”A character can't benefit from more than one long rest in a 24-hour period, and a character must have at least 1 hit point at the start of the rest to gain its benefits.”
”A character can't benefit from more than one long rest in a 24-hour period, and a character must have at least 1 hit point at the start of the rest to gain its benefits.”
Those are the rules for a long rest, not a short rest. Since you're unconscious for a maximum of four hours, it would never qualify for a long rest anyway.
The rules for short rests are:
Short Rest A Short Rest is a period of Downtime, at least 1 hour long, during which a character does nothing more strenuous than eating, drinking, reading, and tending to wounds.
A character can spend one or more Hit Dice at the end of a Short Rest, up to the character’s maximum number of Hit Dice, which is equal to the character’s level. For each Hit Die spent in this way, the player rolls the die and adds the character’s Constitution modifier to it. The character regains hit points equal to the total. The player can decide to spend an additional Hit Die after each roll.
RAW, there is nothing to say it can't count unconsciousness as a short rest. Personally though, I'd rule it doesn't. You're not resting per se, and I'd want more consequence to being KO'd than missing the end of a fight - and if you roll a 1, that's literally it. So, I'd rule that you don't get the benefits of a short rest unless you have 1HP at the start - just like the long rest. Personally, I'd say that was RAI and it just didn't get onto paper for some reason.
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If being unconscious counted as a short rest, then you'd be able to use Hit Dice to stop being unconscious. Instead, there's a special rule for being stable and unconscious and regaining hit points:
A stable creature doesn’t make death saving throws, even though it has 0 hit points, but it does remain unconscious. The creature stops being stable, and must start making death saving throws again, if it takes any damage. A stable creature that isn’t healed regains 1 hit point after 1d4 hours.
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Active characters:
Carric Aquissar, elven wannabe artist in his deconstructionist period (Archfey warlock) Lan Kidogo, mapach archaeologist and treasure hunter (Knowledge cleric) Mardan Ferres, elven private investigator obsessed with that one unsolved murder (Assassin rogue) Xhekhetiel, halfling survivor of a Betrayer Gods cult (Runechild sorcerer/fighter)
If being unconscious counted as a short rest, then you'd be able to use Hit Dice to stop being unconscious. Instead, there's a special rule for being stable and unconscious and regaining hit points:
A stable creature doesn’t make death saving throws, even though it has 0 hit points, but it does remain unconscious. The creature stops being stable, and must start making death saving throws again, if it takes any damage. A stable creature that isn’t healed regains 1 hit point after 1d4 hours.
You do the Hit Dice at the end of a short rest, not in the middle. Therefore, you can't get the benefits of rolling Hit Dice until you wake up, so it wouldn't affect the length of unconsciousness, if it were to be counted as a short rest:
A character can spend one or more Hit Dice at the end of a Short Rest
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If you're not willing or able to to discuss in good faith, then don't be surprised if I don't respond, there are better things in life for me to do than humour you. This signature is that response.
If being unconscious counted as a short rest, then you'd be able to use Hit Dice to stop being unconscious. Instead, there's a special rule for being stable and unconscious and regaining hit points:
A stable creature doesn’t make death saving throws, even though it has 0 hit points, but it does remain unconscious. The creature stops being stable, and must start making death saving throws again, if it takes any damage. A stable creature that isn’t healed regains 1 hit point after 1d4 hours.
