Ring of Sustenance and Spellcaster's rest

[Enchanter]

We house ruled it this way:

The ring allows a sorcerer/wizard to only need to sleep 2 hours, but they still need about 8 hours of down time to be effective the next day. This is the same as any other class needs to avoid being fatigued. The benefit, however, is that sorcerers/wizards only need 2 hours of sleep, and then they can help with other tasks, most importantly keeping watch. This allows them to take a turn at watch and lets the other characters get more of the sleep they need.

This isn't a flawless method, but it seems to work well for our group.

 

[Soldarin]

Keeping watch != rest in any way or form. The constant level of attention needed is a big drain on your mental resources.

I once played an undead spellcaster, his campsites were always adorned with endless tic tact toe ames scratched into the soil/rock. He was bored witless every time he wanted to prepare spells and started seriously doubting giving up his right to sleep...
Fortunately my current living caster with The Ring (for the ration/water side of things) is allowed to sleep late (ie 8 hours, even though he needs only 2), which makes the time pass mre quickly at least.

IMHO they should have left it at 8 hours of sleep or equivalent, allowing elven wizards to replenish spells after 4 hours, but still use alotments per day.

 

[Cheiromancer]

I tend to agree that being on watch should not count as rest. You can't make skill checks while you rest, and I would think that includes spot and listen checks. But notice that an interruption to one's rest adds an hour to the resting time.

Suppose a wizard (with a ring of sustenance, or otherwise), took a two-hour watch in the middle of the night. Would this merely add to the resting period? I.e. if he rested 2 more hours (to make up for the time he missed during the watch) + 1 more hour (since one interruption adds 1 hour)?

The party need not get off to a late start the next morning, as the wizard may have retired early the night before.

 

[Quixon]

I agree that the ring should NOT allow you to recover the spells.

1. Its a 2,500 gp item- if it really was this powerful, shouldn't it cost alot more?
2. Any spells you cast in the last 8 hours count against your spells-so even if ring did let you recover in 2 hours-all the spells you cast in the 6 hours before that count against your limit.
3. SEE #1.

 

[Artoomis]

I agree that the ring should NOT allow you to recover the spells.

1. Its a 2,500 gp item- if it really was this powerful, shouldn't it cost alot more?
2. Any spells you cast in the last 8 hours count against your spells-so even if ring did let you recover in 2 hours-all the spells you cast in the 6 hours before that count against your limit.
3. SEE #1.

If the only thing it does is reduce your rest to 2 hours for preparing spells, what's the big deal?

You still only get one set of spells per day. You still have the 8 hour mentioned in (2) above. It's really not a big deal at all.

The biggest thing it does is let wizards stand watch - since they only need 2 hours to rest. The price seems okay for that.

 

[Murrdox]

Wizards can stand watch, sure! They're just not very good at it.

Since they can't make listen or spot checks, if danger approaches the party, it has to be completely obvious - like a pack of 10 Dire Wolves surrounding the party at 60', howling at the top of their lungs.

 

[Quixon]

If the only thing it does is reduce your rest to 2 hours for preparing spells, what's the big deal?

You still only get one set of spells per day. You still have the 8 hour mentioned in (2) above. It's really not a big deal at all.

The biggest thing it does is let wizards stand watch - since they only need 2 hours to rest. The price seems okay for that.

If you mean to let them reduce rest time but not give them back spells-then thats fine-I have no problem with it.

I don't agree with those people who say they can rest for 2 hours then recover their spells, adventure for 6 hours, rest for 2 more, get all there spells back again ect.. ect...

 

[Dimwhit]

I don't agree with those people who say they can rest for 2 hours then recover their spells, adventure for 6 hours, rest for 2 more, get all there spells back again ect.. ect...

I don't either. I think most people agree. Per day is per day, not per waking period.

It's a cool ring, regardless.

 

[Artoomis]

If you mean to let them reduce rest time but not give them back spells-then thats fine-I have no problem with it.

I don't agree with those people who say they can rest for 2 hours then recover their spells, adventure for 6 hours, rest for 2 more, get all there spells back again ect.. ect...

Well, of course not, 1 set per day is one set per day. Period.

 

[Symphony]

"spells per day"

This one goes out to all the people harping, "spells per day". Read it and consider with care.

Experiment #1 (or what happens most of the time in almost every game):
Typically, human wizard goes to sleep at night, gets his required 8 hours of sleep and simultaneously gets 8 hours of uninterrupted rest. Typically, he spends the first hour of his day memorizing his spells for that day. Hence, the concept of spells per day.
Typically, he would cast a spell or two here a spell or two there, and maybe a bunch of spells somewhere else. The point being he uses his spells at different times throughout the day until night falls and he decides to rest. Again, he typically sleeps for 8 hours and simultaneously satisfies 8 hours of uninterrupted rest. He memorizes his spells during his first waking hour of the next day and is there after free to cast his spells during that day…
He is typically allowed to do this even if he spent almost all of yesterday's spells just before he went to sleep and even if he proceeds to use all of his spells for the next day immediately after memorizing them. I have never played in a group that did not allow this and I have never heard of a group that doesn't allow this. As far as I know, "spells per day" has never ever been taken to mean spells per 24 period.
Kudos to you if you do have a group that does it differently.

Experiment #2:
A wizard in New York City, USA wakes up at dawn after a nice uninterrupted 8 hours of sleep and memorizes his spells before gathering a few extra purchases for the day's endeavors (more on that later).
While the US wizard, takes care of some mundane business, dawn comes to Sydney, Australia where another wizard wakes up after a nice refreshing uninterrupted 8 hours of sleep and spends an hour memorizing his spells for the day. Not long after the Australian wizard finishes his memorization, the US wizard Greater Teleports in and the two fight a duel expending all their spells except for the Greater Teleport the US wizard uses to return to New York City. Each wizard immediately decides to take a nice long uninterrupted 8 hour sleep. However, the US wizard takes his rest during the night in New York City whereas the Australian wizard takes his rest during the day in Sydney. Does the Australian wizard get his spells back or not?
Regardless, the US wizard rememorizes in the morning and immediately Greater Teleports over to Sydney to kick some butt.
If the Australian wizard has not regained his spells, he might as well start praying for a Miracle...

The rules laid out under "Recent Casting Limit/Rest Interruptions" clearly state that "all the spells she has cast within the last 8 hours count against her daily limit." This means that "spells per day" translates as spells per 8 hour period (not 24 hour period).
Frankly, who wants to mess with the paper work of memorizing spells but not being able to cast them?