Sometimes the best way to recover from injuries is to never be injured in the first place. The saving throw approximates the character's natural ability to "roll with the punches" when attacks of Herculean proportions arise. The saving throw is useful for determining when characters are subject to massive damage, poisoning, life draining, and the like. An example of a saving throw is when someone tosses an explosive into a crowded room: the saving throws for each person might determine who is merely wounded and who dies. Or if a Priest, combating a leprous Undead of some sort, is struck by death magic, the saving throw determines if the damage sustained is in normal hit points or is permanently drained by death magic.
There are seven saving throw types, each with its specific application. These saves are: death magic, magical weapon, area effect, poison, system shock (and shape change), spiritual powers, and sleep/charm. The GM is the one who decides when the player characters need to roll saving throws. All saving throws are done on a d20. An unmodified "20" always succeeds while an unmodified "1" is always a failure.
| Table: Saving Throw Categories | |
| Saving Throw | Description of Save |
| Death Magic | This save is applicable against dark powers that magically drain hit points, life force, memories, attributes, or abilities. Many forms of Undead possess the power of death magic. |
| Magical Weapon | This saving throws should be used when enchanted or consecrated weapons are in use. Also this save is applicable against beam weapons and line-of-sight weapons (lasers and gaze attacks are good examples.) |
| Area Effect | This saving throw is appropriate against weapons and powers whose effective range is not limited to an individual target. Examples of area effect weapons are bombs and grenades, breath and gas attacks, and most Wishsinger powers. |
| Poison | This saving throw should be used against chemical or biological poison attacks. |
| System Shock & Shape Change | This saving throw should be used against attacks that do sudden, massive assaults. Falling off a cliff, or having one's body suddenly pierced by spikes are fine examples of when to use this save. Additionally, this save is appropriate against attacks that alter the overall shape or function of the body |
| Spiritual Powers | This saving throw should be used against the workings of spiritual powers typically possessed by Priests, Wishsingers, and Crystallin Priestesses. This save is occasionally used against Innate powers as well. |
| Sleep and Charm | This save is applicable against any power or ability that radically alters its victim's state of consciousness. Wishsingers and Crystallin Priestesses typically possess the ability to sleep and charm their foes. |