D&D 5E Spell Preparation on Long Rest

[Elon Tusk]

The player's handbook states: You can change your list of prepared spells whenyou finish a long rest. Preparing a new list of wizardspells requires time spent studying your spellbook andmemorizing the incantations and gestures you mustmake to cast the spell: at least 1 minute per spell levelfor each spell on your list.

Does "when" in that sentence mean "while" or "after?"
I had always considered it to mean "while," but a player asked me to reconsider, and I think I am siding with her that it could mean "after."

Consider this sentence: "You can play video games when you finish your homework."
Clearly this sentence means, "You can play video games after you finish your homework," not "You can play video games while you finish your homework."

If that is the case, then the preparation rule could mean that the preparation could take place at some unspecified time after.
The time for preparing each spell is "at least a minute."

1. So couldn't that mean that a wizard could take a long rest, head out toward a potential conflict, do some recon, and then stop just outside the conflict area to take a few minutes preparing spells that would likely be most useful?
2. Could she prepare a few spells just after the long rest and then some at a later point during the day?
3. Does it matter if she has cast one or more spells prior to preparing them all?

 

[The Crimson Binome]

The player's handbook states: You can change your list of prepared spells whenyou finish a long rest. Preparing a new list of wizardspells requires time spent studying your spellbook andmemorizing the incantations and gestures you mustmake to cast the spell: at least 1 minute per spell levelfor each spell on your list.

Does "when" in that sentence mean "while" or "after?"
I had always considered it to mean "while," but a player asked me to reconsider, and I think I am siding with her that it could mean "after."

The in-game reality which this rule reflects is that you finish sleeping, and then you can prepare spells while your mind is fresh immediately after sleeping but before you do anything that requires any mental effort whatsoever. As with every other benefit of a rest, for the purpose of game mechanics, this happens exactly at the end of the rest - the same moment when your spell slots and HP recover.

 

[Shiroiken]

I've always taken it as "when you finish" you may then "prepare spells." This extra time would be added to the end of the long rest. Otherwise, putting the time it takes in there would be rather pointless.

As for your questions
1) Yes, because it could be part of the Long Rest (assuming you did less then 1 hour of it).
2) Technically yes.
3) I would say that once you cast a spell from your refreshed spell slots, you've lost your opportunity.

As always, the DM has the final say.

 

[jaelis]

"when you finish" = "at the time that you finish"

See for instance https://www.sageadvice.eu/2015/11/30/can-spellcasters-prepare-spells-not-all-at-once/

Q: Can spellcasters prepare spells not all at once, but leave some "slots" for preparing spells later during the day?
A: You prepare your list of spells only at the end of a long rest.

 

[guachi]

I define "when you finish" to mean "at the moment a long rest is complete. Not a second before nor a second after".

 

[Li Shenron]

The player's handbook states: You can change your list of prepared spells whenyou finish a long rest.

...

1. So couldn't that mean that a wizard could take a long rest, head out toward a potential conflict, do some recon, and then stop just outside the conflict area to take a few minutes preparing spells that would likely be most useful?
2. Could she prepare a few spells just after the long rest and then some at a later point during the day?
3. Does it matter if she has cast one or more spells prior to preparing them all?

I think the words "when you finish a long rest" are the same for changing your list and for regaining spell slots. IMHO the RAI is that just after waking up or soon enough anyway, you prepare your spells list. If you want to change it, you spend the required time, if you keep it the same as yesterday you don't need to spend the time.

It normally doesn't matter how long exactly did you rest/sleep. It probably says somewhere that 8 hours is the minimum anyway, but it doesn't even need to be 100% sleep, it could be some hours of sleep and some other hours awake but not doing something too stressful. Fighting and spellcasting counts as stressful, but it could even be argued that preparing a different list of spells doesn't, and it's therefore fine to combine its time to the 8 hours of long rest. Again, 99% of the times it doesn't really matter... just call the night off and refresh your prepared list at the end of it / first thing in the morning.

Delaying spells preparations however is explicitly called out in this edition, while it was allowed in 3e.

As for the last bullet, YMMV because both getting your spells slots back and changing the list happen after the long rest, but the first takes no time (explicitly) while the second does. So there might be a rare situation where you literally just woke up, and the DM considers your long rest finished (spell slots regained), but then throws an encounter just before you have time to change your list. Should you be allowed a second chance to change the list after the encounter? There is no official answer yet, so any ruling is correct.

 

[Charlaquin1]

I don’t see it making much practical difference either way. The important thing is, the player chooses all spells they have prepared for the day upon successful completion of a long rest. Whether the character studied his spellbook before bed and then meditated on it while he slept, or wome up and read through it while he was fully rested and refreshed, doesn’t much matter to me.

 

[Elon Tusk]

"when you finish" = "at the time that you finish"

See for instance https://www.sageadvice.eu/2015/11/30/can-spellcasters-prepare-spells-not-all-at-once/

Thanks. That looks like the answer.

I don’t see it making much practical difference either way. The important thing is, the player chooses all spells they have prepared for the day upon successful completion of a long rest. Whether the character studied his spellbook before bed and then meditated on it while he slept, or wome up and read through it while he was fully rested and refreshed, doesn’t much matter to me.

It would have made a difference to me as a wizard if I had to guess what spells I needed for the day as soon as I awoke or if I could wait until I had more information about what situations were immediately in front of me and select a more specialized spell.

 

[Elon Tusk]

Delaying spells preparations however is explicitly called out in this edition, while it was allowed in 3e.

Are you saying that somewhere in the RAW this is definitively stated?
Sage Advice by its nature would not be considered "explicitly."

 

[Li Shenron]

Are you saying that somewhere in the RAW this is definitively stated?
Sage Advice by its nature would not be considered "explicitly."

Not the PHB RAW, I was referring to Sage Advice.

Sage Advice IS explicit. It usually clarifies the RAI, but on the other hand it's not mandatory to follow the Sage Advice.

Generally speaking, just because something was explicitly allowed in a previous edition doesn't mean it's implicitly allowed in the current. You can then do with it whatever you like. For example, I have no problems allowing a PC to delay choosing new abilities from level-up until later, if the player is undecided.