Quick question for D&D 3.5

[Sarquion]

Does a character need to sleep every day to avoid fatigue and also what are the penalties and does it stack?

[gbprime]

Per the SRD, a character can walk or do normal exertion for 8 hours before they have to start making checks to avoid being fatigued. Hustling or more strenuous exertion can be done for 1 hour before starting to make checks to avoid being fatigued. And once fatigued, if you get fatigued again, you get Exhausted. It doesn't get worse than that, but you do keep taking nonlethal damage.

1 Hour of rest upgrades exhaustion to fatigue, and 8 hours of rest eliminates fatigue. Get less rest than that, and you stay fatigued or exhausted.

Presumably, doing something less strenuous than walking will eventually fatigue you, but the SRD doesn't say so. Common sense would indicate otherwise.

Fatigue and exhaustion are described under the Conditions section on this page, per the SRD.
http://www.systemreferencedocuments....onditions.html

[Sarquion]

Thanks mate that helped a lot .

[Thurbane]

FWIW, there is absolutely no RAW on going without sleep except as how it affects regaining spells, and how ceratin races need less/no sleep. Silly, but there it is.

Common sense is to apply Fatigue/Exhaustion, but when, how often, how ability scores and other factors come into play etc. are all things that the DM is going to need to make his own rules on.

[gbprime]

My general rule follows the SRD. 1 hour of strenuous activity, 8 hours of activity... or IMO 16 hours of no activity (like reading in a library). After that, you start making CON checks per the SRD to avoid fatigue and nonlethal damage.

Of course, by these rules, I am always fatigued. I have 3 kids... I don't GET 8 hours of rest. Ever. Best I can do is upgrade from exhaustion to fatigue. Thankfully, there's an alchemical remedy I've discovered... 5 Hour Energy.

[Draz74]

Note that Fatigue and Exhaustion are countered rather thoroughly by Restoration spells, so a party with a clever Cleric can pretty easily abuse any "daily sleep" rules that rely entirely upon those conditions.

[G3N3R3L GHOST]

In one campaign I ran back in the day where sleeping was definitely not gauranteed on a nightly basis I used a good old medical directory online. I can't remember off the top of my head. But use the normal rules for fatigue and exhaustion for daily exertion and then use whatever those rules are...I think a week maybe? With no sleep and the characters would be bed ridden because of lack of sleep. Even to a point of passing out mid journey. Check into it though because there are no real rules for such things. So real life may be able to lend a hand.

[Thurbane]

Of course, by these rules, I am always fatigued. I have 3 kids... I don't GET 8 hours of rest. Ever. Best I can do is upgrade from exhaustion to fatigue. Thankfully, there's an alchemical remedy I've discovered... 5 Hour Energy.

As a borderline insomniac, and holding down a "9 to 5" weekday job, I hear you about exhaustion. I must have the Iron Will or Endurance feat...strong black coffee helps. I recently went to work without having slept for 72 hours.