You do the Hit Dice at the end of a short rest, not in the middle. Therefore, you can't get the benefits of rolling Hit Dice until you wake up, so it wouldn't affect the length of unconsciousness, if it were to be counted as a short rest:
A character can spend one or more Hit Dice at the end of a Short Rest
Way to ignore the point. You cannot use Hit Dice to stop being unconscious. There is an entire separate rule for regaining HP at the end of your unconsciousness
If you want to use Hit Dice after waking up, you would need to take an additional short rest
Carric Aquissar, elven wannabe artist in his deconstructionist period (Archfey warlock) Lan Kidogo, mapach archaeologist and treasure hunter (Knowledge cleric) Mardan Ferres, elven private investigator obsessed with that one unsolved murder (Assassin rogue) Xhekhetiel, halfling survivor of a Betrayer Gods cult (Runechild sorcerer/fighter)
If being unconscious counted as a short rest, then you'd be able to use Hit Dice to stop being unconscious. Instead, there's a special rule for being stable and unconscious and regaining hit points:
A stable creature doesn’t make death saving throws, even though it has 0 hit points, but it does remain unconscious. The creature stops being stable, and must start making death saving throws again, if it takes any damage. A stable creature that isn’t healed regains 1 hit point after 1d4 hours.
You do the Hit Dice at the end of a short rest, not in the middle. Therefore, you can't get the benefits of rolling Hit Dice until you wake up, so it wouldn't affect the length of unconsciousness, if it were to be counted as a short rest:
A character can spend one or more Hit Dice at the end of a Short Rest
Way to ignore the point. You cannot use Hit Dice to stop being unconscious. There is an entire separate rule for regaining HP at the end of your unconsciousness
If you want to use Hit Dice after waking up, you would need to take an additional short rest
I didn't ignore it. You said that you could use Hit Dice to stop being unconscious if it counted as a short rest, that is not true because you can't use the Hit Dice until the end of the short rest, and so are irrelevant.
What you are claiming with that other part of.the rule is that because there is a separate rule for gaining some HP at the end of the period of unconscious that means it can't count as a short rest. Again, it's irrelevant to RAW. It's describing a trigger for gaining HP (and returning to consciousness), not a condition for it being a short rest. As Kotath says, you could have no Hit Dice left or not want to use them, so there would need to be a mechanic to return them to consciousness regardless.
Is it evidence that the rules as intended is that it doesn't count? I'd agree, and part of why I'd rule against it. However, RAW is what's written, and what's written is that "A Short Rest is a period of Downtime, at least 1 hour long, during which a character does nothing more strenuous than eating, drinking, reading, and tending to wounds." Being unconscious is a period of downtime, at least an hour long, and doing nothing more strenuous than eating, drinking, reading and tending to wounds. RAW, there's nothing coming to mind to say it doesn't count - even if it's not what the writers intended.
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Ruling that it does not also assumes that if someone does not actively say that they are taking a long rest every night, or even says 'my character goes to sleep for the night' then then 'wake up' exhausted, since they did not overtly say they were taking a long rest.
It is like saying there is some conscious aspect to sleeping.... something you have to consciously do in your sleep for it to count.
For me, it's not about declaring it a short rest or it not being called that. It's just that being knocked unconsciousness isn't, well, restful. I've never been outright knocked unconscious, but I've been concussed and stunned and it was worse in terms of being rested than without. - even the long sleeps afterwards weren't returning me to the energy levels I'd have had without the blow. I've been put under with anaesthesia, and that wasn't restful either. The unconsciousness due to being KO'd, to my experience, just isn't productive for anything undoing the KO'd aspect. Also, to me, there's a period of recovery where even when you regain consciousness, you wouldn't be fighting fit. You can move, but it wouldn't take much to put you down again, or you can rest and get your strength back. That to me is the choice of a short rest or to get moving without having to carry them (or even, if appropriate, a long rest). If I wanted to get the session going again though, I might well forgo the requirement to save play time.
This isn't something I'd get stuck over, though. If I'm at a table and a DM said it counted, then I wouldn't say anything, nor would it bother me. It's just a matter RAW (which, to my reading, favours allowing it) and how you'd implement consequences for KO's in the game.
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I didn't ignore it. You said that you could use Hit Dice to stop being unconscious if it counted as a short rest, that is not true because you can't use the Hit Dice until the end of the short rest, and so are irrelevant.
The rules for unconsciousness say you roll a d4 to determine how many hours you are out, and then you regain 1 HP
If being unconscious counted as a short rest -- which lasts only one hour -- why are you rolling a d4 to determine its duration? Where in the Unconsciousness rules does it say you can roll Hit Dice to end the duration early?
