Questions tagged [saving-throw]
For questions about saving throws, often used in RPGs such as D&D to refer to a set of defensive traits based on a character's own ability to avoid the brunt of damage, resist control, and endure through some force.
312
questions
9
votes
1answer
205 views
Which stat should I use for a given madness save?
I’m running the Out of the Abyss adventure, and I can’t figure out whether a given madness save should require a Wisdom or a Charisma save. In chapter 2, it merely says that one of these may be ...
7
votes
1answer
1k views
How does the sorcerer's Careful Spell Metamagic option work with the Thunderwave spell?
The Player Handbook's entry on the sorcerer's Careful Spell metamagic option states that:
When you cast a spell that forces other creatures to make a saving throw, you can protect some of those ...
3
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7answers
1k views
What do I do while throwing death saving throws? [closed]
A big problem I've seen with the D&D 5E system,is that throwing death throws are not fun, not engaging, and very boring.
I am playing the cleric in a party with no other healers. I get knocked ...
20
votes
4answers
3k views
Can the target of Feign Death speak, move, and dodge a fireball?
The Feign Death spell begins with this line:
You touch a willing creature and put it into a cataleptic state that is indistinguishable from death.
I read this as flavor, since ‘cataleptic state’ ...
16
votes
3answers
2k views
What happens when the Immolation spell is cast on a creature immune to fire damage?
I am already aware of these questions:
"Does a creature that is immune to all outcomes (conditions, damage,
etc.) of an effect still make a saving throw?"
"Is a creature immune to a spell's damage ...
11
votes
2answers
2k views
What ways are there to bypass spell resistance?
Our DM originally began by targeting two characters, the Sorlock and the Bladelock, by giving enemies Brooches of Shielding to nerf them. Realizing instead, he had just given us a new revenue stream, ...
16
votes
2answers
2k views
Can you cure a Gorgon's Petrifying Breath before it finishes turning a target to stone?
The Gorgon has an ability called Petrifying Breath which reads as below:
Petrifying Breath (Recharge 5-6): The gorgon exhales petrifying gas in
a 30-foot cone. Each creature in that area must ...
2
votes
3answers
249 views
Is there something that can completely prevent the effects of the Hold Person spell?
I have been listening through Glass Cannon, and just got through the episode where they were all hold personed and monologued at by Brandor.
I am still relatively new to Pathfinder, but I was ...
15
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2answers
1k views
Can Bless or Bardic Inspiration help a creature from rolling a 1 on a death save?
For instance, say the creature rolled a 1 on the d20, and would have gotten failed 2 death saves, but uses their pre-given bardic inspiration and actually rolls a total of 10+.
Would the creature be ...
-3
votes
2answers
216 views
Do you roll dice when a saving throw's result is an automatic success/failure?
There are several features such as the bones of the earth spell which states:
[...] If a pillar is created under a creature, that creature must succeed on a Dexterity saving throw or be lifted by ...
9
votes
4answers
234 views
Can the Freedom of Movement spell prevent a Gibbering Mouther's Aberrant Ground trait from reducing a creature's speed to 0 on a failed save?
The Freedom of Movement spell states this in its description (emphasis mine):
For the duration, the target's movement is unaffected by difficult
terrain, and spells and other magical effects can ...
9
votes
2answers
1k views
If you have multiple situational racial save bonuses and are in a situation where they all apply, do they stack with one another?
So let's say your character gets hit by charm person. It has the enchantment (charm) and mind effecting subtypes.
You are playing a custom race made with the race builder rules in the SRD with 3 ...
8
votes
1answer
326 views
If a charmed creature receives a suicidal command and fails the repeated saving throw, do they commit suicide?
Both the Cambion and the Succubus/Incubus have abilities that allow them to charm a humanoid, who must then obey their commands until the charm effect is broken. However, both include clauses that ...
6
votes
1answer
247 views
What happens if you start outside of the range of the Medusa's gaze but then move closer?
The rules for a Medusa's Petrifying Gaze reads as follows:
Petrifying Gaze. When a creature that can see the medusa's eyes starts
its turn within 30 ft. of the medusa, the medusa can force it to ...
13
votes
1answer
626 views
What is the DC of the Tempest Cleric's Wrath of the Storm feature?
Tempest Domain clerics have the ability Wrath of the Storm (PHB, p. 62):
When a creature within 5 feet of you that you can see hits you with an attack, you can use your reaction to cause the ...
3
votes
1answer
88 views
Does the feat Spell Focus increase static save DCs described inside some spells?
Some spells, such as firebrand (Spell Compendium p.93) have additional effects described inside of them frequently that define static save DCs (reflex DC 15 on firebrand's case). Is there any reason ...
3
votes
1answer
124 views
What are all the officially published spells that let a character choose to fail their saving throw against the spell?
