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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Oni" data-source="post: 5818852" data-attributes="member: 380">I've been thinking about this one and I think with a little tweak  you could make this into a really interesting mechanic, that while different from previous iterations of D&D could bring some nice tension to the table.  Let's say that most SoD spells and effects have a grace period (you could alter this from 1-3, or even more, rounds either to alter the flavor of the ability or the general lethality of the game).  However instead of making the save at the beginning of the grace period, you make the save at the end, so the outcome of not acting is unknown.  Actions could do anything from give a bonus to the saving to extending the grace period to canceling the effect all together, it's possible baddies might even be able to perform actions to supplement the SoD effect.  The grace period itself may or more not come with a debuff depending on the nature of the SoD as it sets about it's work.  For example Finger of Death might be first round -2 to actions due to pain, next round dazed as the life starts to pull loose from your body, final round stunned as you do nothing but gasp and clutch your chest, then save versus the death effect.  Maybe a save bonus could be garnered with a good heal check, or it could be canceled with a dispel or deathward, by killing the caster before it full takes effect, et c. You could put all sorts of interesting little twist on them, like maybe one the requires concentration (probably has nasty per round effect like stat damage or something), or grapple, or hooked to the life of the caster to complete, for something slower acting ones maybe a part of the creature is needed to undo the effect (like to make an anti venom for a slow acting poison).</blockquote>

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