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Active characters:
Carric Aquissar, elven wannabe artist in his deconstructionist period (Archfey warlock) Lan Kidogo, mapach archaeologist and treasure hunter (Knowledge cleric) Mardan Ferres, elven private investigator obsessed with that one unsolved murder (Assassin rogue) Xhekhetiel, halfling survivor of a Betrayer Gods cult (Runechild sorcerer/fighter)
Although I would tend not to play it this way. A JC tweet points out that RAW, there is no prohibition on spending hit die when unconscious and there is no requirement to have at least 1 hp to benefit from a short rest as there is for a long rest.
"A long rest requires you to have 1 hit point at the start. A short rest has no such requirement. Neither rest requires consciousness. #DnD"
In addition, since an unconscious character isn't doing anything, the other constraints on a short rest are already met. Also, note that a sleeping character is considered unconscious.
XGtE: " While a creature sleeps, it is subjected to the unconscious condition."
Would this mean that a character who takes a nap for a short rest could not benefit from the short rest because they are unconscious?
Does the DM try to decide the difference between being unconscious due to sleeping and unconscious due to taking damage?
It may be a lack in the rules (not uncommon) but it would seem that an unconscious character can benefit from a short rest.
The only thing the stable condition adds is "A stable creature that isn’t healed regains 1 hit point after 1d4 hours." However, expending hit die does "heal" the character since it restores hit points. There is no specification that the healing must be magical and the Healer feat would restore hit points without the use of magic. So, the limitation is a fail safe in case the character doesn't have hit die to spend or doesn't want to spend them.
So the RAI answer is "clearly not", and the RAW answer according to JC is, "we forgot to explicitly rule it out"
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Active characters:
Carric Aquissar, elven wannabe artist in his deconstructionist period (Archfey warlock) Lan Kidogo, mapach archaeologist and treasure hunter (Knowledge cleric) Mardan Ferres, elven private investigator obsessed with that one unsolved murder (Assassin rogue) Xhekhetiel, halfling survivor of a Betrayer Gods cult (Runechild sorcerer/fighter)
In 5e, there is no direct connection between knocking someone unconscious and a short rest. However, in the most recent One D&D play test, you can knock someone unconscious, and it specifically says they start a short rest. So it's a timely discussion.
In 5e, there is no direct connection between knocking someone unconscious and a short rest. However, in the most recent One D&D play test, you can knock someone unconscious, and it specifically says they start a short rest. So it's a timely discussion.
Oh, that's interesting. I hadn't even noticed that in the PDF
Yeah, they've now made it explicit that simply being unconscious but stable (i.e. not making death saves) puts you at 1 HP, and at the beginning of a short rest
KNOCKING A CREATURE OUT Sometimes an attacker wants to knock out a foe rather than deal a killing blow. When an attacker would reduce a creature to 0 Hit Points with a Melee Attack, the attacker can instead reduce the creature to 1 Hit Point. The creature then has the Unconscious condition and starts a Short Rest. The creature remains Unconscious until it regains any Hit Points or until someone uses an action to administer first aid to it, which requires a successful DC 10 Wisdom (Medicine) check.
SHORT REST A Short Rest is a 1-hour period of downtime, during which a creature does nothing more strenuous than eating, drinking, reading, dozing, and standing watch
BENEFITS OF THE REST To start a Short Rest, you must have at least 1 Hit Point. When you finish the rest, you gain the following benefits: Spend Hit Dice. You can spend one or more of your Hit Dice to regain Hit Points. For each Hit Die you spend in this way, roll the die, and add your Constitution modifier to it. You regain Hit Points equal to the total (minimum of 1 Hit Point). You can decide to spend an additional Hit Die after each roll.
DYING [CONDITION] When a player character drops to 0 Hit Points, that character has the Dying condition, which replaces the following rules in the 2014 Player’s Handbook (page 197): “Falling Unconscious,” “Death Saving Throws,” and “Stabilizing a Creature.”
