooses).  If you can get the whole party, all the better.If the party is more of an alarm group, throw random wandering animals at them of tiny size or larger.  The enemy (if savvy) may even have a dog or other trained animal for this purpose.  Even a bird flying over (unlikely to be seen or heard by the guard duty, if the party likes backup plans) can set off the alarm.  Bam.  You've taken down their defense for a later ambush and woken them once to disrupt spell preparation.Even if most of the party gets through with rest, etc. as long as you get one wizard to be useless the next day, then you have made a player who will vote against resting unless necessary.  Keep working at it until the players are conditioned to sleep only when necessary, not when they are out of spells.</blockquote>

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