Saving Throws
Source Player Core pg. 396
There are three types of saving throws: Fortitude saves, Reflex saves, and Will saves. These are frequently called “saves”— it's the same thing. Saving throws measure your ability to shrug off harmful effects in the form of afflictions, damage, or conditions. You'll always add a proficiency bonus to each save. Your class might give a different proficiency to each save, but you'll be trained at minimum. Some circumstances and spells might give you circumstance or status bonuses to saves, and you might find a medpatch or other items that give an item bonus.
Fortitude saving throws allow you to reduce the effects of abilities and afflictions that can debilitate the body. They use your Constitution modifier and are calculated as shown in the formula below.
Fortitude save result = d20 roll + Constitution modifier + proficiency bonus + other bonuses + penalties
Reflex saving throws measure how well you can respond quickly to a situation and how gracefully you can avoid effects that have been thrown at you. They use your Dexterity modifier and are calculated as shown in the formula below.
Reflex save result = d20 roll + Dexterity modifier + proficiency bonus + other bonuses + penalties
Will saving throws measure how well you can resist attacks to your mind and spirit. They use your Wisdom modifier and are calculated as shown in the formula below.
Will save result = d20 roll + Wisdom modifier + proficiency bonus + other bonuses + penalties
Sometimes you'll need to know your DC for a given saving throw (such as a Grapple attempt requiring a roll against your Fortitude DC). Like any other DC derived from a modifier, the DC for a saving throw is 10 + the total modifier for that saving throw.
Most of the time, when you attempt a saving throw, you don't have to use your actions or your reaction. You don't even need to be able to act to attempt saving throws. However, in some special cases you might have to take an action to attempt a save. For instance, you can try to recover from the sickened condition by spending an action to attempt a Fortitude save.
Fortitude saving throws allow you to reduce the effects of abilities and afflictions that can debilitate the body. They use your Constitution modifier and are calculated as shown in the formula below.
Fortitude save result = d20 roll + Constitution modifier + proficiency bonus + other bonuses + penalties
Reflex saving throws measure how well you can respond quickly to a situation and how gracefully you can avoid effects that have been thrown at you. They use your Dexterity modifier and are calculated as shown in the formula below.
Reflex save result = d20 roll + Dexterity modifier + proficiency bonus + other bonuses + penalties
Will saving throws measure how well you can resist attacks to your mind and spirit. They use your Wisdom modifier and are calculated as shown in the formula below.
Will save result = d20 roll + Wisdom modifier + proficiency bonus + other bonuses + penalties
Sometimes you'll need to know your DC for a given saving throw (such as a Grapple attempt requiring a roll against your Fortitude DC). Like any other DC derived from a modifier, the DC for a saving throw is 10 + the total modifier for that saving throw.
Most of the time, when you attempt a saving throw, you don't have to use your actions or your reaction. You don't even need to be able to act to attempt saving throws. However, in some special cases you might have to take an action to attempt a save. For instance, you can try to recover from the sickened condition by spending an action to attempt a Fortitude save.
Basic Saving Throws
Source Player Core pg. 396
Sometimes you will be called on to attempt a basic saving throw (or “basic save”). This type of saving throw works just like any other saving throw—the “basic” part refers to the effects. For a basic save, you'll attempt the check and determine whether you critically succeed, succeed, fail, or critically fail like you would any other saving throw. Then one of the following outcomes applies based on your degree of success—no matter what caused the saving throw. Some spells or abilities add an additional effect on certain results but still use a basic saving throw for brevity.
Critical SuccessYou take no damage from the effect.
SuccessYou take half the listed damage from the effect.
FailureYou take the full damage listed from the effect.
Critical FailureYou take double the listed damage from the effect.