What can you do during a long rest if you don't need sleep.

[Sir cryosin]

I was reading the undying warlocks 10th lv ability and thinking about what I could do during long rest now that I don't need to sleep because.

[Giant2005]

Read self-help books!

[JumboWheat01]

Plotting. Because you're not a warlock if you're not plotting.

You could always try brewing a potion if you have the supplies with you. I'm sure the party would love to wake up to an extra Potion of Healing hanging around.

More plotting. Because you can never have enough plotting.

Mend your gear as much as you can, sharpen your blade, patch tears, things like that. Never hurts to go into battle with your gear in as good a shape as you can make it.

Even MORE plotting. Seriously, plot.

[Belac93]

Well, if you aren't too badly injured, have the healer boost you to full health before taking their rest (they'll just get all the spell slots back anyway), take a short rest instead, and then spend the 7 hours you have left adventuring or scouting. Since you are a warlock, you can get all your spell slots back in the 1 hour, and at level 10 with a good healer, you should be able to get through 1-3 long rests before having to take a proper one yourself.

[jas61292]

Most things that you are going to find useful mechanically are too much work for you to do during a long rest (and still gain the benefits of the rest). Personally, I recommend thinking of something your character would want to do that is not that important mechanically, but helps flesh them out as a person. Maybe you like tending to your equipment, or whittling wood, or practicing an instrument (though your party members probably wouldn't appreciate the latter).

[Naanomi]

Pick up an artistan tool and whittle or draw maps or brew beer or whatever.

If you get two no-sleep party members you can teach eachother tool skills and languages

[JackPhoenix]

Trouble with long rest is that even if you don't have to sleep, you're still limited in what activity (and how much) is allowed to get the benefit. Practicing a profession or craft for more than two hours (if it's considered light activity) would prevent you from getting LR benefit.

Perhaps you can sleep even if you don't need to?

[Naanomi]

Trouble with long rest is that even if you don't have to sleep, you're still limited in what activity (and how much) is allowed to get the benefit.
True I imagine that usually you are just doing some light watch (via passive perception should still be ok?) or very minor scouting...

Of course warlocks probably don't need long rests as often as other party members anyways and can probably get away with a short rest and lots of free time

[Sir cryosin]

I really wanted to know if I could make potions as the group sleeps. And anything else ya'll can think up.

[Slipperychicken]

Keep watch all night. Or at least, take over watch duty from everyone who has a lower perception score than you.


edit: I think it can only be pushed so far. Remember that activity during a long rest is limited to light activty like reading, talking, and keeping watch. I'd say that crafting is considered strenuous, so more than an hour of it would break the rest entirely.

[JumboWheat01]

What about plotting? Would plotting be too strenuous?

[Giant2005]

I really wanted to know if I could make potions as the group sleeps. And anything else ya'll can think up.

That strictly falls into the ask your DM territory. Although there is no reason you couldn't just take a short rest and use the remaining 7 hours for whatever you like. I'm just not sure an entire alchemy lab is portable enough to be using while adventuring.

[The Shadowdove]

Pick up an artistan tool and whittle or draw maps or brew beer or whatever.

If you get two no-sleep party members you can teach eachother tool skills and languages

And/or see if your dm allows language learning books.

[Slipperychicken]

Although there is no reason you couldn't just take a short rest and use the remaining 7 hours for whatever you like.

Taking a short rest within a long rest? If that's RAW, then that's got to be one of the most brazen and shameless exploits I've ever seen in 5th edition. Needless to say, there's no way I'd let someone do that in my games.

Although maybe you could schedule nine hours of rest so that the party gets a short rest before a long rest? That could be nice for short rest healing powers like healer and second wind, and also so the party is better prepared for a nighttime ambush, as they've already regained hitpoints via hit dice, and recovered their other short rest powers.

[Naanomi]

Taking a short rest within a long rest? If that's RAW, then that's got to be one of the most brazen and shameless exploits I've ever seen in 5th edition. Needless to say, there's no way I'd let someone do that in my games.

Although maybe you could schedule nine hours of rest so that the party gets a short rest before a long rest? That could be nice for short rest healing powers like healer and second wind, and also so the party is better prepared for a nighttime ambush, as they've already regained hitpoints via hit dice, and recovered their other short rest powers.
The idea is your party takes a long rest, but you don't need one so you take a short rest and dink off the rest of your free time

[Giant2005]

Taking a short rest within a long rest? If that's RAW, then that's got to be one of the most brazen and shameless exploits I've ever seen in 5th edition. Needless to say, there's no way I'd let someone do that in my games.

Although maybe you could schedule nine hours of rest so that the party gets a short rest before a long rest? That could be nice for short rest healing powers like healer and second wind, and also so the party is better prepared for a nighttime ambush, as they've already regained hitpoints via hit dice, and recovered their other short rest powers.

