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Saving Throws🔗

All characters and monsters can make saving throws to avoid the full effects of certain magical or special attacks.

Categories🔗

There are five saving throw categories used in the following situations:

  • Death or Poison (D): When targeted by a death ray or poison exposure.
  • Wands (W): When targeted by an effect from a magical wand.
  • Paralysis or Petrification (P): When targeted by an effect that paralyzes or turns to stone.
  • Breath Attacks (B): When targeted by a dragon's breath (or other monsters with a breath attack).
  • Spells, Rods, or Staves (S): When targeted by a baneful spell or an effect from a magical rod or staff.

When to Roll a Saving Throw🔗

The appropriate saving throw and the effects of success or failure are indicated in the description of the spell, monster attack, or adventure scenario.

Saving Throw Tables🔗

Characters: Each character class has its table denoting the saving throw values of characters of each experience level.

Monsters: Most monsters use the saving throw table under Combat Tables. Some monsters’ descriptions may note that they use the table for a specific character class.

Rolling a Saving Throw🔗

When affected by a spell or attack form that requires a saving throw, the player or referee must roll 1d20 and compare the result to the appropriate saving throw value:

  • Greater or equal: A result greater than or equal to the saving throw value is a success.
  • Lower: A result of less than the saving throw value is a failure.

Successful Saves🔗

Damaging effects: A successful save against an effect that causes damage means that the damage is halved.

Other effects: A successful saving throw against an effect that does not cause damage means the effect has been entirely avoided or negated.

Saving Throws Versus Poison🔗

Failure: A failed save against poison is usually fatal.

Damage: If a poisonous attack also inflicts damage, the damage is not affected by the success or failure of the saving throw.