How to Calculate a Wisdom Saving Throw

To calculate a Wisdom saving throw, you roll 1d20 and add your Wisdom modifier to the roll, and if you are proficient in Wisdom saving throws, such as a Cleric, you also add your proficiency modifier. This calculation is crucial in determining the outcome of various spells and effects in the game, such as Charm Person or Phantasmal Killer, which require the target to make a Wisdom saving throw to resist or reduce the effect.

Understanding Saving Throws

What is a Saving Throw?

A saving throw represents an attempt to resist a spell, a trap, a poison, a disease, or a similar threat, and you don’t normally decide to make a saving throw; you are forced to make one because your character or monster is at risk of harm.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. Q: What is a Wisdom saving throw? A Wisdom saving throw is looking at an illusion and noticing inconsistencies, or intuitively knowing someone’s true motives, or perceiving a hidden agenda.

2. Q: How do you calculate saving throws on a character sheet? For Saving Throws you are proficient in, add your Proficiency Bonus to the associated Ability Modifier.

3. Q: How do you determine the Constitution saving throw? You roll a d20, then look up their stat block, and if they are proficient in Con saves, you will see a Constitution saving throw bonus under their stats.

4. Q: What spells require a Wisdom saving throw? For PHB Spells that require Wisdom saving throws, we see things like Charm Person, Command, Compulsion, Dominate Person, Enthrall, Hideous Laughter, and Polymorph.

5. Q: How do spells with saving throws work? The spell specifies the ability that the target uses for the save and what happens on a success or failure, with the DC to resist one of your spells equaling 8 + your spellcasting ability modifier + your proficiency bonus + any special modifiers.

6. Q: Is a concentration check a saving throw? A concentration check is a Constitution saving throw taken when a spell caster who is holding concentration on a spell takes damage.

7. Q: What determines saving throw modifiers? Your own saving throw modifier depends on the appropriate ability score and whether you are proficient in that particular saving throw.

8. Q: When should you do a saving throw? Generally, when you are subject to an unusual or magical attack, you get a saving throw to avoid or reduce the effect.

9. Q: Can a character choose to fail a saving throw? A saving throw represents an attempt to resist an effect and therefore it must be attempted whenever one is called for, unless noted otherwise.

10. Q: What are the most common saving throws? Common saves include Dexterity, Constitution, and Wisdom, depending on the style of the DM and what character you are playing.

11. Q: How do you calculate skills in D&D? To calculate each skill, it is the same as your Ability Score Modifier for its root Ability Score, and if you are proficient in that skill, you add your proficiency bonus.

12. Q: Is charm a Wisdom saving throw? Charm does indeed require a Wisdom saving throw, as you attempt to charm a humanoid you can see within range, which must make a Wisdom saving throw.

13. Q: How do you make saving throws? A saving throw, or save, is made as a last-ditch effort by your character to avoid something bad happening, by rolling a d20 and adding the appropriate ability-based modifier.

14. Q: What is the difference between a saving throw and a check modifier? An ability check is for when the player wants to do something, while a saving throw is when a player is trying to avoid something.

15. Q: How do you determine the difficulty class of a saving throw? The Spell Save DC is a particular type of Difficulty Class for spells that allow a saving throw to resist their effects, determined by the caster’s spellcasting ability, proficiency, and a base number, typically 8 in D&D 5e.