Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 1stLevelSean Sep 14, 2014 13:21:30	Can a character take a long rest (sleep) in armor? PHB p.146 talks about donning and doffing armor, which suggests to me that characters might have a need to take it off occasionally. Even light armor takes 1 minute, meaning that if characters must take their armor off in order to gain the benefit of a long rest, then attacks which interrupt a long rest will likely be defended au naturel. I expect a module  along these lines might appear in the DMG, but here's my take on this:   Resting in Armor Armor provides protection to the wearer by combining and layering various deflective materials, with heavier pieces giving more protection. Resting while wearing bulky armor make it more difficult to regain health and fully benefit from recuperation. Armor which incurs penalties while taking a long rest includes medium armor which imposes a disadvantage on stealth checks and all heavy armor. When you take a long rest while wearing one of these armor types, instead of recovering all of your lost hit points, you recover one-half, minimum of 1. Instead of recovering one-half of your expended hit dice, you recover one-quarter, minimum of 1. Feats, spells slots, and other abilities which you typically recover fully after a long rest, recover at one-half the rate. For example, a Cleric would have one-half of her daily uses of Channel Divinity available. A Paladin would have one-half of the his spell slots available at each level. The number of uses of these features is never reduced below one. Getting Into and Out of Armor The time it takes to don or doff armor depends on the armor’s category. Don. This is the time it takes to put on armor. You benefit from the armor's AC only if you take the full time to don the suit of armor. If you have help from someone who is proficient with the armor you are donning, reduce this time by half. Doff. This is the time it takes to take off armor. If you have help, reduce this time by half. Donning and Doffing Armor Light Armor don: 30 seconds, doff: 30 seconds Medium Armor don: 2 minutes, doff: 1 minute Heavy Armor don: 4 minutes, doff 2 minutes Shield don: 1 action, doff: 1 action Exceptions It is possible for adventurers with special skills or experience to avoid the consequences of resting in armor. Your DM may allow you to make a Survival(Wisdom) check at the end of a long rest to see if you were negatively affected. Bonuses to this check may be given for the construction of a shelter or for magical armor. DC 10: Temperate weather, forest or grasslands DC 15: Barren conditions, rocky terrain DC 20: Hostile environment, dungeon/caverns   In addition, your DM may allow that some feats make it possible for you to rest in armor without suffering penalties or needing to make a check. These include Heavy Armor Master and Medium Armor Master. Armor as Layers Complex armor is composed of layers, typically a leather jacket and trousers over which heavier pieces are strapped. Medium bulky armor (scale and half plate) is layered over leather armor. Heavy armor is layered over studded leather. Leather and studded leather are light armor, so they don't impact a long rest. Example: A human Fighter with 15 DEX wears chain mail. Fully armored, his AC is 16. (No DEX bonus for heavy armor.) During a long rest, he is considered to be wearing studded leather, so when he's awoken by the Owlbear, his AC is 14. (Studded leather allows for his DEX bonus.) Naturally, this assumes proficiency with both armor types.   Note: DMs who use this module should apply it to NPCs and monsters as well. Sneak into the Orc cave and the sleeping ones won't benefit from donned armor.
#2 RokElfslayer Sep 14, 2014 13:29:54	I have not seen anywhere in the Player's Handbook where resting in armor is discussed. I do remember from 1st and 2nd Editions where the only armor that could be rested in comfortably for long periods of time was mithril chain mail . This goes back to Tolkien I am sure. But I am open to debating it if there is no definitive answer stated in the 5th Ed PHB.   I would think that someone wearing heavy armor would not rest or heal as well unless they got out of their armor. Now someone wearing light armor could probably rest better but still not as comfortably as being naked or just in night clothes. I think Mithril would still win out as armor you would wear and sleep in. Maybe cloth armor too, but I have not seen it in the PHB.   What do you all think?
#3 trebor_rjf Sep 14, 2014 13:34:44	i don't think you should be allowed to take a long rest in armor.
#4 OrwellianHaggis Sep 14, 2014 15:32:02	For realism, no. But if you're not tracking ammo, torches, rations, etc, why bother?
#5 Lawolf Sep 14, 2014 15:37:13	People slept in armor quite a bit. The D&D rules for sleeping in armor were anythig but realistic. I'm glad they are gone.
#6 ankiyavon Sep 14, 2014 17:09:57	5E's lack of rules for sleeping in armor is consistent because there are not rules in general for discomfort when resting.  Given the choice between sleeping in armor and sleeping on the ground in the rain, I'll take the armor every time.  If you want a more general set of rules for 'sleeping poorly because of conditions', that might be a good thing to have, but there's no reason to have only a rule for sleeping in armor without having rules that could also cover, say, sleeping on stone, sleeping in the rain, and so on.
#7 MechaPilot Sep 14, 2014 17:20:13	If you want a general rule for sleeping in armor, here is the first thing off the top of my head:   If you sleep in armor, make a Con save against the base AC provided by the armor (AC of 10 + Dex mod would be DC 10).  If you fail the save, you gain one level of exhaustion.     I don't personally feel that such a rule is necessary, but there's no reason one shouldn't exist as an option for those who want it.
#8 Noon Sep 14, 2014 17:39:55	Sleeping in armour   Slay giant.   Take armour.   Put bed inside.   Sleep.
#9 iserith Sep 14, 2014 17:46:20	My house rule is that if characters don't get at least 8 hours of restful sleep in a memory foam bed, they don't gain the benefits of a long rest.
#10 MechaPilot Sep 14, 2014 17:51:00	iserith wrote:
#11 RCanine Sep 14, 2014 21:36:12	If you don't like that a PC never takes off his armor, give him charisma check disadvantage due to awful B.O., rash and, in the case of hide armor, fleas.   I believe it's assumed that part of a short rest involves general maintenance on your equipment--sharpening blades, patching holes, banging out dents--if a PC claims not to be taking that time, I don't think it's off-base to subject him to equipment breakage if he rolls a 1 or a monster crits him.