I was suggesting the Warlock take a short rest while the rest of the party takes a long rest - not taking both. Although I fail to see how taking both would be broken considering a short rest doesn't give you anything a long rest wasn't already giving you anyway.

[Slipperychicken]

I was suggesting the Warlock take a short rest while the rest of the party takes a long rest - not taking both. Although I fail to see how taking both would be broken considering a short rest doesn't give you anything a long rest wasn't already giving you anyway.

I see, that makes more sense. I dunno, I was thinking you might short rest during a long rest to get your hitpoints and warlock spells back early, and allow more uses out of short rest healing powers like healer.

[Regitnui]

In 3.5, warforged didn't sleep, even though they needed to take rests to recharge spells and powers. The suggested solution was, since warforged were warriors, that they did the maintenance of the party's equipment; sharpened swords, beat out dents, reloaded quivers, polished holy symbols, etc. That both kept them busy and kept their party in optimal condition. It was light work, so they gained rest benefits, while also remaining useful. A party with a warforged also got an untiring watchman, so the rest could sleep soundly if they wanted.

It seems a sleepless warlock from Seattle could do something similar.

[Dalebert]

The only thing a warlock typically needs from a long rest is healing and the regaining of used hit dice. If they're a sniper type who hangs back for most combats and gets magical healing (like lots of cheap goodberries), I could imagine it could be a fairly rare thing that they need more than a short rest.

On the other note, I've always assumed that you get a short rest in the process of getting a long one. In other words, if you get woken early by an enemy but it's been at least an hour, I would assume you still have the benefits of a short rest. Then assuming you don't fight more than an hour, you get back to resting and complete your long rest. As was pointed out, a short rest doesn't grant anything a long rest doesn't grant anyway. A sorlock could rest for several hours and recharge quite a bit by converting warlock slots to spell points, spell points to spell slots, and then regaining their lock slots to do it again.

[Specter]

It's worth noting that you can only keep watch during two hours - otherwise you don't get long rest benefits.

Your best bet as they said is a tool or kit that lets you create something. Herbalism kit comes to mind for potions of healing and antitoxin. Or poisoner's kit.

[RickAllison]

It's worth noting that you can only keep watch during two hours - otherwise you don't get long rest benefits.

Your best bet as they said is a tool or kit that lets you create something. Herbalism kit comes to mind for potions of healing and antitoxin. Or poisoner's kit.

Isn't that because an ordinary PC needs six hours of sleep? So while most PCs could only do two hours, an elf could do four and Warforged or Undying Warlocks can do all eight.

[Slipperychicken]

Isn't that because an ordinary PC needs six hours of sleep? So while most PCs could only do two hours, an elf could do four and Warforged or Undying Warlocks can do all eight.

That sounds like a good way to reward those features.

[Specter]

Isn't that because an ordinary PC needs six hours of sleep? So while most PCs could only do two hours, an elf could do four and Warforged or Undying Warlocks can do all eight.

Nope. Check the 'Resting' section of the book.

[Veldrenor]

Isn't that because an ordinary PC needs six hours of sleep? So while most PCs could only do two hours, an elf could do four and Warforged or Undying Warlocks can do all eight.

I think Jeremy Crawford wrote about this in a sage advice column. At the very least it's in the sage advice compendium in the section talking about the elf Trance ability. The relevant bit of text:

"A long rest is a period of relaxation that is at least 8 hours long. It can contain sleep, reading, talking, eating, and other restful activity. Standing watch is even possible during it, but for no more than 2 hours; maintaining heightened vigilance any longer than that isn’t restful. In short, a long rest and sleep aren’t the same thing; you can sleep when you’re not taking a long rest, and you can take a long rest and not sleep."

[JumboWheat01]

I assume they mean "sleep but not taking a long rest" along the lines of a nap or something, because if you're not taking a long rest as you sleep through the night, then what exactly are you doing?

[Veldrenor]

I assume they mean "sleep but not taking a long rest" along the lines of a nap or something, because if you're not taking a long rest as you sleep through the night, then what exactly are you doing?

Taking an 8-hour short rest. It's probably not going to happen very often that sleeping for the night and your long rest are going to become separated, but I can think of circumstances where it could happen.

EDIT: Now that I think about it, I've seen at least one circumstance where it happened. The PC got arrested around 6 and thrown in the drunk tank so he went to sleep for the night. It was too early to start counting as his long rest (one long rest per 24 hour period), and then he got woken up to rejoin the party before he got into "long rest" territory.

[rlc]

Fa...oh, never mind, not strenuous activity.
Uh, you can always plot.

