I rolled a 20 on my Save vs. Death!

[Henry]

It just came up this past weekend. THe party ranger was fighting a half-dozen pirates by himself on a ship, and they surrounded him and cut him down. He failed his first save, the pirates had picked him up and were carrying him to "string his body up by the yardarm" from the forward mast. He rolled a 20 on his save next round, triggering a healing surge, which gave him enough hit points to be conscious... He played dead until the last moment, then sucker punched two of them ("HOLY ****! HE'S STILL ALIVE!!!!") and managed to take the remainder down with a scant handful of hit points, looking the bloody mess in the end.

I love sessions like that.

 

[ThirdWizard]

I've DMed several games, and I play in another weekly game, and I haven't seen it happen yet.

 

[Foxen]

Happened twice to my Dhalia (human pally)...although I'm eventually going to get the Human Perseverance feat for her JUST for that +1 to Death Saves.

Actually, a lot of her character concept depends on natural 20s...she carries a +1 Vicious Great Axe (thus dubbe Lerissa the Blood Oath) for that oh so sweet +2d12 crit damage. She pulled it off several times...even on a Paladin's Judgment which was a bit overkill.

Fox

 

[Badgerish]

It's happened with one of my players.

He was a dragonborn paladin, fighting off two undead, he was weakened(save ends), taking 5 necrotic(save ends) and had 3 HP left

Start of his turn, he takes his damage and drops. looks like he's going to be food for a zombie dog now. I tell him to roll three saving throws for death, then weakened, then necrotic. 20! 16! 14!

On his next turn, the Paladin was back up and fighting again, it certainly changed the course of the battle



(i'm not sure if a nat 20 on your death-throw counts as a nat-20 on a saving-throw, for saving vs all effects)

 

[Nebulous]

We had a player down for 6 rounds in a row, desperately hoping for a 20 each time. Didn't happen. He survived the encounter anyway, but only barely.

 

[Aexalon]

He rolled a 20 on his save next round, triggering a healing surge, which gave him enough hit points to be conscious...

Healing always starts at a minimum of 0hp ... if your char has 60 hit points total, but is at -5 at the moment, and s/he triggers a healing surge, s/he ends up at 15 hit points, not 10 (source: PH1 p295, 'Healing A Dying Character').

(i'm not sure if a nat 20 on your death-throw counts as a nat-20 on a saving-throw, for saving vs all effects)

There is no 'natural 20' save effect in 4E, not for regular saves (the 'cure all aliments'), nor for death saves (it's '20 or higher' to be allowed to use a healing surge). Might be a mixup with the D&D miniatures game (sources: PH1 p279, 'Saving Throws'; PH1 p295, 'Death And Dying').