The chance to avoid or partially negate magical or other attack forms is known as the “save”. By means of skill, luck, magical protections, quirks of fate, and the aid of supernatural powers, the character making his or her saving throw takes none or only part of the indicated results—fireball damage, poisoning, being turned to stone, or whatever.
The various saving throws are shown on the appropriate tables—for characters, monsters, and items as well. When someone or something fails to roll the number shown, or better, whatever is coming comes in full.
Multi-class characters, characters with two classes, and bards check the matrix for each class possessed, and use the most favorable result for the type of attack being defended against.
Most monsters save as fighters with the following exceptions.
Paralyzation, Poison or Death Magic save (“Poison”). Also includes anything with the moniker, “save vs. Death”. Death magic, death rays, finger of death, and other similar effects that will kill a victim (generally immediately) failing its saving throw. Unless otherwise noted, a saving throw against a poison (manufactured or natural—venom or toxin) is a save to avoid death. This saving throw can also be used in situations in which exceptional force of will or physical fortitude are needed.
Poison Resistance. There are exceptions to the death (or damage) rule for poison. Any creature with a thick layer of fat (where blood vessels and nerves are virtually non-existent) will be totally immune to poison from creatures which are not able to penetrate this fat layer when injecting their poison. All swine, wereboars included, will be in this protected class. Similarly, very large creatures poisoned by very small ones are not likely to be affected.
Petrification or Polymorph save (“Petrify”). This is used any time a character is turned to stone (petrified) or polymorphed by a monster, spell, or magical item. It can also be used when the character must withstand some massive physical alteration of his entire body.
Rod, Staff, or Wand save (“Wand”). As its name implies, this is used whenever a character is affected by the powers of a rod, staff, or wand, provided another save of higher priority (see below) isn’t called for. This saving throw is sometimes specified for situations in which a character faces a magical attack from an unusual source.
Breath Weapon save (“Breath”). A character uses this save when facing monsters with breath weapons, particularly the powerful blast of a dragon. This save can also be used in situations where a combination of physical stamina and Dexterity are critical factors in survival.
Spell save (“Spell”). This is used whenever a character attempts to resist the effects of a magical attack, either by a spell caster or from a magical item, provided no other type of saving throw is specified. This save can also be used to resist an attack that defies any other classification.
Automatic Success and Failure. A natural 1 (the d20 comes up 1) on a saving throw is always a failure. A natural 20 (the d20 comes up 20) is always a success.
Saving Throw Priority. Sometimes the type of saving throw required by a situation or item isn’t clear, or more than one category of saving throw may seem appropriate. For this reason, the saving throw categories in saving throw tables are listed in order of importance, beginning with paralyzation, poison, and death magic, and ending with spells. Thus, a character attacked with a wand of polymorphing will save vs. Petrify (Polymorph) rather than vs. Wand as this category supersedes the latter.
Save for Half or Save Negates. If the save indicates a "save for half" (or sometimes indicated as "1/2"), this means a successful saving throw will do half of all indicated damage to the creature that made the save. If the ability indicates "save negates", this means there is no effect to the creature that makes a successful saving throw.
If a saving throw allows an ability score modifier to adjust the die roll, it will make this clear in the text. For example, an ankheg will squirt acid—"All creatures caught in the line of acid must make a Dexterity save vs. Breath or take 8d4 acid damage (save for half)."
Circumstance. The DM may assign modifiers to any saving throws as they see fit, always keeping in mind game balance. This includes any adjustments for hard cover. (See Combat Modifiers.)
Inherent Adjustments. Some attack forms will always give an adjustment to saving throws because of the creature considered, e.g., a large spider’s poison attack always grants a bonus to the save based on the weakness of the poison (other spiders confer a penalty due to virulence). Some attack forms always receive adjustments against certain creatures also.
Magical Devices and Protections. Various magic items (rings, armor, shields, etc.) allow saving throw dice modifications. In general, these modifiers are cumulative, unless otherwise stated. Some spells will also cause such modifications.
The magical properties of the various sorts of magic armor will sometimes, but not always, add bonuses to saving throw dice rolls made by wearers. All cases cannot be dealt with, for there will undoubtedly be many special circumstances which occur. There are guidelines, however, which will generally serve.
