D&D 5E Tome of Clear Thought -- Minimum Time?

[Werebat]

What is the minimum amount of time required to gain the benefits of a Tome of Clear Thought?

The obvious assumption is that it would take 8 hours per day of studying and practicing guidelines for a period of six days (totaling 48 hours).

But the text says six days "or less".

Is there anything from stopping someone from spending 48 *straight* hours studying and practicing the guidelines? You don't actually need to SLEEP in order to Long Rest, so...

 

[Lanliss]

What is the minimum amount of time required to gain the benefits of a Tome of Clear Thought?

The obvious assumption is that it would take 8 hours per day of studying and practicing guidelines for a period of six days (totaling 48 hours).

But the text says six days "or less".

Is there anything from stopping someone from spending 48 *straight* hours studying and practicing the guidelines? You don't actually need to SLEEP in order to Long Rest, so...

Some would rule that a Long rest is sleep. By RAW though, no I don't think there is any limit on how fast you can read it.

 

[AaronOfBarbaria]

What is the minimum amount of time required to gain the benefits of a Tome of Clear Thought?

48 hours, as clearly stated in the book.

The obvious assumption is that it would take 8 hours per day of studying and practicing guidelines for a period of six days (totaling 48 hours).

How is that assumption "obvious"? I didn't make the same assumption upon reading the text.

But the text says six days "or less".

Because if you've spent 40 hours studying over the 6 days you've been at it, but then you say "I'll finish up tomorrow" instead of "I'll finish up tonight." you will have failed to fulfill the requirements for the magic to work.

Is there anything from stopping someone from spending 48 *straight* hours studying and practicing the guidelines?

Should there be?

You don't actually need to SLEEP in order to Long Rest, so...

You also don't need to Long Rest at all, if you'd rather be doing other things.

 

[Werebat]

Do PCs need to sleep?

Does lack of sleep interfere with one's ability to study and put into practice (habits? actions?) that will magically raise one's Intelligence?

I know that if I were awake and studying for 48 hours straight -- without even any bathroom or eating breaks -- I wouldn't be getting as much out of the studying as I would if I had had some sleep somewhere in there.

 

[Lanliss]

Do PCs need to sleep?

If you go without sleep, I believe you gain a level of exhaustion. A full 48 hours without sleep would be two levels.

 

[Werebat]

If you go without sleep, I believe you gain a level of exhaustion. A full 48 hours without sleep would be two levels.

And a level of exhaustion doesn't SPECIFICALLY interfere with one's ability to study, so...

I mean by the book you can study and learn in a damp cave until you are just shy of DYING FROM EXHAUSTION and it'll be just as effective as studying with good rest and a full stomach in a comfortable room.

I see an elephant up in that tree. Elephants are strong -- VERY good climbers.

 

[Lanliss]

And a level of exhaustion doesn't SPECIFICALLY interfere with one's ability to study, so...

I mean by the book you can study and learn in a damp cave until you are just shy of DYING FROM EXHAUSTION and it'll be just as effective as studying with good rest and a full stomach in a comfortable room.

I see an elephant up in that tree. Elephants are strong -- VERY good climbers.

Not until the 5th or 6th level of exhaustion, where you die. Of course, this is all 100% DM fiat. If your DM decided that you need to make a check to continue reading after 24 hours without sleep, that is their prerogative. By RAW, it is all fine though, by my reading at least.

 

[AaronOfBarbaria]

Do PCs need to sleep?

That depends on how you mean the question. If you are asking if there are any rules in the book that detail what happens if characters don't sleep, the answer is "No." If you are asking if players should be sure to have their characters get reasonable amounts of sleep at reasonable times, the answer is "Absolutely. People that don't sleep enough end up hallucinating, suffering diminished mental acuity and physical faculties, are at greater risk of illness, and will die if kept awake too long." Because there don't have to be rules in the book for a thing for it to still be necessary for characters to do at some point, and for each group to already know their own take on how it should work.

 

[Werebat]

That depends on how you mean the question. If you are asking if there are any rules in the book that detail what happens if characters don't sleep, the answer is "No." If you are asking if players should be sure to have their characters get reasonable amounts of sleep at reasonable times, the answer is "Absolutely. People that don't sleep enough end up hallucinating, suffering diminished mental acuity and physical faculties, are at greater risk of illness, and will die if kept awake too long." Because there don't have to be rules in the book for a thing for it to still be necessary for characters to do at some point, and for each group to already know their own take on how it should work.

But the rules don't SAY that they need to sleep. Or poop.

My PC never poops again. He doesn't need to. The rules don't say that he does.

I think this is the problem here. It sounds like the answer to my original question is, "Ask your DM." Which is fine, I guess.

 

[Lanliss]

But the rules don't SAY that they need to sleep. Or poop.

My PC never poops again. He doesn't need to. The rules don't say that he does.

I think this is the problem here. It sounds like the answer to my original question is, "Ask your DM." Which is fine, I guess.

The RAW answer is "Go ahead, read for 48 hours straight". As is usual though, the RAW answer is worth less than your DMs answer. If your DM is indifferent though, RAW should work out fine.