Thac0 and saving throws

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Guys I have a few simple questions.
First about thac0. The way I understand it, the best enermy AC in the game is about -10, does that mean if I have a thac0 of -12, I will always hit? (except critical misses) Is this correct? If so, then many of Kensai or archer's tach0 will be wasted.
Second is how save throw works. If my save throw is 0, so no modifications. Now I rolled a 10. Did I save the spell or not? How do I figure it.

[ May 28, 2003, 21:23: Message edited by: Taluntain ]

 

Concerning the THAC0 you will always hit bar crit. misses. About the saving throw I am not sure, however.

 

Saving throws are similar to THAC0. To save vs something, you need to roll your saving throw or higher in order to avoid (or lessen) ill effects, provided that the spell allows saving throws.

If you are hit with summon insects, for example, and your save vs breath weapons (which is the category of saves this spell comes under) is 3, then you need to roll a 3 or higher to completely avoid the spell. If you are hit with a fireball spell, and you save vs spells, then you will only take 1/2 damage. If you are hit with Greater Malison, it doesn't matter what your saving throw is as there is no save for it.

Spells and spell-like effects fall under different categories, so it largely depends on the spell itself. Wail of the banshee, for example, would require you to save vs death, not spells. If you are hit with a cone of cold from a wand of frost, you save vs wands.

Normally the spell book will tell you what category you need to save against, but many are easy to figure out just by determining the source. Any spell from a wand forces a save vs wands; any dragon breath weapon forces a save vs breath; most necromantic (death) spells force a save vs death.

There is a hierarchy that must be followed too in order to determine what you need to save against. If you were hit by a spell from a wand of polymorphing, you save against wands as opposed to either polymorph or spells. The hierarchy is:

Death/Poison
Wands/Rods/Staves
Polymorph/Petrification
Breath
Spells

Long winded, but hope it helps.

 

Thanks for the reply, I was only asking the save dice, not categories.
So if your save throw is below 1 you will always save, is that right? God I always thought the lower the better.

 

The lower the better, correct.

 

This was your question...

My reply answered that as well as your next question regarding whether or not you would automatically save if your saving throws were below 0.

If your saving throw is -5, and if the spell allows for a saving throw, then the answer is yes; if the spell does not allow a saving throw, then no you did not save and you suffer the effects.