What are all the spells in any officially published sourcebook for 5e where a target is granted the option to deliberately fail their saving throw?
5
votes
2answers
144 views
If I apply the Careful Spell metamagic to a spell that a creature can choose to fail, and they do, what happens?
Certain spells, like Calm Emotions, allow a character to automatically fail their Saving Throw when resisting the effect:
Each humanoid in a 20-foot-radius sphere centered on a point you choose ...
5
votes
2answers
310 views
Can a Sorcerer use the Careful Spell Metamagic option on spells with optional saving throws?
The Sorcerer's Careful Spell Metamagic states:
When you cast a spell that forces other creatures to make a saving throw, you can protect some of those creatures from the spell’s full force. To do ...
1
vote
1answer
44 views
When do you get to roll to disbelieve a Spectral Smoke?
An NPC archer is about to shoot at a PC who has implanted the Mesmerist Trick Spectral Smoke and setup the trigger so that the smoke appears if he is to be attacked.
Spectral Smoke says:
A cloud ...
7
votes
1answer
137 views
Who should roll damage for failed saving throws?
I'm a new DM, and I'm running two groups of people (one group has complete newbies, and the other has experienced players).
Long story short: both groups have players with the Create Bonfire spell.
...
1
vote
2answers
114 views
Can the witch hex “Gift of Consumption” be combined with Fortitude (Harmless) spells?
The description of the Gift of Consumption (Su) hex says:
The witch curses a creature to share any effects that target her vitality.
Whenever the witch is exposed to an effect that requires her ...
2
votes
2answers
155 views
Does the armor check penalty apply to Reflex saves?
Does the armor check penalty apply to Reflex saves?
Nonproficient with Armor Worn: A character who wears armor and/or uses
a shield with which he is not proficient takes the armor's (and/or
...
10
votes
2answers
966 views
Can the spell Sunbeam harm the same creature multiple times?
Sunbeam's text reads:
A beam of brilliant light flashes out from your hand in a 5-foot-wide, 60-foot-long line. Each creature in the line must make a Constitution saving throw. On a failed save, a ...
3
votes
1answer
93 views
Is Sneak Attack damage halved on a successful Will save if a Wand of Cure Light Wounds is used to trigger the Sneak Attack?
Suppose, a Rogue with Use Magic Device wants to attack an Undead, perhaps an Incorporeal one. They can use a Wand of Cure Light Wounds for that since it does require an attack roll. The Rogue somehow ...
1
vote
1answer
45 views
Enlightened Spirit aura of menace save DC
The Enlightened Spirit PrC has a feature called Aura of Menace
Aura of Menace (Su): A righteous aura surrounds you whenever you fight
or get angry. Any hostile creature within a 5-foot radius of ...
4
votes
1answer
298 views
Does a Rogue's Evasion work for spells?
The Rogue class at level 2 gain the ability Evasion:
At 2nd level and higher, a rogue can avoid even magical and unusual
attacks with great agility. If she makes a successful Reflex saving
...
21
votes
3answers
807 views
If an attack causes additional damage after a saving throw, is it counted as a separate source of damage for the purpose of failed death saves?
If an attack causes additional damage after a saving throw, is it counted as a separate source of damage for the purpose of failed death saving throws? In other words, does it cause another failed ...
31
votes
1answer
2k views
Does downing a character at the start of its turn require an immediate Death Saving Throw?
Say a Player Character (PC) with low HP is in a Cloudkill:
When a creature enters the spell's area for the first time on a turn or starts its turn there, that creature must make a Constitution ...
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votes
2answers
170 views
Does a cockatrice actually need to land a bite for the initial DC 11 Con saving throw?
According to the cockatrice's statblock on Roll20:
The target must succeed on a dc 11 constitution saving throw against
being magically petrified On a failed save, the creature begins to
turn ...
24
votes
2answers
3k views
What does it mean to fail a saving throw by 5 or more?
I feel like this should be self-explanatory, but I'm not quite sure how it works. Is it essentially a secondary DC that is 5 less than the initial DC? I can not seem to find an example of it anywhere, ...
7
votes
3answers
216 views
Do you make saves against the Web spell as you move through it?
Inspired by this question I am wondering how exactly the web spell works. It states (emphasis mine):
Each creature that starts its turn in the webs or that enters them during its turn must make a ...
4
votes
2answers
190 views
Greater Command vs. Hold Person--Will save over a will save?
My party were subject to Greater Command at last night's table, the Fighter and Oracle succumbed. The Cleric, hoping to stop some of his teammates from running away, attempted a Hold Person on the ...
2
votes
1answer
141 views
What is a willing creature? [duplicate]
What is a willing creature?