While Dying, you experience the following effects: 0 Hit Points. You have 0 Hit Points. If you regain any Hit Points while Dying, this condition ends on you.
Knocked Out. You have the Unconscious condition.
Death Saving Throws. At the start of each of your turns, you must make a death saving throw, a special save that isn’t tied to any ability score. You’re in the hands of fate now; roll a d20. If the roll is 10 or higher, you succeed. Otherwise, you fail. A success or failure has no effect by itself. The successes and failures also don’t need to be consecutive; keep track of both until you collect three of a kind, the effects of which are described below. When this condition ends on you, reset the number of success and failures to zero.
Rolling a 1 or 20. When you make a death save and roll a 1 on the d20, it counts as two failures. If you roll a 20, you regain 1 Hit Point.
Three Failures. On your third failure, you die.
Three Successes. On your third success, you regain 1 Hit Point. This condition ends on you as normal, but you are still Unconscious and start a Short Rest. You remain Unconscious until you regain any Hit Points or until another creature uses an action to administer first aid to you, which requires a successful DC 10 Wisdom (Medicine) check.
Damage. If you take any damage, you suffer one death saving throw failure. If you suffer a critical hit, you instead suffer two death saving throw failures.
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Active characters:
Carric Aquissar, elven wannabe artist in his deconstructionist period (Archfey warlock) Lan Kidogo, mapach archaeologist and treasure hunter (Knowledge cleric) Mardan Ferres, elven private investigator obsessed with that one unsolved murder (Assassin rogue) Xhekhetiel, halfling survivor of a Betrayer Gods cult (Runechild sorcerer/fighter)
While the rules for being knocked unconscious last for 1d4 hours, do not refer to short rest or spending HD but instead regaining 1 hp, i deduce that the two aren't related. But i wouldn't have a problem letting such character get the benefit of one upon regaining consciousness, especially if the rest of the party took a short rest during this time Or at least let recharge features.
@SymphFan If you go to 0HP and fall unconscious & stabilize, can you short rest after an hour and spend hit dice if you have them?
@JeremyECrawford A long rest requires you to have 1 hit point at the start. A short rest has no such requirement. Neither rest requires consciousness. #DnD
@BJNemeth Wouldn't that auto-nullify the 1d4 hours of unconsciousness for being stable w/ 0hp?
@JeremyECrawford If you have no HD to spend, you will be unconscious for 1d4 hours.
What if you’re knocked out but not killed using the massive damage rule and in massive damage you roll to see if you are knocked out? Would you then be allowed to use short rest?
Another question what happens if a short/long rest is interrupted, do they not gain the benefits or is it half or something. Also what I’d your taking a long rest and you do it for an hour and are then awoken, would you add the short rest benefits instead?
As Plaguescarred quoted above. the RAI by JC's understanding is that a short or long rest has no requirement for consciousness and they've clarified in the new rules that this is the intent. However, if the character has used all their hit dice in previous short rests or with features (or the DM limits the number of possible short rests between long rests) then they will be unable to apply any for a guaranteed return to consciousness and regained HP. Of course, if the party healer also takes a short rest and regains a healing spell they didn't have previously, they can apply it.
The optional Massive Damage rule from the DMG only notes a couple of conditions where it simply causes the creature hit with Massive Damage to drop to 0 HP (which, of course, will cause them to fall unconscious), then the regular rules would apply.
On interruptions: Long rests note " If the rest is interrupted by a period of strenuous activity — at least 1 hour of walking, fighting, casting spells, or similar adventuring activity — the characters must begin the rest again to gain any benefit from it." while short rests have no such allowance, suggesting if they are interrupted the characters miss the benefits since it specifies they must do "nothing more strenuous than eating, drinking, reading, and tending to wounds" for at least 1 hour. Note also that characters must make exhaustion checks if they've not slept for 8 hours in a 24 hour period which is separate from the Short and Long Rests (So yes, you can Long Rest without sleeping or sleep without taking a Long Rest).
