Rest and light activity.


Rules Questions


In order to regain spells, a wizard must rest for 8 hours. In order to regain ki, a monk or ninja must rest for 8 hours or meditate for 8 hours. For creatures that need sleep, rest typically means sleep. For creatures that don't, rest means "remain inactive".

The rules for using the Heal skill in the core rulebook (first published in 2009?) to provide long-term care for up to six patients says that doing so is considered "light activity". It doesn't say what that refers to, and there's no other mention of "light activity" elsewhere, until Ultimate Equipment was released in 2012.

On page 257 of Ultimate Equipment is the Everwake Amulet, which removes the need to sleep for a few days at a time, the description says "The wearer of this amulet does not need sleep, but must remain at ease for the normal amount of time to regain spells and other abilities that require rest (although the wearer could perform light activity, such as reading or keeping watch)." It doesn't say the amulet magically allows performing light activity while resting when it wasn't previously allowed, it just gives examples of things an awake humanoid can do to keep from being bored or useless for 8 hours.

Thus rest was quietly clarified in 2012. A creature can get the rest they need while performing light activities, such as reading, keeping watch, and, one could assume, the only previously mentioned example of light activity, providing long-term care for up to six patients. Liches can read for 8 hours and still regain the ability to memorize spells, and elementals can keep watch while regaining abilities that require rest to replenish. Oozes and plants, too.

I have a complicated character in this case. I have a Tiefling Monk. I took the Adopted trait, chose Aasimar for the adopting race, and then chose the Aasimar trait Enlightened Warrior, which allows her to be a non-lawful monk. I also traded her spell-like ability for not needing to sleep, getting GM approval first. Based on Ultimate Equipment stating that you can keep watch while resting if you don't need to sleep, I thought this would greatly benefit the party, because she could then be on watch all night, and that made the trade a good one.

Two levels go by, all of levels 4 and 5, and my GM is just now ruling she can't be on watch all night and still get rest. His reasoning is that the description of the ki pool states that a monk needs 8 hours of rest or meditation to regain ki. Since my monk doesn't need to sleep, he is requiring that my monk meditate for 8 hours, even though she can rest without sleeping, and the RAW say she can keep watch while she does. He is seeing it as a "sleep or meditate" requirement, instead of "rest or meditate", and since sleep isn't available, you have to take what's left.

The disconnect is clear. My GM ad I disagree on the definition of "rest". The lich is still my best example of rest not equaling sleep, since undead don't sleep, and, as a wizard, a lich would still need to rest to regain spells. A clear example from the beginning of Pathfinder (and beyond) that proves rest doesn't have to mean sleep for creatures who do not need to sleep.

Yes, I'm a little frustrated. I traded a not-insignificant racial ability for this, the rules say it's allowed, but my GM is ruling that I'm getting less for my trade than I thought, contrary to the rules. I still haven't heard a single argument that convinces me that I'm the one misinterpreting the rules. My GM is making arguments instead of just saying he doesn't like it (which is the one argument that doesn't need supporting), which suggests that he'd be willing to change if facts presented convinces him. So far, none of my arguments, including giving him the pages the rules appear on, and the lack of errata/FAQs changing them, are convincing my GM that rest doesn't explicitly mean sleep. I'm starting to get the impression that nothing short of an official ruling from Paizo, such as a FAQ or errata adding "rest" to the common terms section of the core rulebook, stating you can perform light actions while resting, such as keeping watch, will do, so I'll just have to deal.

What do you guys think? Am I the one misinterpreting? Your opinions won't change the situation, I'm just curious.


What I think is that both sides are easily arguable. It were awake all night in woods you know to contain predatory monsters, watching for danger while your allies sleep, I think you would be pretty tired at the end of the night - not rested. On the other, if you conduct your watch during the day on an open plain where there is only wild life live, you could get through that without suffering any ill effects. One very important consideration is that the game's definitions of rest, sleep, etc. are vague, thus open to more interpretation than, say, the definition of character level or what a feat is.

Liberty's Edge

I disagree with your GM.

A wizard...must choose and prepare his spells ahead of time by getting 8 hours of sleep...
A monks...ki pool is replenished each morning after 8 hours of rest or meditation; these hours do not need to be consecutive.

The Core rulebook specifically cites the need for 'sleep' for the wizard and 'rest' for the monk. If 'rest' meant 'sleep' for the monk, it would say 'sleep'.

Your ability is fine for regaining Ki Points.

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