Can an interrupted long rest be treated as a short rest?

[RSP]

Right, and the basis of your position is that SR and LR are not the same thing because they possess different properties.

I'm going on to challenge how cut-and-dry and distinct those properties really are by raising the standard of what can be considered as "non-strenuous" which weakens the position that SR and LR are different based on their differing properties.

"Non-strenuous" is not a factor, so doing anything with that term is pointless in this discussion. The relevant piece in terms of a SR is "nothing more strenuous than eating, drinking, reading and tending to wounds." In order to "raise the standard" you need to work with that, which is a very low threshold. None of those activities involve more strenuous work than moving your arms intermittently. None of those activities would be considered a cardio workout, yet walking would.

If we're basing only on RAW, then both rules are correct, even if they seemingly contradict each other.

I didn't say both rules weren't correct. I specifically stated I take what seems a contradiction as an example of specific-bears-general. The rules for Attunement only apply when attaining magic items: if that allows you to paractice with a magic weapon while attuning, that has no effect on what the rules of a SR are, except as specifically stated regarding Attunement.

I would argue that the rules of attunement for all magic weapons (not just the ones that involve weapon practice) raises the bar of what is strenuous activity.

Two things: the rules of attunement have no impact on SRs that don't involve the act of attuning a magic item; and whether an activity is considered "strenuous activity" has no bearing on whether it's allowed during a SR (because the rule is it has to be equal to or less than strenuous than eating, drinking, reading and tending to wounds). The fact that walking is stated as a strenuous activity in the LR rules, provides a good bit of clarity that is, in fact, more strenuous than reading, eating, etc.

That is, there are two options you can take by RAW:

* There is a contradiction, and magic weapon attunement takes a case of Specific vs General

* There is no contradiction. Weapon practice is regarded by RAW to be as non-strenuous as reading, eating, drinking, and tending to wounds.

No. As stated, it's within the RAW, following the specific-beats-general rule. The rules of attunement only apply to attuning magic items and have no other impact on what is allowed during a SR.

Take the Catnap spell: it allows the benefits of a SR after a 10 min nap. This doesn't retroactively change all SRs to only require a 10 min nap, anymore than the Attunement rules change the definition of a SR.

From the Specific Beats General section of the PHB:

"...many racial traits, class features, spells, magic items, monster abilities, and other game elements break the general rules in some way, creating an exception to how the rest of the game works. Remember this: If a specific rule contradicts a general rule, the specific rule wins."

The rules of Attunement create an exception to SR rules that only involves attuning magical items (that require Attunement).

You take the first stance above. I will say, though, that RAW doesn't give a definite stance here. If the second point is allowed by RAW, then the bar is raised and things that are equally as strenuous as weapon practice (or lower) does not break a SR.

As stated above, I take a third position, specific-beats-general. More over, RAW does give a definitive stance: the rules for SR are found in the SR section; the rules for Attunement are found in the Attunement section; and interactions between rules that contain a contradiction use the rules of the Specific Beats General section.

And there is some logic to the second point. If you've done karate, taekwondo, or other martial arts before, you might notice that kata is a very physical, movement-oriented form of meditation. You eventually get the motions down as second nature, and you might even feel better and more rested after doing one. Look at taichi and how their meditation comes down to practicing martial arts forms.

Regardless of whether something is second nature or feels relaxing has no bearing on whether it's more strenuous than reading. Doing a kata is more strenuous than reading or eating or drinking or tending to wounds.

I will also say that there is an alternate interpretation for the LR "strenuous activity": the following statement:

"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."

Can be taken to mean that 1 hour of walking is strenuous activity, but walking itself is not. You may walk for 59 minutes and 59 seconds without it being considered strenuous, but walking a full 60 minutes brings you up to a "strenuous level". Same for fighting and spellcasting. From a RAW perspective, I believe that is also a valid interpretation.

The sentence equates strenuous activity with 1 hour of walking, not walking.

Again, the rules for a SR don't involve whether an activity is "strenuous" or "non-strenuous" it's whether it's more strenuous than reading, drinking, eating or TWs. Something can be considered non-strenuous and yet be more strenuous than reading, eating, etc.

More over, Crawford has tweeted that the rule is [fighting for 1 hour] breaks a LR, not that fighting at all breaks a LR. Likewise, any combat breaks a SR.

The line in LR states "a period of strenuous activity." The period (of time) is the hour. The strenuous activity is fighting, walking, spellcasting, or similar adventuring activity.

Per the tweet, 1 hour of fighting=breaks a LR; yet 59 minutes, 59 seconds of fighting does not.

Per the LR rule, 1 hour of walking breaks a LR; yet 59 minutes, 59 seconds of fighting does not.

So in terms of a LR, fighting is treated the same as walking. It's not a stretch to see these are what are classified as "strenuous activity."

If all this is true, and there are no RAW rebuttals that can be found, then it seems that the specific argument that SR and LR are different based on the idea that SR can be broken by activities more strenuous than reading, while LR is not, is weaker. What activities break a SR that do not break a LR? If there are no such activities, then they are not different in that regard.

I've shown that your post is not true and that there are RAW rebuttals.