It's not a given rule but if the Long Rest lasted for at least 1 hour and they didn't perform any of the strenuous activity they're allowed to perform during a long rest, for at least 1 continuous hour of the duration they've been resting, they could likely argue for the benefits of a Short Rest. That would be DMs discretion of course.
DETAIL: There are quite a number of class features that specify a character regains abilities by performing actions at the end of a short or long rest. Arguably, if a Long rest is interrupted suddenly and the characters granted the other benefits of a short rest, they possibly have no chance to perform those actions to recover abilities unless they take actions now.
Obviously DMs can make their own rulings on things but those are the RAW as far as we have them.
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So I’ve been DMing and I’m not sure about wether someone being knocked out counts as a short/long rest. I’m confused can Somone help me?
Characters (Links!):
Faelin Nighthollow - 7th Sojourn
Okay, thx. It’s unwilling unconsciousness though so I don’t think it should count, idrk though.
Characters (Links!):
Faelin Nighthollow - 7th Sojourn
Not if they are on 0 HP.
”A character can't benefit from more than one long rest in a 24-hour period, and a character must have at least 1 hit point at the start of the rest to gain its benefits.”
https://www.dndbeyond.com/sources/phb/adventuring#Resting
Those are the rules for a long rest, not a short rest. Since you're unconscious for a maximum of four hours, it would never qualify for a long rest anyway.
The rules for short rests are:
RAW, there is nothing to say it can't count unconsciousness as a short rest. Personally though, I'd rule it doesn't. You're not resting per se, and I'd want more consequence to being KO'd than missing the end of a fight - and if you roll a 1, that's literally it. So, I'd rule that you don't get the benefits of a short rest unless you have 1HP at the start - just like the long rest. Personally, I'd say that was RAI and it just didn't get onto paper for some reason.
If you're not willing or able to to discuss in good faith, then don't be surprised if I don't respond, there are better things in life for me to do than humour you. This signature is that response.
If being unconscious counted as a short rest, then you'd be able to use Hit Dice to stop being unconscious. Instead, there's a special rule for being stable and unconscious and regaining hit points:
Active characters:
Carric Aquissar, elven wannabe artist in his deconstructionist period (Archfey warlock)
Lan Kidogo, mapach archaeologist and treasure hunter (Knowledge cleric)
Mardan Ferres, elven private investigator obsessed with that one unsolved murder (Assassin rogue)
Xhekhetiel, halfling survivor of a Betrayer Gods cult (Runechild sorcerer/fighter)
I’d say a long/short rest only counts if it is a voluntary action and being knocked out wouldn’t count as such.
You do the Hit Dice at the end of a short rest, not in the middle. Therefore, you can't get the benefits of rolling Hit Dice until you wake up, so it wouldn't affect the length of unconsciousness, if it were to be counted as a short rest:
If you're not willing or able to to discuss in good faith, then don't be surprised if I don't respond, there are better things in life for me to do than humour you. This signature is that response.
Way to ignore the point. You cannot use Hit Dice to stop being unconscious. There is an entire separate rule for regaining HP at the end of your unconsciousness
If you want to use Hit Dice after waking up, you would need to take an additional short rest
Active characters:
Carric Aquissar, elven wannabe artist in his deconstructionist period (Archfey warlock)
Lan Kidogo, mapach archaeologist and treasure hunter (Knowledge cleric)
Mardan Ferres, elven private investigator obsessed with that one unsolved murder (Assassin rogue)
Xhekhetiel, halfling survivor of a Betrayer Gods cult (Runechild sorcerer/fighter)
I didn't ignore it. You said that you could use Hit Dice to stop being unconscious if it counted as a short rest, that is not true because you can't use the Hit Dice until the end of the short rest, and so are irrelevant.
What you are claiming with that other part of.the rule is that because there is a separate rule for gaining some HP at the end of the period of unconscious that means it can't count as a short rest. Again, it's irrelevant to RAW. It's describing a trigger for gaining HP (and returning to consciousness), not a condition for it being a short rest. As Kotath says, you could have no Hit Dice left or not want to use them, so there would need to be a mechanic to return them to consciousness regardless.
