The Saving Throw
The saving throw is a die roll that gives a chance, however slim, that the character or creature finds some way to save himself from certain destruction (or at least lessen the damage of a successful attack).
Rolling Saving Throws
To make a saving throw, a player rolls a 20-sided die (1d20). The result must be equal to or greater than the character's saving throw number. The number a character needs to roll varies depending upon the character's group, his level, and what the character is trying to save himself from.
Saving throws are made in a variety of situations: For attacks involving paralyzation, poison, or death magic; petrification or polymorph; rod, staff, or wand; breath weapon; and spells. The type of saving throw a character must roll is determined by the specific spell, monster, magical item, or situation involved.
Saving Throw Priority
Sometimes the type of saving throw required by a situation or item isn't clear, or more than one category of saving throw may seem appropriate. If that is the case, follow the priorities below to determine which saving throw should be used.
The categories of saving throws are as follows, in decreasing order of priority:
Save vs. Paralyzation, Poison, and Death Magic: This is used whenever a character is affected by a paralyzing attack (regardless of source), poison (of any strength), or certain spells and magical items that otherwise kill the character outright (as listed in their descriptions). It is also used when a character is hit by a level-draining creature such as a wight or a vampire to avoid the effects of the level drain. This saving throw can also be used in situations in which exceptional force of will or physical fortitude are needed.
Save vs. Rod, Staff, or Wand: As its name implies, this is used whenever a character is affected by the powers of a rod, staff, or wand, provided another save of higher priority isn't called for. This saving throw is sometimes specified for situations in which a character faces a magical attack from an unusual source.
Save vs. Petrification or Polymorph: This is used any time a character is turned to stone (petrified) or polymorphed by a monster, spell, or magical item (other than a wand). It can also be used when the character must withstand some massive physical alteration of his entire body.
Save vs. Breath Weapon: A character uses this save when facing monsters with breath weapons, particularly the powerful blast of a dragon. This save can also be used in situations where a combination of physical stamina and Dexterity are critical factors in survival.
Save vs. Spell: This is used whenever a character attempts to resist the effects of a magical attack, either by a spellcaster or from a magical item, provided no other type of saving throw is specified. This save can also be used to resist an attack that defies any other classification.
Voluntarily Failing Saving Throws
No save is made if the target voluntarily chooses not to resist the effect of a spell or special attack. This is the case even if the character was duped as to the exact nature of the spell. When a character announces that he is not resisting the spell's power, that spell (or whatever) has its full effect.
The intention not to resist must be clearly stated or set up through trickery, however. If a character is attacked by surprise or caught unawares, he is normally allowed a saving throw. The DM can modify this saving throw, making the chance of success worse, if the situation warrants it. Only in extreme cases of trickery and deception should an unwitting character be denied a saving throw.
Modifying Saving Throws
Saving throws can be modified by magical items, specific rules, and special situations. These modifiers can increase or decrease the chance of a successful saving throw.
Modifiers that increase the chance are given as a number preceded by a plus sign. Modifiers that make success more difficult are given as a number preceded by a minus sign (-1, -2, etc.).
Saving throw modifiers affect a character's die roll, not the saving throw number needed. Thus, if Delsenora needed an 11 for a successful saving throw vs. petrification and had a +1 bonus to her save, she would still need to roll an 11 or higher after all adjustments were made (but the +1 bonus would be added to her die roll, so that effectively she needs to roll only a 10 on the die to reach her saving throw number of 11).
High ability scores sometimes give saving throw bonuses. A high Wisdom protects against illusions, charms, and other mental attacks. Dexterity, if high enough, can give a character a slightly higher chance of avoiding the effects of fireballs, lightning bolts, crushing boulders, and other attacks where nimbleness may be a help.
For the threats listed in the Saving Throw Matrices, the following ability modifiers can be used:
- Poison: Constitution Poison Save
- Paralyzation: Strength Damage Adjustment
- Death Magic: Wisdom Magical Defense Adjustment
- Rod, Staff or Wand:
- Petrification: Constitution Poison Save
- Polymorph:
- Breath Weapon: Dexterity Defensive Adjustment
- Spell:
Magical items like cloaks and rings of protection give bonuses to a character's saving throw.
Magical armor allows a saving throw bonus only when the save is made necessary by something physical, whether normal or magical; magical armor never gives a saving throw bonus against gas (which it cannot block), poison (which operates internally), and spells that are mental in nature or that cause no physical damage.
For example, magical armor would not help a character's saving throw against the sting of a giant scorpion, the choking effects of a stinking cloud spell, or the transformation effect of a polymorph others spell. Magical armor does extend its protective power to saving throws against acid sprays or splashes, disintegration, magical and normal fires, spells that cause damage, and falls (if any saving throw is allowed in this case). Other situations must be handled on a case-by-case basis by the DM.
Specific spells and magical items have effects, both good and ill, on a character's saving throws. Often, spells force the victim to save with a penalty, which makes even the most innocuous spell quite dangerous.
Unpredictable situations are sure to crop up. When this happens, the DM must determine whether saving throw modifiers are appropriate. As a guideline, modifiers for situations should range from -4 to +4. An evil cleric attacked in his shrine could very well have a +3 bonus to all his saving throws and a -3 penalty applied to those of his enemies. The powerful evil of the place could warrant the modifier.
