Saving Throws

Certain spells and other effects allow the victim a saving throw to reduce or negate the effect. The saving throw is similar to any other skill attempt in that a difficulty must be exceeded. A bonus roll is generated and added to the base skill factor. Each success level gained reduces the effect.

The saving throw simulates many things including pure luck, such as the eddies in the fireball were slightly cooler at one point, your success in getting out of the way, your resistance to the effect and your ability to modify the flow of power itself such as a wizard performs when resisting another spell.

Saving throws are often given for inanimate objects in the posession of another (being held or worn).

Calculating the saving throw

A standard save is at difficulty 10 + spell level though this may be modified by many factors such as the ferocity of the dragon or the power of the necromancer.

What to save against

There are several general effects that can be saved against. The saves are made as a normal skill against a statistic. These are :

You will be able to use hero points against certain types of save, such as dodging boulders or fireballs, but not others. You cannot use a hero point against those where you don't know a save was made for you by the DM or there is a fixed percentage chance of an event happening.

Creatures caught on the edge of a physical effect area (eg breath weapon) may make a dodge save to try and leap out of the area. Any bonus they get is added to the spell saving throw, negatives are ignored (you cannot make it worse). A critical means you completely leapt out of the area and are not affected at all.

Unarmoured characters and creatures suffer double damage against all fire and cold effects.

Saving throws

Example

Snablet the mage casts a fireball

• Intelligence of 2
• Elemental skill of +4
• Fireball level 3

The difficulty is 10+3=13 (10 + spell level) His skill roll is 2d8 = 8 so gets a total skill of (Int + Elemental + roll)

2+4+9=15

Roll - Difficulty = 2

As Snablet had chosen to affect the saving throw rather than damage a result of 2 counts as Good which gives +1 on the save required

The saving throw is therefore (10 +spell level + save modifier)

10+3+1=14

Saving throw adjustments

Cover

Cover will give a bonus to the saving throw against ranged physical (including spell) attacks of +1 per 10% cover. This bonus is halved if the attack has not been spotted and prepared for. (i.e. you duck behind the cover). This requires a spot roll and takes 5 seconds to duck and recover delaying any action this round or adding to your initiative for the next.

Cover	Bonus	Typical
10%	+1	Buckler
20%	+2	Bush, Concealment
30%	+3	Small rocks
40%	+4	Medium shield
50%	+5	Solid Wall / Parapet
60%	+6	Large Shield
80%	+8	Castellations
>90%	+10	Arrow slit

Mages

Mages gain an additional bonus of 1 for each ability level they have in the spell type. This is cumulative with any saving throw adjustment due to skill increases.

The magical ability of a mage to alter elemental reality gives them saving throws even where none is normally available and even counts against non-spell effect such as the damage suffered from being inside a burning house.

Examples

Snablet the mage fires a lightning bolt at the party with a save required of 15

• Troppus the barbarian has an dexterity of 3 plus the dodge skill at +4 = 7 so needs to roll an 8 to make 15
• Simeon has an dexterity of 1 and a dodge of +2 and an electromagnetic skill of 3 = 6 so needs to roll an 9 to make 15

However most wizards also have response spells which automatically (if cast) reduce damage by at least half in addition to any saving throw reductions.

Effectiveness of the save

This is the same table as the skill success level table. The success level determines the effect the spell or act will have on the character. The greater the success level the less the effect or damage suffered.

For non-damaging effects a successful save will often negate the spell completely. For spells that cause damage the damage is reduced according to the success level of the save.

Mind control effects

Spells which control the mind have reduced effects if a save is made. For example if a hold spell was cast it would end up being a slow spell if the save was just made or cause only a loss of initiative if it was successful by a larger margin.

Horror

Certain monsters, sights and situations are so horrific that characters may literally quake in their boots. Unless a saving throw is made characters will suffer some ill effects depending upon the severity of the failure.

Once a scene has been saved against successfully the character need not save again if it is re-encountered. If the save failed they must save again adding the success modifier from the last failure. The ability to save again simulates the desensitising effect of repeated encounters.

Ill effects may be removed with a remove fear .

Threatening situations

Stymied

The character starts shaking and perform all actions at -2. No hero points may be used. This lasts until 10 minutes afterwards the encounter is ended

Aversion

The character cannot bear to look at or approach the cause. They may only attack from the relatively safe distance of 30'. Even then all actions are performed at -4. If the creature comes closer then the character must endeavour to retreat. If retreat is impossible due to a physical restraint (a wall, fast flowing river, or such like) they may attack at -6. No hero points may be used during this encounter or for a period of 10 minutes afterwards.

Mental shock

The character remains stunned (see combat) for three rounds. After that a saving throw against mind may be made. If failed another save may be made after 3 rounds. If three saves fail the character falls into a state of deep shock whereby a save may be made only every hour. No hero points may be used during this encounter or for a period of 10 minutes afterwards.

Obsession

The character would willingly dive into a set of rapids or through a wall of flame in order to get away. No hero points may be used during this encounter or for a period of 10 minutes afterwards.

For the next month they will be revolted even by the sight of something that reminds them of the scene. (Thus spilt red wine suggests the spilt blood of a massacre). The horrifying experience play itself over and over again in the characters mind. By day they continually talk about the event; by night they suffer nightmares and gain little real rest. Only half normal stamina and power points may be gained each day.

Non-threatening situations

If the scene turns threatening then at that point the threatening reactions occurs instead.

Disgust

The character has to look away in disgust. No hero points may be used until 10 minutes afterwards the scene can no longer be seen (and the character is a reasonable distance away).

Senseless rage

If the scene is static (no monsters and not threatening) the character flies into a rage and their only desire is to smash and destroy the horror scene. The character attacks twice as often as normal and continues after the scene is destroyed. Starting 1 round after total destruction the character may make another save at -2 each round (reducing by 1 each round) until successful. No hero points may be used until 10 minutes afterwards the scene has been destroyed or the character has been calmed down by other means.

Nausea

The character cannot bear to look at the scene or stay in an enclosed space. The character starts shaking with fright then throws up. No hero points may be used until 10 minutes afterwards the scene can no longer be seen (and the character is a reasonable distance away)

Repulsion

The immediate affects are as for nausea however the effects are more traumatic and permanent. The character will immediately try to put as much distance as possible between them and the scene. This will involve running at 4x speed for 2 rounds or until exhausted whichever occurs first. Once the character has got over the initial effects then for the next month they will be revolted even by the sight of something that reminds them of the scene. (Thus spilt red wine suggests the spilt blood of a massacre).