SAVING THROWS

Many times during a game something occurs which requires an attribute check, such as when a dryad attempts to charm a character or a dragon breathes fiery breath upon a character, but the attribute associated with the event that causes the check is unclear. For example, what happens when a Wight creeps up upon an unsuspecting foe and reaches its hand out to steal some part of a soul? This is called an energy drain and, if successful, the character whose energy is drained loses levels. In this case, the character is being acted on in a potentially harmful manner and must make an attribute check to avoid being harmed. This attribute check is called a saving throw. Often the Referee or new players are unsure as to which attribute a particular type of attack or event relates. Saving throws clarify this as many of the more common types of events are examined. In the case of the Wight’s energy drain, the saving throw relates to constitution.

A saving throw is simply an attribute check for a character to avoid damage or other unwanted alteration or harm caused by a creature’s abilities and/ or specific situations or effects. Saving throws are unique only in that the character is being acted on and the attacks or events causing it need clarification.

A saving throw is an attribute check. A player rolls a d20 and adds the character’s level and the appropriate attribute modifier. If the attribute related to the saving throw is a primary attribute, the challenge base is 12. If the attribute related to the saving throw is a secondary attribute, the challenge base is 18. The Referee determines the challenge level by such factors as the monster’s hit dice, the spell caster’s level or the level of the trap or poison. The Referee may also give bonuses or impose penalties due to circumstance and situation. The results of failed saving throws for a particular type are explained below.

Monsters, creatures and non-player characters are also often required to make saving throws when reacting to attacks by a character, especially spells cast by wizards, clerics and druids. Monster saving throws function in the same manner, with this caveat; monsters and creatures have lumped primary and secondary attributes such that they have either a physical or mental primary.

If a monster has a physical primary, then all physical attributes (strength, dexterity and constitution) act as the primary while the mental attributes (intelligence, wisdom and charisma) act as secondary attributes.

TYPES OF SAVING THROWS

There are six different kinds of saving throws each corresponding to an attribute. The situations and effects that trigger a saving throw generally fall into one of the following categories. This list is not definitive but should provide a template for Referee’s to determine a saving throw category for something not listed here.

TABLE: SAVING THROW CATEGORIES

  SAVE TYPE     Categories
  -------------------------------------
  Strength      Paralysis, Constriction
  Intelligence  Arcane Magic, Illusion
  Wisdom        Divine Magic, Confusion, Gaze Attack, Polymorph, Petrification
  Dexterity     Breath Weapon, Traps
  Constitution  Disease, Energy Drain, Poison
  Charisma      Death Attack, Charm, Fear
  Variable      Spells

BREATH WEAPON (Dexterity or Constitution): Any character caught in the area of effect of a breath weapon must make the appropriate saving throw or suffer the breath weapon’s full effects. The type of saving throw necessary is described with the monster or spell which causes the saving throw. Generally, the character must dodge the effects of a breath weapon, so a dexterity check is appropriate, but on occasions gaseous clouds require a constitution saving throw.

CHARM (Charisma): Charm spells or spell-like abilities allow a charisma saving throw to avoid being overcome by the charm. A failed save means the character suffers the effect of the charm spell.

CONFUSION (Wisdom): Confusion spells or spell-like abilities allow a wisdom saving throw to avoid being overcome by confusion. A failed save means the character becomes confused for an amount of time as specified by the spell or ability.

A confused character’s actions are determined by a 1d10 roll, re rolled each round with the following results: 1 wander away (unless prevented) for 1 minute (and don’t roll for another random action until the minute is up); 2-6 do nothing for one round; 7-9 attack the nearest creature for one round; 10 act normally for 1 round. Any confused creature who is attacked automatically attacks the attackers on the next turn.

DEATH ATTACKS (Charisma): Death attacks are rare and only a few monsters and the rare artifact have them. In most cases, death attacks allow the victim to make a charisma save to avoid the affect, but if the save fails the character will die instantly.

DISEASE (Constitution): When a character is injured by a disease attack such as from a ghoul, touching an item smeared with diseased matter or consumes disease-tainted food or drink, the character must make an immediate constitution saving throw. If the character succeeds, the disease has no effect, for the immune system has fought off the infection. If failed, damage occurs after an incubation period. The description for each disease will give the details on the effects following the incubation period. It is recommended that the Referee roll these constitution saving throws for the player so that he doesn’t know whether the disease has taken hold.

ENERGY DRAIN (Constitution): An energy drain attack takes away levels or attribute scores from the victim unless a successful saving throw is made. Most energy drain attacks require a successful melee attack. Mere physical contact is not enough. The full effect of an energy drain, such as the number of levels taken away, is specified in the monster, magic item or spell description causing the drain. If it is not specified, one level is removed.