[Kane0]

Can also he related to your pact

Blade pacts would have hours and hours of free time to hone blade forms and techniques

Tome pacts would have a great chance to practice their rituals

Chain pacts have a free familiar specially designed to keep them company through the long, sleepless nights.

[Zalabim]

Properly standing watch is a little more involved than just being awake. Plus, you might see some disturbing things some nights.


Chain pacts have a free familiar specially designed to keep them company through the long, sleepless nights.


oh, never mind, not strenuous activity.
Uh, you can always plot.

Oh, Plotting. That's what you were doing. Of course.

[Regitnui]

Oh, Plotting. That's what you were doing. Of course.

Familiars are Small, so can't polymorph into that. Of course, being a warlock, you could just cast a summoning spell.

[Socratov]

well, personally I would compare stuff you do as yoru core activity (in this case adventuring) and stuff you do beucse you think it's fun. for example, for me, work is my core activity during the day, and reading/playing DnD/ sleeping is restful activity. Tha tcould include a hobby like cooking, or making wooden structures, mending stuff, whatever. As long as it is not tiring in a physical way, or requires intense concentration like magic. I'd rule that brewing potions for a.5 times the time it woudl normally take would make for a relaxing activity. As would scribing a scroll, taking 1.5 times the time to do it normally. As long as it's a bit like a leisure activity that takes your mind off things (http://www.darthsanddroids.net/episodes/0143.html). I'd rule that doing something that could otherwise be considered work, but is not physically tiring and done at a slower pace could be included as a light activity and be used in lieu of rest when sleep or trance aren't applicable to you.

[DanyBallon]

Regarding warlock taking a short rest instead of a long rest, I would definately allow it, but I'll warn my players that they may do so for 1d6+1 days without suffering from some form of madness from their pact entity taking over their sleep deprivated body. This could lead to some inspiring roleplay on the long run :)

[Belac93]

Regarding warlock taking a short rest instead of a long rest, I would definately allow it, but I'll warn my players that they may do so for 1d6+1 days without suffering from some form of madness from their pact entity taking over their sleep deprivated body. This could lead to some inspiring roleplay on the long run :)

The point of this was for undying warlocks, who do not need to sleep, starting at level 10.

[DanyBallon]

The point of this was for undying warlocks, who do not need to sleep, starting at level 10.

Still can be applied to Undying Warlocks, they don't physically need to sleep anymore, but a full 8hrs of rest let them keep their sanity.

[Socratov]

Still can be applied to Undying Warlocks, they don't physically need to sleep anymore, but a full 8hrs of rest let them keep their sanity.

however, is that rest as in faffing about and doing some things you like doing but aren't a strain because you se them as your mental downtime, or is that rest as in not!sleeping and doing nothing becuase that woudl led to boredom almost instantly and make a lvl 10 classfeature useless.

The point remains: if you don't need sleep, what can you do with the rest that has any sort of use?Especially if you gain the ability to not sleep at later levels? What can be equivalent in usefullness when comparing to what other classes get at lvl 10?

[DanyBallon]

however, is that rest as in faffing about and doing some things you like doing but aren't a strain because you se them as your mental downtime, or is that rest as in not!sleeping and doing nothing becuase that woudl led to boredom almost instantly and make a lvl 10 classfeature useless.

The point remains: if you don't need sleep, what can you do with the rest that has any sort of use?Especially if you gain the ability to not sleep at later levels? What can be equivalent in usefullness when comparing to what other classes get at lvl 10?

You could do whatever is allowed on a long rest (reading, cooking, being on watch, etc.) but instead on being limited to 2 hours you can do it on a period of 8 hours. My idea about falling into madness was specific to those who wanted to take only a short rest instead of a long rest and go adventuring (or do training etc.) while the others are taking a long rest.

Also it should be noted that the usefulness of the Undying Nature feature is that you no more need to eat food or drink water, which is quite useful while adventuring and not wanting to get an exhaustion level. No sleep and slow aging is only for the show.

[Belac93]

No sleep and slow aging is only for the show.

I would agree with you on the slow aging, but not the no sleep. You could, with it, keep watch all night, every night, with no problems. The other PCs get to sleep, and you have a sentinel guarding them.

[DanyBallon]

I would agree with you on the slow aging, but not the no sleep. You could, with it, keep watch all night, every night, with no problems. The other PCs get to sleep, and you have a sentinel guarding them.

That's up to the DM!

In our home game we agreed that non-elf can spend 2 hours on Watch or doing light duty stuff (cooking, reading, etc.) Elf can do for 4 hours due to trance. Following this line of thought, Undying Warlock would be able to do so for 8 hours. But if he would like to do training or advendturing, he wouldn't benefit from a long rest, maybe a short rest at best.