Improved Fort Save [Archive] - Wizards Community

Improved Fort Save [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
Vandeus
02-03-08, 11:16 PM I am a 7th level wizard and keep failing fortitude saves. Is there a feet that allows you to substitute your ability on fort saves for something other than constitution?

Aside from great fortitude, what other ways can you improve your fortitude save? Not really interested in dipping into any other classes as I want to maximize my spellcasting abilities, but is there a Prestige Class or alternative class feature that may work if there is no way through feats?

Thanks
dman11235
02-04-08, 12:01 AM There's the armor special quality (MiC, can't remember the name), boosting your con, boosting your resistance bonus (through greater resistance: it's a +3 bonus: SpC. Superior is a +6, and they both last all day), having your cleric cast Conviction, mass (SpC), and possibly more that I'm sure others will come up with.
Father Dale
02-04-08, 01:46 AM The Headband of Conscious Effort lets you make a Concentration check in place of a Fortitude save, but only once per day, and it takes an immediate action to use. It is very cheap, however, and the ability can easily and cheaply be added to a Headband of Intellect by any wizard with Craft Wondrous Item and Bear's Endurance. Every wizard should have one of these. It is found in Complete Adventurer.

At higher levels Moment of Prescience becomes very useful for making important Fort saves.

Theres definitely PRCs that can help, but off the top of my head most will require losing at least one caster level, if not more.

Usually though, the best defense for a wizard is simply not to be targeted in the first place, or to have things that grant miss chances. (because most dangerous fort save effects are direct target type things....spells, poisons, etc..) Greater Invisibility, Greater Blink, Greater Mirror Image, the lesser versions of these spells....all are good at avoiding the issue in the first place.

Polymorphing spells and other Transmutations can help as well. Obviously polymorphing into something with a very high Con will boost the fort save. Shapechanging into Undead or Constructs will often negate the need for a fort save. Stone Body, Veil of Undeath, and similiar spells will also negate many fort saves.

One trick I use with my wizard to avoid the most dreaded of all Fort saves (Disintegrate) is to have a Contingency spell tied with Dimension Door to dimension door ten feet to the left if a Disintegrate is shot at me.

Using a combination of these items and techniques will minimize your need to make fort saves and will help in the rare chance that you do need to make a fort save.
Essex
02-04-08, 11:14 AM If you have access to Complete Arcane, then take either the first 4 levels of the Blood Magus PrC or the first level of the Mindbender PrC. You'll get a Fort boost without loosing caster levels.
JamesMaissen
02-05-08, 02:50 AM I am a 7th level wizard and keep failing fortitude saves.

Thanks

Easy things to do:

Belt of Endurance (+2 enhancement to con & great fortitude feat).
1st level mindbender (social skills to enter)
loremaster levels (one of the secrets gives +2 fort saves)
rat familiar (+2 unnamed bonus to fort saves)
higher con

-James
serow_#R
02-05-08, 04:17 AM Martial Study (Mind over body)
Replaces a Fortitude save with a Concentration check once per encounter

Unfortunately, that's only available to you at level 12, since it requires IL 5 (level 10 wizard, level 12 to get a feat).
Dheran
02-05-08, 06:37 PM Unfortunately for you, the best options involve being something other than a Wizard.

There's Dexterous Fortitude, which lets you use DEX instead of CON, but you'll never be able to qualify for it unless you immediately start taking Rogue levels.

The Clerical Pride domain lets you reroll a 1 on any saving throw, once per save. A Domain Draught (Magic Item Compendium) will give you this ability for 1 day, but it's not especially cheap.
StevenO
02-05-08, 07:17 PM Become undead so you don't need to make so many FORT saves in the first place. Becoming a Necropolitian (Libris Mortis) may cost a little gold and require you die (and have the DMs permission) but you do become an LA +0 Undead creature with all the joys that entails. You're still in trouble if you get nailed by Disentigrate but you wouldn't need to worry about poison and such anymore.
Vandeus
02-06-08, 12:10 AM Thanks for all of the ideas. I'll see what I can make work. :)