Is it evidence that the rules as intended is that it doesn't count? I'd agree, and part of why I'd rule against it. However, RAW is what's written, and what's written is that "A Short Rest is a period of Downtime, at least 1 hour long, during which a character does nothing more strenuous than eating, drinking, reading, and tending to wounds." Being unconscious is a period of downtime, at least an hour long, and doing nothing more strenuous than eating, drinking, reading and tending to wounds. RAW, there's nothing coming to mind to say it doesn't count - even if it's not what the writers intended.
If you're not willing or able to to discuss in good faith, then don't be surprised if I don't respond, there are better things in life for me to do than humour you. This signature is that response.
For me, it's not about declaring it a short rest or it not being called that. It's just that being knocked unconsciousness isn't, well, restful. I've never been outright knocked unconscious, but I've been concussed and stunned and it was worse in terms of being rested than without. - even the long sleeps afterwards weren't returning me to the energy levels I'd have had without the blow. I've been put under with anaesthesia, and that wasn't restful either. The unconsciousness due to being KO'd, to my experience, just isn't productive for anything undoing the KO'd aspect. Also, to me, there's a period of recovery where even when you regain consciousness, you wouldn't be fighting fit. You can move, but it wouldn't take much to put you down again, or you can rest and get your strength back. That to me is the choice of a short rest or to get moving without having to carry them (or even, if appropriate, a long rest). If I wanted to get the session going again though, I might well forgo the requirement to save play time.
This isn't something I'd get stuck over, though. If I'm at a table and a DM said it counted, then I wouldn't say anything, nor would it bother me. It's just a matter RAW (which, to my reading, favours allowing it) and how you'd implement consequences for KO's in the game.
If you're not willing or able to to discuss in good faith, then don't be surprised if I don't respond, there are better things in life for me to do than humour you. This signature is that response.
The rules for unconsciousness say you roll a d4 to determine how many hours you are out, and then you regain 1 HP
If being unconscious counted as a short rest -- which lasts only one hour -- why are you rolling a d4 to determine its duration? Where in the Unconsciousness rules does it say you can roll Hit Dice to end the duration early?
Active characters:
Carric Aquissar, elven wannabe artist in his deconstructionist period (Archfey warlock)
Lan Kidogo, mapach archaeologist and treasure hunter (Knowledge cleric)
Mardan Ferres, elven private investigator obsessed with that one unsolved murder (Assassin rogue)
Xhekhetiel, halfling survivor of a Betrayer Gods cult (Runechild sorcerer/fighter)
Although I would tend not to play it this way. A JC tweet points out that RAW, there is no prohibition on spending hit die when unconscious and there is no requirement to have at least 1 hp to benefit from a short rest as there is for a long rest.
https://twitter.com/JeremyECrawford/status/818568908508495872
"A long rest requires you to have 1 hit point at the start. A short rest has no such requirement. Neither rest requires consciousness. #DnD"
In addition, since an unconscious character isn't doing anything, the other constraints on a short rest are already met. Also, note that a sleeping character is considered unconscious.
XGtE: " While a creature sleeps, it is subjected to the unconscious condition."
Would this mean that a character who takes a nap for a short rest could not benefit from the short rest because they are unconscious?
Does the DM try to decide the difference between being unconscious due to sleeping and unconscious due to taking damage?
It may be a lack in the rules (not uncommon) but it would seem that an unconscious character can benefit from a short rest.
The only thing the stable condition adds is "A stable creature that isn’t healed regains 1 hit point after 1d4 hours." However, expending hit die does "heal" the character since it restores hit points. There is no specification that the healing must be magical and the Healer feat would restore hit points without the use of magic. So, the limitation is a fail safe in case the character doesn't have hit die to spend or doesn't want to spend them.
