3.5 > Sleep VS Unconscious

[BowserX]

Okay, I'm at a loss.

I cannot find a simple ruling in any core book about the difference between sleep and unconscious. Are these considered the same conditions OR are they different?

The big reason I ask is because Elves are immune to sleep spells and effects. So they should be immune to sleep poison? (Poison simply being an effect, correct?)

Would they also be immune to anything that cause unconsciousness?

Book and page number for core books would be appreciated, or wherever it clearly states the relationship between the two conditions.

[Curmudgeon]

Unconscious is due to being knocked out.
unconscious

Knocked out and helpless. Unconsciousness can result from having current hit points between -1 and -9, or from nonlethal damage in excess of current hit points. A character who is unconscious as a result of having current hit points between -1 and -9 who becomes stable has a 10% chance every hour to become conscious. A character who is unconscious as a result of having nonlethal damage in excess of current hit points has a 10% chance every minute to wake up and be staggered. Sleeping characters still make Listen checks. Unconscious characters don't.

That's Player's Handbook Glossary on page 314, and also online here (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/glossary&term=Glossary_dnd_unconscious&alpha=U).

[Petey7]

All I could find flipping through the PHB on sleep was this line from the Sleep spell.


Sleeping creatures are helpless. Slapping or wounding awakens an affected creature, but normal noise does not. Awakening a creature is a standard action (an application of the aid another action).

The PHB has the best discribtion of Unconscious. The SRD has this summarized definition.


Knocked out and helpless. Unconsciousness can result from having current hit points between -1 and -9, or from nonlethal damage in excess of current hit points.

[Shadowknight12]

The main difference is that you can (almost always) wake someone up from the asleep condition, while the only way to awaken someone from unconsciousness is to restore their hitpoints to positive. In the rare instances of spells and effects causing unconsciousness instead of sleep, the effect itself tells you specifically how to cure it (or, alternatively, it has a duration after which the unconscious character regains consciousness automatically).

[BowserX]

Okay, so Sleep-Smoke from City of Splendors: Waterdeep is an inhaled poison that causes Unconsciousness (for both primary and secondary effects) for a few rounds.

It does specifically state Unconsciousness. By that wording I assume the following:

Anyone with Poison Immunity is unaffected, and that elves ARE affected because results are unconsciousness, not sleep.

Does that sound right to anyone else?

[Curmudgeon]

Yes, that sounds right. Characters who don't breathe also won't be affected, since they don't inhale.