Poison -- three saves or two?

[wuyanei]

Another stupid question, if I may.

Basically, does the target of a poison spell (see below) get three Fortitude saves -- one to negate the entire spell, one against the initial effect, one against the secondary effect 1 minute later -- or only two saves -- to negate the initial and secondary effects, respectively.

This came up on our last game. I ruled (in the player's favor) that the spell worked like a contact poison -- you get a save against each effect, but not against the spell itself. However, I am interested in hearing how you would rule on this spell. I am also very interested in any 'official' ruling in the subject.

Thanks for your time and trouble! Bye bye!

Poison
Necromancy
Level: Clr 4, Drd 3
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Touch
Target: Living creature touched
Duration: Instantaneous; see text
Saving Throw: Fortitude negates; see text
Spell Resistance: Yes
Calling upon the venomous powers of natural predators, you infect the subject with a horrible poison by making a successful melee touch attack. The poison deals 1d10 points of temporary Constitution damage immediately and another 1d10 points of temporary Constitution damage 1 minute later. Each instance of damage can be negated by a Fortitude save (DC 10 + 1/2 your caster level + your Wis modifier).

PS. I am debating House Ruling the spell to "Spell Resistance: No". Basically, I would like to treat the spell as a "conjure contact poison". Would this end up broken? True, SR becomes increasingly more important in high level play, but then there are spells like the orbs or force cage....

 

[Someone]

I understand that the "see text" part of the saving throw entry says that the saving throw works in a different way other than normally. The text clarifies it: you make two special saving throws, one against each Con damage (not three)

 

[the Jester]

You save twice.

I wouldn't recommend eliminating SR without a really good reason, and referencing the orb spells isn't very convincing to me; I can't think of many things more egregiously broken in 3.5.

 

[wuyanei]

Nod. Understandable. It did 'twinge' wrong, which was why I was 'debating' it.

No bypass SR for poison, then. The party druid has enough fun already, anyways. (Poisoned claws of a animal growthed black bear. I *mourn* for my poor, poor fiendish wizard BBEG. :weep: )

 

[moritheil]

You save twice.

I wouldn't recommend eliminating SR without a really good reason, and referencing the orb spells isn't very convincing to me; I can't think of many things more egregiously broken in 3.5.

Agree. Poison is pretty useful as is anyhow.

 

[Goolpsy]

If you come up to such a question again, Then ak yourself, If the character trying to avoid the effect (reflex?) anything mindcontrolling? (will) Does the spell itself cause him to make a fortitue save EVEN before the spell takes effect? In this case, it doesn't, U do however have to hit with a touch attack first...
afterwards... theres a save for each of the effect of the spell... = 2 the initial and the Secundary...