Avoid Death (HLA) question

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The description for the rogue HLA Avoid Death says "for 5 rounds...the rogue gains a -5 bonus to save vs. death, his hit points are increased by 20 and the rogue becomes immune to death magic for the duration of the ability"

My question is, what does “-5 bonus to save vs. death” mean? Presumably, it’s not referring to death spells, since this HLA makes you immune to those anyway, so a saving throw bonus would be redundant. But if not that, then what? What other kind of “death” is there, aside from running out of hitpoints or attribute points (but in those cases, I’m not aware of saving throws being applied).

 

Hmm, I would guess it is for saves against, heck, now that I think about it I dont know what it means. There is a save category for saves vs death right? I also seem to remember there being some weapons and a few spells which makes you save vs death, but if you are immune to death magic it shouldnt matter as you said. If not by death magic they just mean the magic school of necromancy. Hell, now you've gotten me all confused!

 

Don't most of the spells in the game say what the target must save vs.? I'm pretty sure that Disintegration saves against Death, as does Black Blade of Disaster. I'm not sure how many other spells save against Death, but once you eliminate death magic spells, it can't be that many.

 

Isn't death and poison rolled into one? I forget

 

I think by death magic they mean spells like Finger of Death and Disintigrate.

If that's the case, Avoid Death is kinda like a souped-up Death Ward spell for 5 rounds.

 

Paralyze/Poison/Death are all one saving throw.

 

Perhaps it is refering to something like the Axe of the Unyelding...where if you don't make a save vs death, you'll get be-headed...that's not "death magic" but a save vs. death could help you keep your head on.

 

Ah ha! I think Kitrax may have it - there are a number of attacks not involving death spells which allow a save vs. death to avoid the effects. So it sounds reasonable. But I'm not sure how often this would actually be useful.

Edit: stupid question (based on a wrong assumption) deleted.

[ October 24, 2004, 18:10: Message edited by: Splunge ]

 

It also makes you almost completely immune to poison, by giving you an inhuman saving throw against it.

 

That's not necessarily completely immune.. For example, the assassin's poison weapon ability allows for a save vs. poison, and if succeeded, you only take half damage. Hence, you're not immune, just it hurts you less

 

True true.