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.
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What happens when an unconscious but stabilised character is hit?
At the end of this answer to a different question ("If you succeed on all of your death saving throws, what happens?"), the answer states that:
If an unconscious character is attacked, the attacker ...
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If you succeed on all of your death saving throws, what happens?
I have been DMing for my group for maybe a month or two, and we ruled that upon stabilizing your character with death saving rolls, you recover one HP and are unconscious.
Is this right? Should you ...
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Does being under the effect of more than one Sanctuary spell require more than one saving throw?
Does being under the effect of more than one Sanctuary spell require more than one saving throw?
In the case where there are two Clerics who cast Sanctuary on the same PC:
would a monster trying to ...
7
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1answer
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How to increase monk's chance to land a Stunning Strike?
My monk is a multi-class character (Monk 9/Paladin 8) in a homebrew 5e campaign and clearly does not have too many ki points as level 17 character. I also find it inconsiderate and boring when burning ...
4
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1answer
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How does damage work when entering a Wall of Fire?
When casting Wall of Fire, "each creature within its area
must make a Dexterity saving throw. On a failed save, a
creature takes 5d8 fire damage, ar half as much damage
on a successful save."
Later ...
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1answer
205 views
Are there any practical reasons for choosing proficiency in Intelligence saving throws?
Are there any practical reasons for choosing proficiency in Intelligence saving throws?
It was suggested to me to take the Resilient feat (PHB, p. 168):
Choose one ability score. You gain the ...
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1answer
57 views
How do I make a Roll20 macro that prompts the user for a save type once, and then outputs the save as though you clicked it on the character sheet?
How do I make a macro for Roll20 that will prompt the user for a save type once, and then roll a save for the chosen ability and output it in a format that matches the format of if they clicked it on ...
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When True Polymorphed and making concentration saves, what stats do I use?
If I true polymorph myself, when I make a concentration save, should I use my character's or monster's statistics?
And if I have relevant feats can I use them?
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Does your spell save DC change on spells cast before you change your spell save DC?
While reading through the symbol spell I noticed that the spell technically could stay on forever, and during this time the caster could get stronger and thus gain a higher spell save DC.
When ...
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3answers
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Mind Flayer Innate Spellcasting saving throws
The MM says
The mind flayer's innate spellcasting ability is Intelligence (spell save DC 15). It can innately cast the following spells, requiring no components:
At will: detect thoughts, ...
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For a homebrew class, how can I offset the disadvantage created by not granting proficiency in one of the “big three” / “strong” saving throws?
I made a homebrew class. (I’m happy to share any details anyone deems necessary or even the entire class if it isn’t against the rules.) It’s a Cha-based class which, for flavour reasons, has a ...
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1answer
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How do I make this Roll20 macro for saving throws work while only asking for the type once?
I'm trying to create a saves macro for DnD 5e in Roll20 that asks for the type of save once and then specifies which save type it is.
For example expected output may be "Lucy rolls a [19]/[10] for a ...
4
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1answer
168 views
Does a character know they ate poison if they pass a fortitude save?
Player just ate some poisoned food. They passed their fortitude save. Does the character know that they just ate poison? Would they reach for a second bite?
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If a NPC is successful in a saving throw against a type it’s vulnerable against, does it just take what I rolled for damage or would it be halved?
During a D&D campaign, we were fighting a Mummy Lord. It’s vulnerable to fire, so I used Fireball against it. It succeeded on the saving throw to halve the damage. Would it just take whatever ...
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How does the UA Brute's Brutish Durability feature work with natural 1's?
So, the UA Fighter subclass Brute has an ability that lets him add a d6 to any saving throw, and if the total adds to 20, it counts as a natural 20. If this happens on a Death saving throw, it means ...
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What is the narrative difference between a Charisma and Wisdom saving throw?
Relatively few spells in D&D 5e require a Charisma saving throw, and when they do it's often difficult to describe the in-game reasons for why they require such a throw.
One of my players told me ...
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1answer
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How many Dex saves does a creature make if it's affected by 2 separate explosions from the Melf's Minute Meteors spells?
The description of the Melf's Minute Meteors spell (EEPC, p. 20; XGtE, p. 161) states:
You create six tiny meteors in your space. They float in the air and orbit you for the spell’s duration. When ...
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If you roll a saving throw where you only take half damage on a success, do you reduce the damage even more on a Natural 20?
For context, my character just got pounded by flaming boulders. She is currently immune to fire for story reasons, so the fire damage is null. However, she has to make a dexterity saving throw against ...
4
votes
1answer
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Can a Huge (or larger) creature move through the Watery Sphere spell?
The watery sphere spell description says:
On a successful save, a creature is ejected from that space to the nearest unoccupied space of the creature’s choice outside the sphere. A Huge or larger ...
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2answers
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Do the ball lightning and spark shower functions of a Ring of Shooting Stars allow saving throws?
In the SRD it states:
The first special function, ball lightning, releases one to four balls
of lightning (ring wearer’s choice). These glowing globes resemble
dancing lights, and the ring ...
11
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1answer
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For the Ring of Shooting Stars, what is the spell save DC of Faerie Fire?
The Ring of Shooting Stars has the following feature:
Faerie Fire. You can expend 1 charge as an action to cast faerie fire from the ring.
Since it does not specifically state that you use your ...
9
votes
1answer
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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 ...
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1answer
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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 ...
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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 ...
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4answers
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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’ ...
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3answers
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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 ...
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votes
2answers
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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, ...
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2answers
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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 ...
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votes
3answers
254 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 ...
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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 ...
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2answers
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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 ...
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votes
4answers
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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 ...
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2answers
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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 ...
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1answer
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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 ...
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votes
1answer
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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 ...
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1answer
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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 ...
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1answer
102 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 ...
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1answer
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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?
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2answers
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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 ...
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votes
2answers
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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 ...
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vote
1answer
56 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 ...
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2answers
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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.
...
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2answers
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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 ...
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2answers
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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
...
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2answers
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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 ...
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1answer
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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 ...
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vote
1answer
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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 ...
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1answer
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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
...
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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 ...
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1answer
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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 ...