Most spells tend to have saving throws, even the cure spells. I know the saving throw is there because they can harm those who have negative energy instead. Generally when ...
3
votes
1answer
112 views
Does the target of the Delectable Flesh spell get a save?
I'm playing an evil game and found a wonderful spell, but I am unsure if the target would get a save because they're not the ones affected by it.
Delectable Flesh has target of "all creatures in a 15-...
16
votes
2answers
620 views
How does a character proficient in the Medicine skill help other characters recover from diseases, injuries, or similar effects?
Recuperating is described as a downtime activity option on Basic Rules Version 1.0, page 71:
You can use downtime between adventures to recover from a debilitating injury, disease, or poison.
...
5
votes
1answer
349 views
Is there a saving throw against the Hex spell or the Hexblade's Curse feature?
The hex spell and the Hexblade's Curse feature don't list any saving throw in their descriptions. I would think that they would use a warlock's spell save DC and Charisma to save against it.
Do hex ...
4
votes
1answer
143 views
What happens when a spellcaster with Legendary Resistances Shapechanges into another creature with Legendary Resistances?
A few high level arcane spellcasting monsters, such as the Lich from the Monster Manual, also have Legendary Resistances (here, 3 per day).
Such spellcasters can prepare then cast Shapechange on ...
12
votes
3answers
1k views
When do I make my first save against the Web spell?
Our DM cast web on us, and we were all asked to make saving throws immediately. He said, "Otherwise you’re all like Schroedinger's Cats waiting to see if you’ve been caught or not" (which affects ...
3
votes
1answer
137 views
Why is “Corruption” listed as its own saving throw on the Adventures in Middle Earth character sheet?
On the character sheet, under the Saving Throws section, there is "Corruption" listed. I can fill in the "proficiency" bubble or write a modifier in.
My question is: What am I supposed to use that ...
5
votes
1answer
279 views
Does Yuan-Ti Magic Resistance provide advantage for concentration saving throws, where spell damage was the cause?
The Yuan-ti Pureblood's Magic Resistance racial trait (VGtM, p. 120) provides:
advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects
I'm clear on that.
If I'm concentrating on a ...
9
votes
1answer
761 views
If the Dragon's Breath spell is cast on a familiar, does it use the wizard's DC or familiar's DC?
XGE has a spell that lets anything that breaths spew magical energy from its mouth for 10 rounds called Dragon's Breath (p. 154). Part of it reads:
Each creature in that area must make a Dexterity ...
8
votes
2answers
283 views
If I have a saving throw proficiency does that also mean I am proficient in the ability?
Take for example, if my character is a Barbarian, one of her saving throw proficiencies is Strength. Does this mean that if she needs to perform a "Strength Check" I can add her proficiency bonus to ...
26
votes
9answers
5k views
How could I create a situation in which a PC has to make a saving throw or be forced to pet a dog?
Here is how this question came up to me :
I have a dog (IRL), and it's so cute that I'm pretty crazy about it (I guess like most dog owners). My players, which are also my friends, know that.
I ...
1
vote
1answer
574 views
If a sorcerer casts Sickening Radiance with the Careful Spell metamagic option, does he have to spend a sorcery point every round? [duplicate]
One of my players is playing a Sorcerer who knows the sickening radiance spell (XGtE, p. 164):
When a creature moves into the spell’s area for the first time on a turn or starts its turn there, ...
20
votes
2answers
546 views
Does a warship make a Constitution saving throw against the Shatter spell, or does it automatically take the damage?
The Shatter (Player's Handbook, page 275) spell description reads:
Each creature in a 10-foot-radius sphere centered on that point must make a Constitution saving throw. A creature takes 3d8 ...
9
votes
3answers
2k views
How can I determine the spell save DC of a monster/NPC?
I am currently DMing a 5e homebrew campaign, and I was looking at the Drow monster stat block.
They have innate spellcasting abilities and one of those spells is Faerie Fire. In the description, it ...
9
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2answers
1k views
Do Multiclassed spellcasters add their ability modifier or proficiency bonus twice when determining spell save DC?
I was told somewhere that a way to increase spell save DC was by multiclassing and taking a spell in each class multiclassed.
If this is the case, a Sorcerer and Warlock multiclass would be able to ...
5
votes
1answer
313 views
What total is the Unearthed Arcana Fighter Brute's Brutish Durability feature referring to?
On 2018-01-08, three new subclasses were released as Unearthed Arcana material. Of those 3, there is the Brute, a Fighter's archetype. At level 7, a Brute gains access to the following feature:
...
4
votes
1answer
353 views
Does a disease trigger a saving throw vs. poison?
In What happened to disease in D&D 5e? we see that disease may not be a specific mechanic. However, it seems to be conflated quite a bit with poison, for example:
Here's an example of an ...
