# The helmsman could be weird... Neither [constructs][1], [elementals][2], [oozes][3], non-native [outsiders][4], [plants][5], nor [undead][6] need to sleep, therefore the helmsman could be a creature with any of these types or take feats or prestige classes that transform him into any of these types. However, a helmsman could also take... - The general feat **Tomb-tainted Vitality** (*Libris Mortis* 31), among other effects, grants the creature the ability to go without food and sleep (yet the creature must still hydrate—*whatever*). The feat's prerequisites include the feat Tomb-tainted Soul (*LM* 31) and a nongood alignment. The feat gives the creature a "freakish skeletal appearance"—which seems a little judgy. Also, giving the helmsman these feats likely makes naming the helmsman [Charon][7] no longer optional. ## ...Or the vessel could be trapped (but in a good way) Using the feat Craft Wondrous Item (*PH* 92) the vessel could have installed near the wheel a magical trap (*DMG* 74) that's a boon trap (*Dungeonscape* 135). Boon traps are *horrible*, notoriously both vague *and* broken, but this boon trap will be used only for... - The 4th-level Clr spell ***remove fatigue*** [trans] (*Book of Exalted Deeds* 105) grants 1 touched creature/2 levels the benefits of 8 hours of restful sleep (but casters, if they need rest, must still get it). The spell removes the condition [fatigued][8] if present and permits the target to rest 1 hour to remove the condition fatigued if, before the spell, the target had the condition [exhausted][9]. The DM must decide on the boon trap's precise effects, but it probably won't cost more than 50,000 gp, which, while expensive for such a trivial effect, really *is* a trivial effect. Taking the wheel'll trigger the boon trap which will cast the spell *remove fatigue* on the creature, letting almost any creature serve as overnight helmsman. --- ## Trivia There're no penalties for *not* sleeping unless sleep's necessary for something else, like preparing spells afterward. However, [everyone knows][10] sleep's a thing, so folks sleep even if the game doesn't mandate they must. For those who will not be constrained by petty, demanding reality, *Elder Evils*, under the additional sign of the apocalypse Appaling Fecundity, presents some rules for sleep deprivation, saying that > A living creature can go without sleep for a number of days equal to its Constitution modifier (minimum one). Thereafter it is fatigued, remaining in this state for a number of days equal to its Constitution modifier (again, minimum one); if it would become fatigued during that time, it is exhausted instead. Each day after that period, the creature takes 1 point of Wisdom damage. If the total Wisdom damage exceeds its Hit Dice, the creature is affected as if by an [*insanity*][11] spell. (*ElE* 9) The book then goes to mention that for the Appalling Fecundity sign, you can't recover the wisdom damage, but clearly that's not the case for normal sleep. It's likely that the Wisdom damage continues to accumulate thereafter until the creature falls unconscious. It would be fair to assume that all effects of a lack of sleep (the fatigue, exhaustion, wisdom damage, or insanity effect) cannot be mitigated in any way except by sleep. Further, the fatigue and exhaustion vanish after a daily rest. The Wisdom damage caused by lack of sleep can only be recovered by sleep, and once the Wisdom damage from a lack of sleep drops to the number of Hit Dice or less, the *insanity* effect ends. Although presented in the context of a Sign of the Apocalypse, these are decent (if long-winded) rules, finally published near the end of the game's run, for those who insist their characters needn't sleep. (Although anyone who insists his character needn't sleep will probably also insist these rules be ignored unless that sign of the apocalypse is present.) [1]: http://www.d20srd.org/srd/typesSubtypes.htm#constructType [2]: http://www.d20srd.org/srd/typesSubtypes.htm#elementalType [3]: http://www.d20srd.org/srd/typesSubtypes.htm#oozeType [4]: http://www.d20srd.org/srd/typesSubtypes.htm#outsiderType [5]: http://www.d20srd.org/srd/typesSubtypes.htm#plantType [6]: http://www.d20srd.org/srd/typesSubtypes.htm#undeadType [7]: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charon_(mythology) [8]: http://www.d20srd.org/srd/conditionSummary.htm#fatigued [9]: http://www.d20srd.org/srd/conditionSummary.htm#exhausted [10]: http://rpg.stackexchange.com/q/57177/8610 [11]: http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/insanity.htm