So the RAI answer is "clearly not", and the RAW answer according to JC is, "we forgot to explicitly rule it out"
Active characters:
Carric Aquissar, elven wannabe artist in his deconstructionist period (Archfey warlock)
Lan Kidogo, mapach archaeologist and treasure hunter (Knowledge cleric)
Mardan Ferres, elven private investigator obsessed with that one unsolved murder (Assassin rogue)
Xhekhetiel, halfling survivor of a Betrayer Gods cult (Runechild sorcerer/fighter)
In 5e, there is no direct connection between knocking someone unconscious and a short rest. However, in the most recent One D&D play test, you can knock someone unconscious, and it specifically says they start a short rest. So it's a timely discussion.
"Not all those who wander are lost"
I don’t know about you but I always awake fully refreshed after having been beaten unconscious!
Oh, that's interesting. I hadn't even noticed that in the PDF
Yeah, they've now made it explicit that simply being unconscious but stable (i.e. not making death saves) puts you at 1 HP, and at the beginning of a short rest
Active characters:
Carric Aquissar, elven wannabe artist in his deconstructionist period (Archfey warlock)
Lan Kidogo, mapach archaeologist and treasure hunter (Knowledge cleric)
Mardan Ferres, elven private investigator obsessed with that one unsolved murder (Assassin rogue)
Xhekhetiel, halfling survivor of a Betrayer Gods cult (Runechild sorcerer/fighter)
While the rules for being knocked unconscious last for 1d4 hours, do not refer to short rest or spending HD but instead regaining 1 hp, i deduce that the two aren't related. But i wouldn't have a problem letting such character get the benefit of one upon regaining consciousness, especially if the rest of the party took a short rest during this time Or at least let recharge features.
The Dev in a tweet said it could be done ithough
What if you’re knocked out but not killed using the massive damage rule and in massive damage you roll to see if you are knocked out? Would you then be allowed to use short rest?
Another question what happens if a short/long rest is interrupted, do they not gain the benefits or is it half or something. Also what I’d your taking a long rest and you do it for an hour and are then awoken, would you add the short rest benefits instead?
Characters (Links!):
Faelin Nighthollow - 7th Sojourn
As Plaguescarred quoted above. the RAI by JC's understanding is that a short or long rest has no requirement for consciousness and they've clarified in the new rules that this is the intent. However, if the character has used all their hit dice in previous short rests or with features (or the DM limits the number of possible short rests between long rests) then they will be unable to apply any for a guaranteed return to consciousness and regained HP. Of course, if the party healer also takes a short rest and regains a healing spell they didn't have previously, they can apply it.
The optional Massive Damage rule from the DMG only notes a couple of conditions where it simply causes the creature hit with Massive Damage to drop to 0 HP (which, of course, will cause them to fall unconscious), then the regular rules would apply.
On interruptions: Long rests note " If the rest is interrupted by a period of strenuous activity — at least 1 hour of walking, fighting, casting spells, or similar adventuring activity — the characters must begin the rest again to gain any benefit from it." while short rests have no such allowance, suggesting if they are interrupted the characters miss the benefits since it specifies they must do "nothing more strenuous than eating, drinking, reading, and tending to wounds" for at least 1 hour. Note also that characters must make exhaustion checks if they've not slept for 8 hours in a 24 hour period which is separate from the Short and Long Rests (So yes, you can Long Rest without sleeping or sleep without taking a Long Rest).
It's not a given rule but if the Long Rest lasted for at least 1 hour and they didn't perform any of the strenuous activity they're allowed to perform during a long rest, for at least 1 continuous hour of the duration they've been resting, they could likely argue for the benefits of a Short Rest. That would be DMs discretion of course.
DETAIL: There are quite a number of class features that specify a character regains abilities by performing actions at the end of a short or long rest. Arguably, if a Long rest is interrupted suddenly and the characters granted the other benefits of a short rest, they possibly have no chance to perform those actions to recover abilities unless they take actions now.
Obviously DMs can make their own rulings on things but those are the RAW as far as we have them.