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From: warack@aero.ARPA (Chris Warack )
Newsgroups: net.games.frp
Subject: Re: Saving Throws
Message-ID: <273@aero.ARPA>
Date: Tue, 16-Jul-85 15:44:13 EDT
Article-I.D.: aero.273
Posted: Tue Jul 16 15:44:13 1985
Date-Received: Sat, 20-Jul-85 11:42:55 EDT
References: <122@uts.am.reading.UUCP> <6313@ucla-cs.ARPA> <2151@sdcrdcf.UUCP>
Reply-To: warack@aero.UUCP (Chris Warack (5734))
Organization: The Aerospace Corp., El Segundo, CA
Lines: 42
Summary: 

>I don't think your reaction to poison should be determined by your character
>class or level.  I think it should be determined by your species and body
>weight.  And Constitution.  (Incidentally, your reaction to alcohol and
>drugs should be affected by the same factors.  One of the areas in which
>using English leads one to think accurately is calling this "inTOXICation.")

What composes a saving throw is open to debate, but don't forget that a
person who is more 'experienced' will know better what to do when he is
poisoned.  Even in real life, if you know what to do, you can save yourself
a lot of hurt {whether it is a rattlesnake, pesticide, or alcohol}.
Even though having a lot of experience doesn't mean you have THAT experience,
the system doesn't record types of experience [a whole 'nuther discussion]
for simplicity.

>Your chance of being transformed (into stone, a polymorphed living form,
>or whatever) is probably a save against magic PLUS some sort of CON roll
>to see if you survive the change.

That is exactly what should happen ...  A save vs. magic to see if the
spell takes affect.  [Although deferred]  A system-shock roll [based on CON]
if the spell is neutralized.

>And so on....(Sapienza at one point proposed a Highly Complicated Saving
>Throw System in which there were at least six classes of save, each based
>on a particular characeristic and NONE based on your level and character
>class.)

The good of the saving throw system is that it is simple.  It isn't hard
for a character to even memorize his saving throw rolls.  Of course,
if the system doesn't work for you, don't use it; devise your own.
But, if you think about it, the system works pretty well and does what
it should.

Chris Warack

warack@aero.UUCP
warack@aerospace.ARPA

"All hail Discordia"