A character who loses a level this way suffers the effects of the drain immediately. The character loses one hit die of hit points of the appropriate class, and all other class abilities are reduced to the new level. If a familiar or companion creature has abilities tied to a character who has lost a level, the creature’s abilities are adjusted to fit the character’s new level. The victim’s experience point total is immediately set to the midpoint of the previous level.

Characters drained below 1st level becomes a 0 level character with no class or abilities. A character drained below 0 level is instantly slain. Depending on the creature that killed the character, the character may rise the next night as a monster of that kind. If not, the character rises as a wight.

Lost levels or attribute scores remain until removed by spell, such as restoration, or other means. Sometimes, level or attribute loss is temporary and will return to normal in a day’s time.

A creature gains temporary hit points each time it successfully uses a natural energy drain ability. Unless specified otherwise, the creature gains the amount of hit points that the victim loses. Energy drain through spell or magic item does not grant temporary hit points unless their description indicates otherwise.

FEAR (Charisma): Spells, magic items and certain monsters can affect characters with fear. The character facing a monster who emanates fear or who has a spell cast upon him makes a charisma saving throw to resist the effect. A failed roll means that the character is affected by the fear, as detailed in the spell or monster description.

GAZE ATTACK (Wisdom): Each character within range of a gaze attack must attempt a saving throw each round at the beginning of his turn.

Generally the character can avoid the gaze with a successful wisdom check. In many instances, the situation is more appropriately handled without a saving throw through narrative and role playing. If necessary, the Referee may require a saving throw. Failure indicates the character was unable to avoid the gaze and suffers its effect.

MAGIC/ILLUSION (Intelligence or Wisdom): This category is for spells cast by creatures or from scrolls. It is a catch all for magic not covered by one of the other saving throw categories.

Arcane or divine spells cast by a magic item or other object, or a spelllike ability possessed by a creature or item usually allow a saving throw to negate, lessen, avoid or resist their effect. If the type of magic is arcane, then an intelligence saving throw is made. If divine, then a wisdom saving throw is made.

In some cases, the specific effect of the spell calls for another type of saving throw. All charm spells, whether cast by creature, item or spell-like ability make a charisma saving throw (see above). Other saving throw categories not covered by this catch all would include paralysis, polymorph, energy drain, death attack and fear.

PARALYSIS/CONSTRICTION (Strength): Some monsters and spells have the supernatural or spell-like ability to paralyse or hold victims, immobilizing them through magical means. Paralysis works on a character’s body, but a character can usually resist it with a strength saving throw. The effects of spell, monster constriction and/ or paralysis are discussed above in the spell descriptions or in Monsters & Treasure.

PETRIFICATION/POLYMORPH (Wisdom): Arcane and divine magics can cause creatures and characters to change their shapes, sometimes against their will. The victim may make a wisdom saving throw to resist the polymorph. Polymorphed creatures retain their own minds, but have new physical forms.

A petrified character is not dead if a majority of the body is intact. No movement or actions of any kind can be made, not even mental ones while petrified. Strength and dexterity scores are effectively (but not actually) reduced to 0. There is no awareness of what is occurring since all of the senses have ceased operating. If a petrified character cracks or breaks but the broken pieces are joined with him as he returns to flesh, he is unharmed. If the character’s petrified body is incomplete when it returns to flesh, the body is also incomplete.

POISON (Constitution): When a character takes damage from a poisoned weapon, an item smeared with contact poison, consumes poisoned food or drink or is otherwise poisoned, he must make a constitution saving throw.

If he fails, he suffers the poison’s initial damage (usually ability damage).

Even if he succeeds, he typically faces more damage a short time later.

Sometimes, the additional damage allows for another saving throw.

SPELLS (Variable): Arcane and divine spells sometimes allow a saving throw to negate, lessen, avoid, or resist the effect. Each spell description indicates the type of saving throw including those spells cast from scrolls, wands, rings or other magical devices.

TRAPS (Dexterity): When a character sets off a trap, a dexterity saving throw is allowed to avoid all or some of the effects of the trap. Each trap is unique and the effects of a successful or failed saving throw should be designated beforehand.

For example, a 5th level rogue sets a trap. A 7th level dwarf fighter with a 9 dexterity walks into the trap. A saving throw is required to determine whether or not the fighter sets off the trap and suffers the full effects of it. The dwarf’s prime attributes are strength and constitution. Thus, the challenge base for the save is 18. In this instance, the trap was set by a 5th level rogue, so the fighter succeeds on a 23 or better. The player rolls 1d20 and adds the dwarf’s level 7 to the attribute modifier for traps (dexterity). The dwarf has no dexterity modifier. Thus, if the result of the d20 roll plus the character’s level is 23 or higher, the dwarf makes his saving throw and dodges the trap.

« Index « Back