Potion saving throws?

[quaidbrown]

If someone drinks a potion with a harmful spell in it, do they get a saving throw?

 

[werk]

In spirit, I want to say no. They elected to drink it, so they are willingly receiving the spell effect, whatever it is.

In practice, I always allow the save. "...when you are subject to... magical attack, you get a saving throw to avoid or reduce the effect."

 

[Stalker0]

If that's true, then does that mean any poison you drink automatically succeeds, you are electing to drink.

 

[werk]

If that's true, then does that mean any poison you drink automatically succeeds, you are electing to drink.

Actually, it looks like a qwirk in the rules that you are not poisoned until after you fail a saving throw. So that's a catch 22.

 

[pawsplay]

The question is, the moment you taste it, do you stop drinking it? You get a saving throw against a poison because it's, well, poisonous. It tastes bad and makes you feel bad.

On the other hand, recognizing a spell potion is a Spellcraft check. A wizard is unlikely to imbibe a potion of bestow curse by mistake, but a barbarian... well, sorry Charlie.

You can make a saving throw or not, as you are able and interested in identifying something. If you purposefully allow a potion to affect you, not knowing for sure what it is, well, it affects you.

 

[Hypersmurf]

As a general rule, if a spell allows a saving throw, you must elect to fail that save, otherwise you get to roll it.

The exception is if the spell is denoted as Harmless, where you must elect to roll a save (if one is allowed), otherwise it takes effect automatically.

So when drinking an unknown potion, make no decision. Most beneficial spells either allow no save or are harmless, so if you make no decision, they will naturally take effect. Most harmful spells allow a save and are not harmless, so if you make no decision, you will get to attempt a save.

-Hyp.

 

[IcyCool]

The question is, the moment you taste it, do you stop drinking it? You get a saving throw against a poison because it's, well, poisonous. It tastes bad and makes you feel bad.

Poison tastes bad? Where does it state that?

 

[quaidbrown]

I guess it would be like the Bene Gesserit in Dune, drinking the poisonous Water of Life... if they can successfully neutralize it internally, they live, if not, they die...

Seems like there should be a penalty to your save if you drink it though, heh.

 

[ThirdWizard]

Seems like there should be a penalty to your save if you drink it though, heh.

No more so than if a snake bit them and injected the poison directly into their blood stream.

 

[quaidbrown]

But with spells in a potion... it seems that there would be a difference between having it forced down your throat (definitely trying to save) and chugging the potion, expecting something else (you save, but you swallowed it all willingly).

I'd probably rule a penalty to your save if you were tricked into drinking it...