Saving Throws Whenever a PC is subjected to damage from a magical spell, there is a chance that PC will not suffer the FULL effects of the magic. If a PC is successful in their SAVING Vs. the type of damage, the damage taken by that PC is halved.
Saving throws are expressed as a percent chance for success. Example: A PC with a 20% Vs. Heat is hit by a Fire Ball and receives 20 points of damage. A check of Save Vs. Heat will automatically be made. If successful, the damage will be reduced by half, thus the PC will only take 10 points damage.
In some instances, the effect suffered by the PC is an all or nothing deal. For example, as with a charm or sleep spell. If the PC is successful in Saving in SAVING Vs magic, the PC is completely unaffected.
Some magical attacks require the PC to Save Vs. Caster. This means the PC must pit his ability to resist the magic against the spell caster's ability to cast it. Charm spells are one such example. The PC must Save Vs. Caster or be charmed by that spell caster.
From time to time an individual member of the party may have to Save Vs. some other attribute. For example.... If the party steps on a trap, those characters that do not Save Vs. Dexterity may fall in. Therefore, good attribute scores are always of value, even if they are not a PC's PRIME attribute.
See table 3.0 in "Apendix of Tables"
Table 3.0 Saving Adjustments for Race in %
Magic Resistance Do not be confused by SAVING Vs a spell, and Magic Resistance. Magic Resistance is the percent chance that a PC will be completely unaffected by a spell. This resistance check is in addition to any SAVING Vs benefits the PC may have. To determine whether a PC is affected by a spell, Magic Resistance is checked first. If successful, the character is unaffected. If unsuccessful, then the SAVE Vs check is made to determine the spell's effect.
Spells of a beneficial nature are not subject to Magic Resistance for obvious reasons.
In addition, some spells are crafted in ways that do not allow for magic resistance. Example: Magic missile cannot be resisted.
Note: A PC that is protected from 1st level spells will resist ALL 1st level spells. The same holds true for protection from 2nd level spells etc...
