Do harmful but non-damaging spells cause a character to wake up?

Question

Do harmful spells (specifically Bestow Curse) that don't do damage cause people to wake from normal sleep?

Does any damage cause a character to wake up?

Answer 1

No, there is no such rule

Being automatically awoken requires that you be hit or hurt. Bestow curse does not apply a wound; its effects are spiritual and tied to your fate or luck. You don’t automatically know you’ve been affected by it, which as a rule of thumb generally means it doesn’t automatically wake you.

The casting of the spell itself may wake someone, since speaking in a strong voice right next to someone is presumably a DC 0 Perception check (i.e. the check necessary to understand a conversation), and while being asleep does increase the DC by 10, that still only results in a DC 10 check. But the caster could simply cast the spell somewhere else, and hold the charge to bring it to the target.

I really do not think the touch itself is sufficient to wake someone. Waking someone is described as a slap or an intentional shaking; a touch is just that, a touch. Anyone who’s prodded someone to get them to roll over or stop snoring knows you can touch someone who is sleeping without waking them.

On the other hand, effects that are not HP-damage may qualify as wounds. Most forms of ability damage (rather than the ability reduction of bestow curse) or energy drain, for instance. Most things that stun, stagger, or daze, most likely. So in some cases, non-damaging spells may wake someone automatically. I just don’t think bestow curse is one of them.

Answer 2

GM Ruling

• I would rule Yes based on the Touch range required.

• (If it was a ranged spell such as Enlarge Person, I would rule no.)

Pathfinder doesn't have direct rules for standard sleep, so the following information has been taken from the Sleep Spell

Slapping or wounding awakens an affected creature, but normal noise does not. Awakening a creature is a standard action (an application of the aid another action).

While the spell Bestow Curse doesn't directly affect the target in a way that would wake them up, it has a range of touch. Based on that this is a standard rest, and not magically caused, I would rule that any touch would awaken a seasoned adventurer sleeping outdoors.

As this isn't specifically defined anywhere, an amount of GM Fiat is required, if the sleeping victim is asleep in a comfortable bed, or was induced to sleep, (Via a tonic or spell), then it would make sense that they would be much more difficult to awaken.

EDIT: Bestow Curse and Enlarge Person both have a (V)Verbal component. According to the seciont on Magic:

Verbal (V): A verbal component is a spoken incantation. To provide a verbal component, you must be able to speak in a strong voice.

There's no indication of of the volume of a strong voice, though outside of any touch based rulings, I would ask for a Perception Check at DC+10 (Sleeping) against a stealth check made by caster to try and keep a low voice. Of course, casting the spell at range and holding the charge would eliminate this check as well.

At the very least, based on hearing for the sound of a creature walking while sleeping, the character should have a Perception DC20 to be awoken by the creature approaching.