Sleeping Spellcasters & PHBII Teams

[Thanee]

One of the teamwork benefits they've introduced is that the elf can now teach the rest of the party how to enter a meditative state, thus allowing for 4 hours of meditation each day (albeit only with his help) as opposed to the usually required 8 hours of rest.

LOL? I think this is a really dumb idea... elves don't sleep, I doubt this is only training, and even if so, it surely isn't learned within a few days.

However... a friend was telling me that according to PHB rules, spellcasters are still required to get 8 hours of rest, regardless of whether they've meditated for 4 hours or not.

Yeah, it's in the magic section somewhere. You need 8h of rest (not necessarily sleep or the equivalent).

Depending on the campaign, it might not be unbalanced to allow meditation (and ring of sustenance) to reduce this time, but in some campaigns it surely is.

Bye
Thanee

 

[Thanee]

Do others allow elf wizards to meditate for 4 hours and then take a 4 hour watch and consider this 8 hours of rest?

Yes. If something happens, though, another hour of rest is needed to compensate.

Bye
Thanee

 

[dagger]

There is some even better spellcaster related Team Based benefits in DMG II.

One allows party members to get Evasion when party spellcasters include them in area effect damage spells.

 

[MarkB]

The resting-based teamwork benefits are very nice, but I don't anticipate any of our groups taking them, simply because of the sissy names. Group Trance is bad enough - but Camp Routine? Sounds like something out of a Carry On movie. No way I'm going to convince anyone to participate in those.

 

[Legildur]

I don't know about your campaigns, but we'd struggle to find the training time to qualify for the benefits...

And if we have a PC death (and they do happen) before Raise Dead (or sometimes Reincarnate ) is available, then they are typically just replaced with a new character at a convenient junction, meaning that we'd have to all undertake the training again! No thanks.

And you'd still need 8 hours rest for the wizard in trance.

 

[hong]

Group Trance is bad enough - but Camp Routine? Sounds like something out of a Carry On movie. No way I'm going to convince anyone to participate in those.

Best. Easter Eggs. Ever.