[Basic] Advantage of the Week (#42): Doesn't Sleep, Less Sleep

[Otaku]

I've had characters with Doesn't Sleep and with Less Sleep but under the 3e rules. Nowadays, it would fall under wish fulfillment as health issues mean I settle for waking up tired and a bit achy, seldom getting a good night's sleep. I actually have to allow extra time to sleep, because the sleep I get ends up being poor quality or I've just had to get up too many times during the night (sometimes for prolonged periods).

Back then, though, it was to take advantage of the extra time or avoid potential weaknesses in my character. As we often had campaigns involving Supers (or similarly powerful character, like demigods), it was easier to give them this than worry about some odd scheme to take them down via lack of sleep. When it comes to Less Sleep, it was always about whether the campaign was tracking such things, and whether you could spare the CP. The potential for extra adventure/study/fun time is quite high, and I would sometimes pair it with Light Sleeper. The reasoning was if Light Sleeper didn't kick in, I enjoyed the extra time, and if I didn't, it was likely (given the rest of the build) I'd break even outside of a string of bad rolls.

I understand the complaints about Less Sleep being potentially abusive when it comes to learning Skills, but I also have seen it work out just fine. I think this is a bit of a reality check; a lot of the more impressive people I know either have Less Sleep or enjoyed it in their youth. They cashed in on those extra hours to study or work more. It is an easy way for some of the heroes to explain why they are the heroes; while everyone else had to rest, they kept on fighting!