Saving Throw Matrices
The tables below detail the saving throws against various types of attacks for the different class categories.Ability Checks as Saving Throws
When a danger doesn't fit one of the categories described above, the character can attempt to avoid the danger using an ability score. In this case, the goal is to roll low, as when making a proficiency check. The DM will assign a +/- modification to the roll, based on the situation, and then the player will roll a d20, adding the modifier, hoping to make their ability number OR LESS on the die roll.
Ragnar the thief (Dex: 16) has broken into someone's home when he inadvertently steps on a trap door. As he begins to fall, the DM announces that the dangerous nature of this difficult trap will add +3 to the roll. Ragnar rolls a 12, adds the 3 for 15, and is able to grab the edge of opening, avoiding the 30' plunge to the room beneath. Of course, he'll then have to make a climb walls check to see if he can clamber out of the trap.
Item Saving Throws
When weapons and other items are subjected to a general danger--the flames of a fireball, the icy chill of a cold ray, or the smashing blow of a giant's boulder--the roll to hit and hit points do not apply. Instead, the following Item Saving Throw table is used. This saving throw represents an item's general ability to withstand the effects of the attack. It is rolled just like a normal saving throw (see "Combat").
The item saving throw should be used only when the item is not being carried by a character or when a character fails his saving throw against the same attack. A character who successfully saves against the blast of a fireball spell need not make separate saving throws for his potions. The character who failed the same save failed to protect himself adequately and must therefore check for his potions (and probably his scrolls, too). Not all items need make a save in every instance. It is perfectly reasonable to ignore the save for a character's sword and armor in the same fireball situation described above, since there is so little chance that these will be affected.
Furthermore, magical items are more resistant to damage, gaining bonuses to the saving throw. Items with a plus (a sword +1, for example) gain that plus as a bonus to the die roll. If the item possesses additional special abilities, it should have an extra plus for each of these. Magical items with no stated pluses should gain a bonus relative to their power. A potion would have a +1 while a miscellaneous magical item could have a +5 or +6. Further, if the saving throw is versus an attack the device was designed to counter (e.g., extreme cold vs. a ring of warmth), an additional bonus of +2 is allowed.
Item Saving Throws
| Item | Acid | Crushing Blow | Disintegration | Fall | Fireball | Magical Fire | Normal Fire | Cold | Lightning | Electricity |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bone or Ivory | 11 | 16 | 20 | 6 | 17 | 9 | 3 | 2 | 8 | 2 |
| Cloth | 12 | -- | 20 | -- | 20 | 16 | 13 | 2 | 18 | 2 |
| Glass | 5 | 20 | 20 | 14 | 11 | 7 | 4 | 6 | 17 | 2 |
| Mirror | 12 | 20 | 20 | 13 | 14 | 9 | 5 | 6 | 18 | 2 |
| Leather | 10 | 4 | 19 | 2 | 13 | 6 | 4 | 3 | 13 | 2 |
| Paper, etc. | 16 | 11 | 20 | -- | 25 | 21 | 18 | 2 | 20 | 3 |
| Metal Hard | 7 | 6 | 17 | 0 | 6 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 11 | 2 |
| Metal, soft, or jewelry | 13 | 14 | 19 | 4 | 18 | 13 | 5 | 2 | 16 | 2 |
| Oils* | 16** | -- | 20 | -- | 20 | 19 | 17 | 5 | 19 | 16 |
| Potions* | 15** | -- | 19 | -- | 19 | 17 | 4 | 13 | 18 | 15 |
| Ceramic/Pottery | 4 | 18 | 19 | 11 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 4 | 2 | 2 |
| Rock crystal, Gems | 3 | 17 | 18 | 8 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 14 | 2 |
| Rope | 16 | 2 | 19 | -- | 19 | 15 | 8 | 2 | 12 | 2 |
| Wood, thin | 9 | 13 | 20 | 2 | 15 | 11 | 9 | 2 | 10 | 2 |
| Wood, thick | 8 | 10 | 19 | 2 | 11 | 7 | 5 | 2 | 12 | 2 |
* This save does not include the container, only the liquid contents.
** Of course, even though the save is made, the item is probably hopelessly mixed with the acid.
Attack Forms
Acid attacks assume there is either a sizeable quantity of acid or that contact with the acid is prolonged.
Crushing Blows include strikes by the clubs of creatures of giant size or greater. Blows by normal people on small, fragile objects also fall into this category. A normal human could not do a crushing blow on a rope, which isn't very fragile, but could certainly do so on a potion flask. Breakable items hurled against hard surfaces--bottles thrown against walls, for example--also use the crushing blow column.
Disintegration applies only to the magical effects of the spell or spell-like ability.
Falls must be greater than five feet. If the surface is hard, the listed saving throw is used. If the surface is soft, give a +5 bonus to the saving throw. For every five feet fallen beyond the first, apply a -1 penalty to the saving throw.
Fireball includes Red dragon-breath
Magical Fires include any sizeable body of flame created by a spell or spell-like effect. Extraordinarily hot normal fires, such as the lava from a volcano, should also use this saving throw.
Normal Fires include campfires, candle flames, and bonfires. Obviously, the item must be in the flame for a sufficient time to be affected.
Cold covers any intense, abnormal, or magical cold. If the temperature change is gradual, a +2 bonus is applied to the saving throw.
Lightning Bolt applies to attacks by the spell or spell-like power of the same name.
Electricity is for those electrical attacks that do not carry the wallop of the lightning bolt. Electric eels and magical traps fall into this category.