Saving Throws
A saving throw is a d20 roll you make to resist or partially resist a harmful effect — a spell, a trap, a poison, a breath weapon. There are three saves: Fortitude (body and health), Reflex (agility and evasion), and Will (mental and spiritual resistance). Meet or beat the Difficulty Class (DC) and you succeed; fall short and you fail.
Save Formulas
| Save | Formula | Key ability | Resists |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fortitude | Base + CON + misc | Constitution | Poison, disease, energy drain, death effects, suffocation, some spells (e.g. finger of death) |
| Reflex | Base + DEX + misc | Dexterity | Area of effect spells and effects you can dodge (fireballs, breath weapons, traps) |
| Will | Base + WIS + misc | Wisdom | Mind-affecting spells (charm, fear, compulsion), illusions, some supernatural effects |
Base save bonus is granted by your class and level. Most classes have a good progression (+2 at 1st level, +1 every 2 levels thereafter, reaching +12 at 20th) in one or two saves and a poor progression (+0 at 1st, +1 every 3 levels, reaching +6 at 20th) in the rest.
What Adds to Saves
| Source | Bonus type | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Cloak of resistance | Resistance | +1 to +5 to all three saves. Only one resistance bonus applies at a time. |
| Bless, prayer | Morale | Applies to saves when the spell includes them. Only the highest morale bonus applies. |
| Racial traits | Racial | Dwarves get +2 vs. poison and spells; Gnomes get +2 vs. illusions; etc. |
| Iron Will, Lightning Reflexes, Great Fortitude feats | — | Each grants +2 to one save. Improved versions add an additional +2 and let you re-roll once/day. |
| Paladin's Divine Grace | Sacred | Adds CHA modifier to all saving throws. Stacks with everything. |
| Luck bonuses | Luck | Prayer, bestow grace, divine favor. Only highest luck bonus applies. |
Save DCs
The DC for a saving throw is set by the effect's source:
- Spells: DC = 10 + spell level + caster's key ability modifier (INT for Wizard, WIS for Cleric, CHA for Sorcerer/Bard/Oracle). Spell Focus feats add +1 or +2 to DC for spells of a chosen school.
- Spell-like abilities (Sp): same formula as spells — 10 + effective spell level + CHA modifier (unless the ability specifies otherwise).
- Poisons: DC listed in the poison's entry. Usually Fortitude.
- Traps: DC listed in the trap's entry. Varies by trap type.
- Monster abilities: DC = 10 + ½ creature's HD + relevant ability modifier (usually CON for breath weapons, CHA for supernatural abilities). The stat block always lists the final DC.
Natural 1 and Natural 20
Natural 1 — Automatic Failure
A roll of 1 on the die always fails regardless of your total bonus or the DC. A natural 1 on a Fortitude save against a death effect still means you fail even if your modifier would have made the total exceed the DC.
Natural 20 — Automatic Success
A roll of 20 on the die always succeeds regardless of the DC. No save DC can be set so high that a natural 20 fails — every effect can be resisted on a natural 20.
Partial Success on a Successful Save
Many effects are not all-or-nothing. The spell or ability description specifies what happens on a successful save. Common outcomes:
| Save line says | What it means |
|---|---|
| Reflex half | On a failed save you take full damage; on a success you take half damage. |
| Fortitude negates | On a success the effect is completely avoided; on a failure you suffer the full effect. |
| Will partial | The ability description specifies a reduced effect on a successful save (e.g. shaken instead of frightened). |
| No save | The effect allows no saving throw and affects the target automatically if the attack or touch succeeds. |
Evasion and Improved Evasion
Certain class abilities modify how Reflex saves interact with area effects:
- Evasion (Rogue, Monk, and others): on a successful Reflex save against an effect that deals half damage on a save, you take no damage instead. Has no effect if you are helpless.
- Improved Evasion (higher-level Rogues, Monks): on a failed Reflex save you take only half damage; on a success you still take no damage.
Save Modifier Calculator
Total Save Modifier
+0
(base +0, ability +0, misc +0)