Clarifying Saving Throws

[Chris Stalis]

Been reading through my books and the thread on poisons made me want to check... how do saving throws work?

As I read them now, it seems like you get hit by whatever power or attack induces the throw. The ill effects hit you at the start of your enemy's turn. At the end of your turn, you roll a d20, with 50-50 success rate (assuming no feats/class boosts).

Hence, petrification would work thusly:

Medusa hits your fort defence. You are slowed.
Your turn goes through, you fail save.
Medusa's turn. You are now immobilized.
Your turn goes through, you fail save.
Medusa's turn. You are now stone.

So, what... 25% chance of being turned to stone once hit in a non-min-maxed world? Am I reading this correctly?

 

[Oompa]

You roll an d20, 1-9 is save fails, 10 - 20 save succeeds..

So yeah.. with bad rolls.. youre a stoner..

 

[Szatany]

I think he asks when the effects are applied. It was my understanding that as soon as the save is made.

 

[TimeOut]

I think he asks when the effects are applied. It was my understanding that as soon as the save is made.

Yes, as soon as the save is failed, the next condition is applied.

Medusa hits Fortitude -> You are slowed (save ends).
Save on your turn failed: "First failed save: The target is immobilized (save ends)" -> You are immobilized.
Medusas turn, she does whatever she wants.
Save on your turn failed: "Second failed save: The targed is petrified (no save)" -> You are turned to stone.
Meduas turn, she laughs.

 

[Serensius]

But.. that's ridicolous! No matter how tough or frail you are you get a 50% chance of succumbing to any given effect? Is that right? I think a lot of players will feel cheated by this.

 

[TimeOut]

But.. that's ridicolous! No matter how tough or frail you are you get a 50% chance of succumbing to any given effect? Is that right? I think a lot of players will feel cheated by this.

No. You only gain a 55% chance to remove a condition that affects the character.

Succumbing to the effect in the first place is handled via attack vs. defense.

So if you are tough, you will have a high fortitude defense. So there is the chance to resist the Medusa's gaze. But once it has taken hold on your body, even the toughest person will turn to stone slowly, unless he mangages to shake the effect off; due to willpower / determination / luck or any other fluff element that can be represented by chance.

 

[hong]

But.. that's ridicolous! No matter how tough or frail you are you get a 50% chance of succumbing to any given effect? Is that right? I think a lot of players will feel cheated by this.

The toughness/frailness of the target comes in when making the attack roll (vs Fortitude for the medusa's gaze).

 

[half-dragon dragon]

Just had a question myself and after reading the section on saving throws, it didn't necessarily clear the situation up.

Say, in the example of the medusa, that you fail the first save and are now immobilized. If you then make your save against the immobilization, are you still slowed until you make a save next turn, or are you now free of the petrification effect completely? In other words, does the slow effect act as an after effect as described in the saving throw section on pg. 279?

 

[TimeOut]

The medusa's power specifically states that "you are immobilized instead of slowed".

 

[Boarstorm]

I think he's asking if a single saving throw "breaks" the chain, or if it only pops you back up to the previous level that the effect had inflicted, if that's any more clear.