Magical Armor Bonus Applies To Saves Against: Acid (no immersion), disintegration, falling damage (if a save), fire (magical or otherwise), or spells (causing physical damage);
Magical Armor Bonus Does Not Apply To Saves Against: Gas, poison, or spells (with no physical damage).
Exception. Metallic armor will not add to saving throws versus electrical attacks, although nonmetallic armor will do so.
Magic armor also gives saving throw bonuses vs. non-magical attacks (like cold or fire), assuming that the attack form allows a saving throw in the first place (such as white dragon breath, etc.).
Of course, where no saving throw is permitted, magic armor does not then give such an save or save bonus unless otherwise stated.
When objects are subjected to a general danger—the flames of a fireball, the icy chill of a cold ray, or the smashing blow of a giant’s boot against a door—the roll to hit and hit points do not apply. Instead, the following Item Saving Throw table is used. This saving throw represents an object’s general ability to withstand the effects of the attack. It is rolled like a normal saving throw.
The item saving throw should be used only when the item is not being carried by a character or when a character fails his saving throw against the same attack. Spells offering no saving throw will specify if items must save or a save will be determined by the DM on a case by case basis.
Depending on the attack form, objects covered or in a container do not need to save unless the covering or container is destroyed. In any case, any covering or container will grant a +1 to +4 to an item saving throw (to be determined by the DM).
Broken. In some cases, the DM will rule that an item is broken rather than destroyed outright. If this is the case, the item will be usable but any use of the item will be at a -2 penalty (even if this results in a negative value as the item will hinder use). Thus broken armor will be 2 factors worse than normal and future saves for the item will be at -2.
Liquid includes potions, magical oils, poisons, and acids while container remains intact (i.e. the liquid is ruined inside the container). Potions and liquids which do not make their saving throws should be noted secretly by the DM, unless the player concerned has his or her character check to determine if the fluid was harmed.
Magical items gain +2 on all rolls plus an additional +1 for each plus they have above +1. (i.e. +1 = +2 on saving throw, +2 = +3 on saving throw; etc.) Furthermore, a magic item gains +5 on saving throws against attack forms in its own mode, i.e. blow vs. shield, fireball vs. wand of fire.
Those items which do not exactly conform to item descriptions above can be interpolated. It is assumed that the item in question is actually exposed to the form of attack, i.e. the blow falls on the item, the fall is such as to not cushion the item, the fire actually contacts the item, etc. As with magical items, non-magical items gain +5 versus attacks in their own mode. (E.g. shield vs. blow.)
Acid. This assumes a considerable volume of strong acid (black dragon or giant slug spittle) or immersion for a period which would affect the item.
Blow, crushing. This assumes that the item is struck by a weighty falling object or a blow from an ogre’s or giant’s weapon, for example. Another example would be a (ceramic) flask of oil or a (crystal or glass) vial of holy water hurled against a hard surface or dropped from a height. A piece of cloth can be ripped or torn by a crushing blow.
Blow, normal. This assumes an attack by a normal-strength opponent or only fairly heavy object which strikes the object. This also applies to a (ceramic) flask of oil or a (crystal or glass) vial of holy water hurled against a tough, but slightly yielding, surface.
Disintegrate. This is the magical effect.
Fall. This assumes the item falls about 5 ft. and comes into contact with a hard (stone-like) surface. A softer surface (wood-like) gives a +1 on the saving throw, and a fleshy-soft surface gives +5. For each 5 ft. over the first 5 ft. the item falls, subtract 1 from the die roll to save.
Fireball. This is the magical fireball, meteor swarm, (red) dragon breath, etc.
Fire, Magical. This is the magical wall of fire, fire storm, flame strike, etc.
Fire, Normal. This assumes a hot fire such as produced by a blazing wood fire, flaming oil, and the like. The item in question would have to be exposed to the fire for an amount of time sufficient to have an effect, i.e. paper or parchment for but 1 melee round, cloth for 2, bone or ivory for 3, etc.
Frost, Magical. This is the magical frost or cold such as a white dragon breath or spells such as cone of cold or ice storm.
Lightning (Bolt). This is magical attack from lightning called from the sky, the spell of the same name, blue dragon breath, etc.
Electricity (Electrical Discharge or Current). The “shock” of an electric eel, magical items, traps, etc.
Because of the very nature of these items, the DM may desire to disallow any destruction or harm to these items by common normal or magical means. This rule may apply to some, all, or none as the DM deems best in the circumstances of their campaign.