D&D 5E What interupts a long rest?

[Charlaquin]

So perhaps you can see that for some, adventuring is not resting. No amount of adventuring should be able to occur, while resting.

I’ve never not been able to see that. My position this whole time has been that 599 rounds of combat during a rest is permissible by RAW, but that it’s perfectly reasonable to rule against RAW if you find that to be an undesirable outcome.

 

[Charlaquin]

Focus on what the rules require. A character must have 6 hours during which they don't do any of those things. I could

1. Start a long rest
2. Clear a few chambers in the dungeon
3. Catch 3 hours sleep
4. Clear another few chambers
5. Stand watch for 1 hour
6. Catch another 3 hours sleep
7. Refresh my abilities

That being the case, I am saying - why even care what happens in that 1 hour of continued adventuring? Spelling it out in detail - the character has to be unconscious for at least 6 hours and then has to either sleep 1 more hour or perform light activity for that hour. They have to perform exactly those activities for 7 hours, and they can't take more than 8 hours to do so.

Yeah, I agree that’s what the RAW says.

 

[Maxperson]

But it makes the intent clear. You may think the wording in the PHB is unclear, but the fact of the matter is that the reading I've been arguing is what the rules literally say is also inarguably the writers' intent.

I don't think it is. It is.

You may think it leads to an absurd outcome, and if you do, I would recommend ruling differently. Again, my goal here is to interpret what the rules actually say, not to weigh in on if they "make sense."

Very few(if any) have argued that needing 60 ten round encounters to break a long rest makes sense.

Feel free to change the rule if you don't like it.

It has never been that way in my game and never will be.

 

[clearstream]

I’ve never not been able to see that. My position this whole time has been that 599 rounds of combat during a rest is permissible by RAW, but that it’s perfectly reasonable to rule against RAW if you find that to be an undesirable outcome.

Also 100 rounds. There's no need for us to go around on this again though. I think we have a good picture of our differences

 

[Laurefindel]

The version in Rick and Morty is just the pre-errata version of the text. Rick and Morty must have missed the errata somehow.

sounds to me like a like a fair in-character thing to do...

 

[clearstream]

Ok, here is the complete up-to-date text on the long rest:

A Long Rest is a period of extended downtime, at least 8 hours long, during which a character sleeps or performs light activity: reading, talking, eating, or standing watch for no more than 2 hours. If the rest is interrupted by a period of strenuous activity—at least 1 hour of walking, fighting, casting spells, or similar adventuring activity—the characters must begin the rest again to gain any benefit from it.

We have established that, as per Jeremy Crawford’s clarification and the wording in the playtest, walking, fighting, and casting spells, are all part of the category “adventuring activity.” A long rest is a period of 8 hours during which you sleep for at least 6 hours and perform light activity for no more than 2. An interruption of an hour or longer of adventuring activity also forces you to restart the rest.

Now, let’s suppose a party of adventurers sleeps for 3 hours, wakes up and begins adventuring for 59 minutes, goes back to sleep for 3 more hours, wakes up and spends 1 minute reading. Has this party completed a long rest? Let’s check.

Has the period been at least 8 hours long? Yes.
Has it included at least 6 hours of sleep? Yes.
Has it included more than 2 hours of light activity? No.
Has it been interrupted by at least an hour of adventuring activity? No.

My conclusion would be that this adventuring party has indeed completed a long rest, as the RAW defines it.

You probably meant 61 minutes reading (or doing nothing at all, for that matter). But otherwise this strange adventuring-while-resting appears to be RAI. The errata clarifies it must be 6 hours sleep, which I didn't notice in what you posted (but is implied... well, without errata 5 hours and 1 minute, to 6 hours, is implied).

A cunning arrangements with wagons might be had, where bold Sir Sleepy arrives at the dungeon, strives against foul beings for 59 minutes, prays for 1 minute, and then is refreshed! Abilities and hit points fully restored, and ready to fight on.

 

[Maxperson]

So taking the RAI to be that up to an hour of fighting doesn't interrupt the rest, what does that mean?

1. When I rest, I must sleep or perform up to and no more than 2 hours of light activity. The implication is that I must sleep for 6 hours.

It's not an implication, it's stated straight out in the PHB.

"A long rest is a period of extended downtime, at least 8 hours long, during which a character sleeps for at least 6 hours..."

 

[clearstream]

It's not an implication, it's stated straight out in the PHB.

"A long rest is a period of extended downtime, at least 8 hours long, during which a character sleeps for at least 6 hours..."

Agreed noting that is post-errata. My copy of the PHB doesn't say 6 hours.

 

[Maxperson]

Where does it say added onto the length?

They're right about the reset. The PHB says that if the long rest is interrupted, they have to begin again. That means start over. Especially when you look at the first sentence that says that it's 8 hours with at least 6 hours of sleep. If it has to be 8 hours long and you have to begin again if interrupted, an interruption resets the clock back to needing 8 hours.

 

[Maxperson]

Agreed noting that is post-errata. My copy of the PHB doesn't say 6 hours.

Huh. Had no idea that mine was different.