How many saves do you have to make when...

[Hannibal King]

...your targeted by the same effect from different sources.

Example" During the weekend's game two the characters encountered 5 varguoille. The vargouille all used their screech attack at the same time (they had the same initiative). I ruled that the characters had to make only one saving throw since they would have heard only one cacophony of screeches. Was I right?

Take these other examples:
Character hit at the same time by two Fireballs? 2 saves or one?

Character flanked at the same time by a pair of ghasts? 2 saves or one?

Character hearing the wail of three banshees? 3 saves or one?

Thoughts? Official rulings?
Hannibal King

 

[Patryn of Elvenshae]

1 saving throw per unique effect.

5 vargouilles = 5 saves
2 fireballs = 2 saves
2 ghasts = 2 saves

Note that, in D&D, two actions are never resolved simultaneously. One always goes before the other, so there's never any mechanical "at the same time."

 

[dcollins]

Under the rules, none of the examples can actually happen at the exact same time. The correct ruling is that a separate save must be made each time a PC is hit by one of these effects.

However, I do rule that ongoing effects (ghoul stench) only require a single save per round, even with a bunch of ghouls in the vicinity.

 

[Coredump]

They have covered the RAW. But for things like the Vargouille screech, I wouild make it 1 save, with a -X for each additional one. (or maybe -2X, not sure)

 

[the Jester]

Think about it in terms of the pcs doing it to the bad guys.

Certainly, if the party spellcasters both cast fireball in the same round, the bad guys get a save against each one. The same rule should apply in the other direction too.

Now, I've lately been considering allowing multiple uses of the same spell or ability to use the aid another rule instead if desired in cases like multiple castings of hold person at a time, adding 2 to the DC.

 

[apesamongus]

2 ghasts = 2 saves

Heck, it could be up to 8. 2 for stench and 6 for 2 claw/claw/bites. Sure, he was probably talking just about the stenches, but then why mention flanking.

 

[Hannibal King]

Meaning their stenches overlapping but yeah your right 8 saves - nasty!

 

[S'mon]

Generally for ongoing/continuous effects that don't look to me like they would stack, I only require 1 save - typically stench/gas effects or continuous fear auras. Instantaneous effects like fireballs always require 1 save per fireball. In the case of a mummy it says "at the mere sight of the mummy" - so I would just make 1 fear check no matter if it were 1 mummy or 20. Whereas the vargouille shriek is more a direct instantaneous attack form so I would normally require 1 save per vargouille. OTOH this does seem a bit much for CR 2, but I see that it's only a DC 12 Fort save compared to the Mummy's DC 15 Will.