Post by foster1941 on Apr 15, 2005 13:15:55 GMT -5
My take on the OD&D save categories:
Death Ray or Poison: Your're supposed to be dead. Are you really dead or not? This is somewhat based on constitution/fortitude, but is based just as much on luck and divine favor (which is why clerics have such a good score in it) -- do the gods think this character deserves to die or keep on living another day?
All wands including Polymorph and Paralyzation: A magic ray is coming your way. Does it hit you or not? As I already covered in my last post, IMO this is pretty much purely reflex-based. There's some question of whether the "including Polymorph and Paralyzation" means "including wands of Polymorph and Paralyzation" or "including Polymorph and Paralyzation effects, regardless of source." IMO it's the former, and a non-wand Polymorph should be saved against as a spell, and a non-wand paralyzation (such as from a ghoul attack) should be saved against as poison or death ray.
Stone: People tend to view this as fortitude-based -- once you've caught the medusa's gaze can your body withstand the effect? -- but I see it, again, as more a matter of luck/reflex -- if you catch the medusa's gaze you're turned to stone no matter how good your Con score is, so this saving throw determines whether you actually caught the gaze or were able to look away at the last second (perhaps in addition to luck and reflex there's a little willpower involved as well -- can you avoid involuntarily looking up?...).
Dragon Breath: The "area of effect" save -- you were caught in an area of effect where something bad happened; how badly were you affected? Depending on the character and the circumstances this can be a matter of fortitude, reflex, luck, or a combination of all three.
Staves and Spells: Your mind/body was targeted by a spell -- did it take effect on you or not? In addition to mental willpower Fighters counter spells with their pure toughness (Conan's such a badass that spells can't faze him), clerics with their divine favor (a 'shield of faith'), magic-users perhaps with 'countermagic' abilities -- key words and gestures that only magic-users know that keep enemy spells from taking effect (which is why high level magic-users have such an amazingly good save against spells -- because they almost always know the appropriate counter-formula to use).
Death Ray or Poison: Your're supposed to be dead. Are you really dead or not? This is somewhat based on constitution/fortitude, but is based just as much on luck and divine favor (which is why clerics have such a good score in it) -- do the gods think this character deserves to die or keep on living another day?
All wands including Polymorph and Paralyzation: A magic ray is coming your way. Does it hit you or not? As I already covered in my last post, IMO this is pretty much purely reflex-based. There's some question of whether the "including Polymorph and Paralyzation" means "including wands of Polymorph and Paralyzation" or "including Polymorph and Paralyzation effects, regardless of source." IMO it's the former, and a non-wand Polymorph should be saved against as a spell, and a non-wand paralyzation (such as from a ghoul attack) should be saved against as poison or death ray.
Stone: People tend to view this as fortitude-based -- once you've caught the medusa's gaze can your body withstand the effect? -- but I see it, again, as more a matter of luck/reflex -- if you catch the medusa's gaze you're turned to stone no matter how good your Con score is, so this saving throw determines whether you actually caught the gaze or were able to look away at the last second (perhaps in addition to luck and reflex there's a little willpower involved as well -- can you avoid involuntarily looking up?...).
Dragon Breath: The "area of effect" save -- you were caught in an area of effect where something bad happened; how badly were you affected? Depending on the character and the circumstances this can be a matter of fortitude, reflex, luck, or a combination of all three.
Staves and Spells: Your mind/body was targeted by a spell -- did it take effect on you or not? In addition to mental willpower Fighters counter spells with their pure toughness (Conan's such a badass that spells can't faze him), clerics with their divine favor (a 'shield of faith'), magic-users perhaps with 'countermagic' abilities -- key words and gestures that only magic-users know that keep enemy spells from taking effect (which is why high level magic-users have such an amazingly good save against spells -- because they almost always know the appropriate counter-formula to use).