Deciding to fail a save, saved my life

[Hogeyhead]

So we were playing a deadly premade campaign (I won't say which one as it would be slightly spoilery). Someone threw a puch full of dust of sneezing and choking. I succeed my save, and was stunned for a butload of rounds (23 but I think we used the wrong die size, but it would have been lots anyways) in a combat that was rapidly turning against us.

My gm is like: well you can choose to fail the save and take 3d6 con damage instead. This is pretty nice as he had already rolled and everything, so I decided what the hell, lets take the hit. so 8 con out of 14 gone and I made it out with my life, unlike my familiar who took 3d6 to it's 6 con and died pretty hard. This actually hurts quite a bit as it was a major combat asset (oddly enough), that and it was just a really cool bird.

So in the end I survived having used just about every spell I had (I'm lvl 5) which is more than I can say for the summoner who went unconscious by str poison, and was coup de grace'd by a pair of rats (not dire rats - rats).

Have any of you been saved by choosing to fail a save?

[Kazaan]

I think your GM misread that item to a great degree and you kind of won out. First, the duration for the stunned effect is 5d4 rounds so the longest possible duration, if he rolled 4s on all 5 dice, is 20 rounds. Average would be 12.5 rounds. Secondly, though it's worded badly, the item says that creatures within the area of dust exposure fall into fits of sneezing and choking. So anyone in the area is going to be sneezing and choking (stunned). In addition, those who fail the save take immediate Con damage. It isn't an either-or kind of thing; you're stunned for 5d4 rounds for certain and, if you fail the save, you also take 3d6 Con damage. So, presuming there were other enemies waiting to wail on you while you were disabled from the dust, your character should be very, very dead right now. If I had to come up with a word to describe how dead you are, it would be 'Cadaverific'.

[Ckorik]

Hogeyhead wrote:

So we were playing a deadly premade campaign (I won't say which one as it would be slightly spoilery).

Heh - I'm going to guess...

Spoiler:

fighting wererats?

[Hogeyhead]

Ckorik wrote:

Hogeyhead wrote:

So we were playing a deadly premade campaign (I won't say which one as it would be slightly spoilery).

Heh - I'm going to guess...

** spoiler omitted **

Indeed, you know your AP's.

As for the wording I suspect it depends on the printing. He read from my copy of ultimate equipement, and I just read the srd, and the srd makes it fairly clear it's either or. It probably depends on where you find it.

[W E Ray]

Who friggen cares about the rules -- it sounds awesomesauce-fun.

I've been in a couple situations over the years where failing the Save (or roll) made more sense but nothing nearly that dramatic or cool.

[pauljathome]

Hogeyhead wrote:

S

Have any of you been saved by choosing to fail a save?

I had my character fail his save against his own create pit spell (he was on the lip and moving would have killed him). The fall knocked him unconscious but he was now away from the rabid raging badger and so survived :-)

[Starbuck_II]

in 3.5, it was the perfect defense against enemies above your strength.

Too powerful a dragon. Suicide (since con or stun are pretty much suicide) yourself by throwing it beside yourself.

Then you have a very wreak dragon or a disabled one.

As it was createable on purpose in 3.5: it was pretty neat.

[Belafon]

I was playing in a game where there was a LOT of mind-affecting magic flying on both sides. A loathsome veil (makes you nauseated if you fail) from our side had incapacitated most of the enemies, so we thought we had the encounter handled. On their side, the only one still able to take standard actions casts confusion. We all saved except for the magus - a real heavy-hitter. "Oh crap!" we all say as we realize our party doesn't have any way to remove the confusion. The rest of us were pretty squishy.

On his turn the magus rolls... and gets "act normally." Well, one round reprieve at least. "Don't worry," says the magus with a smile. "I move through to the other side of the veil. Oh, that's hideous! I voluntarily fail my save and enjoy the vomitous taste of victory."

[andreww]

pauljathome wrote:

Hogeyhead wrote:

S

Have any of you been saved by choosing to fail a save?

I had my character fail his save against his own create pit spell (he was on the lip and moving would have killed him). The fall knocked him unconscious but he was now away from the rabid raging badger and so survived :-)

That was exactly the incident I had in mind when I saw this thread.

Raging badgers are awesomesauce!

[Soilent]

Here's where I tell you, you can't choose to fail a fort save.

Will and Reflex, fine.

But your body makes fort saves without your involvement.

[Finlanderboy]

My Pesh addict choose to fail save when a Fey leaf white breathed fey leaf clouds on him.

It did not save him but he would never resist the bliss of drugs.