Saving Throws Question

[Beta]

Is it possible to defer a saving throw?

For example: Let yourself suffer ongoing fire damage instead of trying to save against it.

An example of application of this: A Tiefling that sets himself on fire and grants party members saving throws via the feat "Saving Grace." This Tiefling is a cleric and is in this way serving a penance.

 

[DNH]

The obvious answer is "That is up to your DM" but that doesn't help you any if you *are* the DM! I would say that the RAW do not allow it, but I would certainly consider it possible.

 

[Mesh Hong]

I must say I am suspicious of any motive behind wanting to fail a saving throw, sounds a bit fishy.

But I would say you have no choice, generally saving throws are not representing anything you are actively doing. They are an arbitary indicator for either the effect burning itself out, or your natural resiliance shrugging it off.

If you are taking ongoing fire damage for instance, you might spend an action patting the flames or rolling in dirt to try and extinguish the fire (immediate saving throw, maybe with a bonus) or those same flames might just burn out (saving throw at the end of your turn). If you wanted to make sure you kept burning I would say that you would have to spend an action doing something to fan the flames (hey why don't you pour lamp oil on yourself?), but then I repeat, why would you really want to do that?

 

[Beta]

An example of application of this: A Tiefling that sets himself on fire and grants party members saving throws via the feat "Saving Grace"

 

[Infiniti2000]

If you were to allow it, then you should enforce that the damage be taken, regardless of resistances. In other words, there's no penance if there's no damage.

 

[filthgrinder]

An example of application of this: A Tiefling that sets himself on fire and grants party members saving throws via the feat "Saving Grace"

But thats not how "Saving Grace" works.

Benefit: When you succeed on a saving throw, you can choose not to end the effect you saved against and instead allow an ally within 5 squares of you to make a saving throw with a bonus equal to your Wisdom modifier.

So he would HAVE to not only roll a saving throw but succeed on it, in order to grant anyone else a saving throw. So the whole way that the feat works is that the Tiefling would set himself on fire, and then save in order to grant the saving throw to someone else.

I'm not sure where the whole, "intentionally failing" a saving throw comes in.

 

[Beta]

You have to intentionally fail in order to sustain the burning while party members are not suffering anything that requires a save.

 

[Mesh Hong]

An example of application of this: A Tiefling that sets himself on fire and grants party members saving throws via the feat "Saving Grace"

You have to intentionally fail in order to sustain the burning while party members are not suffering anything that requires a save.

Well, personally I would be horrified if any of my players attempted to do this. I would applaud the players attempt to manipulate the rules for the greatest benefit of the group, then tell them to stop being silly, and get on with the game.

Fire resistance or no fire resistance, heroes generally don't set themselves on fire.

Another option (not recommended, but offered as a threat), is to say fine and allow it. Then make use of something very similar yourself and see how the group responds to it. The old powergame arguement is if the players can exploit something, so can the DM, and the DM has a lot more oportunities to powergame than the players.

 

[Infiniti2000]

Just beware the bag of rats. "I injure myself" doesn't mean much when you cannot be injured (e.g. fire resistance), just so you can get free saves all day long. I bet there's a caveat in the setting yourself on fire, too. It smacks of "wtf" and a hand-slap upside the head, though.

 

[DreamChaser]

Is it possible to defer a saving throw?

For example: Let yourself suffer ongoing fire damage instead of trying to save against it.

An example of application of this: A Tiefling that sets himself on fire and grants party members saving throws via the feat "Saving Grace." This Tiefling is a cleric and is in this way serving a penance.

Well, to be honest, I don't permit / require saving throws for things that don't actually affect the character. A tiefling taking fire damage less than or equal to his fire resistance is not suffering an effect so there is no save. Descriptively, the fire doesn't catch thanks to the tiefling's infernal resistance.

Now if there are other effects, like slowed, poisioned, etc that come into play along with the fire, this is clearly another story.

on topic: no...saves are automatic.

DC