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Vandeus 02-03-08, 11:16 PM	I am a 7th level wizard and keep failing fortitude saves. Is there a feet that allows you to substitute your ability on fort saves for something other than constitution? Aside from great fortitude, what other ways can you improve your fortitude save? Not really interested in dipping into any other classes as I want to maximize my spellcasting abilities, but is there a Prestige Class or alternative class feature that may work if there is no way through feats? Thanks
dman11235 02-04-08, 12:01 AM	There's the armor special quality (MiC, can't remember the name), boosting your con, boosting your resistance bonus (through greater resistance: it's a +3 bonus: SpC. Superior is a +6, and they both last all day), having your cleric cast Conviction, mass (SpC), and possibly more that I'm sure others will come up with.
Father Dale 02-04-08, 01:46 AM	The Headband of Conscious Effort lets you make a Concentration check in place of a Fortitude save, but only once per day, and it takes an immediate action to use. It is very cheap, however, and the ability can easily and cheaply be added to a Headband of Intellect by any wizard with Craft Wondrous Item and Bear's Endurance. Every wizard should have one of these. It is found in Complete Adventurer. At higher levels Moment of Prescience becomes very useful for making important Fort saves. Theres definitely PRCs that can help, but off the top of my head most will require losing at least one caster level, if not more. Usually though, the best defense for a wizard is simply not to be targeted in the first place, or to have things that grant miss chances. (because most dangerous fort save effects are direct target type things....spells, poisons, etc..) Greater Invisibility, Greater Blink, Greater Mirror Image, the lesser versions of these spells....all are good at avoiding the issue in the first place. Polymorphing spells and other Transmutations can help as well. Obviously polymorphing into something with a very high Con will boost the fort save. Shapechanging into Undead or Constructs will often negate the need for a fort save. Stone Body, Veil of Undeath, and similiar spells will also negate many fort saves. One trick I use with my wizard to avoid the most dreaded of all Fort saves (Disintegrate) is to have a Contingency spell tied with Dimension Door to dimension door ten feet to the left if a Disintegrate is shot at me. Using a combination of these items and techniques will minimize your need to make fort saves and will help in the rare chance that you do need to make a fort save.
Essex 02-04-08, 11:14 AM	If you have access to Complete Arcane, then take either the first 4 levels of the Blood Magus PrC or the first level of the Mindbender PrC. You'll get a Fort boost without loosing caster levels.
JamesMaissen 02-05-08, 02:50 AM	I am a 7th level wizard and keep failing fortitude saves. Thanks Easy things to do: Belt of Endurance (+2 enhancement to con & great fortitude feat). 1st level mindbender (social skills to enter) loremaster levels (one of the secrets gives +2 fort saves) rat familiar (+2 unnamed bonus to fort saves) higher con -James
serow_#R 02-05-08, 04:17 AM	Martial Study (Mind over body) Replaces a Fortitude save with a Concentration check once per encounter Unfortunately, that's only available to you at level 12, since it requires IL 5 (level 10 wizard, level 12 to get a feat).
Dheran 02-05-08, 06:37 PM	Unfortunately for you, the best options involve being something other than a Wizard. There's Dexterous Fortitude, which lets you use DEX instead of CON, but you'll never be able to qualify for it unless you immediately start taking Rogue levels. The Clerical Pride domain lets you reroll a 1 on any saving throw, once per save. A Domain Draught (Magic Item Compendium) will give you this ability for 1 day, but it's not especially cheap.
StevenO 02-05-08, 07:17 PM	Become undead so you don't need to make so many FORT saves in the first place. Becoming a Necropolitian (Libris Mortis) may cost a little gold and require you die (and have the DMs permission) but you do become an LA +0 Undead creature with all the joys that entails. You're still in trouble if you get nailed by Disentigrate but you wouldn't need to worry about poison and such anymore.
Vandeus 02-06-08, 12:10 AM	Thanks for all of the ideas. I'll see what I can make work. :)