Fortitude/Reflex/Will Saving Throws help

[GAME GOD FLUENT]

So I'm not really sure what these are exactly. If I'm making strictly a tank to absorb damage, what's the best route to go? What does each of these saving throws represent? Are melee attacks fortitude, while reflex is for ranged and will for magic? Or is there more to it?

[Aepervius]

Armor class is for melee attack (e.g. 17 AC , if you have +6 to hit that, then you add 1D20 (1 dice 20) and that makes (1-20)+6 to be above 17 AC so you can have by rng between 7 and 26 and you msut have above 17 to hit - so about 50% chance)

Fortitude are to resist spells/effect which atatck your body, e.g. poison
Reflex is to avoid effect which are more likke area effect , e.g. a fireball
will is to avoid effect/spoell which attacks your brain/thought e.g. fear

There is a handy in game basic help with tha tinfo in the encyclopedia.

[GAME GOD FLUENT]

Okay, makes sense. I can't find saving throws in the encyclopedia, though.

But thanks for the descriptions, it makes sense now. A poison spider bite ability would be a Fortitude check, whereas a sleep spell would be a Will roll. And a fireball or area of effect attack would be Reflex. I think I got it.

[Finrod]

For spells mainly:

Fortitude: resistance to poison, disease etc (either a poisoned arrow or a poison spell)

Reflex: defense against area of effect spell to halve the damage of the spell

Will: resist fear, sleep, some paralyze effect, domination (effects or spells)

Will and fortitude save throws tend to cancel the spell effect (example death spell, disease, poison, Domination...) When you save, the spell or effect has no effect.

As a player, you sometime tend to use other spells that will have at least some effect. Expect the game to use against you fear and sleep

[Meeky]

To be quite honest the saves that matter most are Fort and Will. Reflex is nice to have but far from necessary.

Personally, I find dwarf fighters (normal, no archetype) to be the best, most well-rounded tanks around. Sword or axe + heavy shield, take the feat that makes your racial saving throws vs. spells go up to +4, and bam, you're good to go.

[GAME GOD FLUENT]

So for Valerie, if I want to make her a tank front line, what would be best - Fortitude? In terms of resisting enemy melee body attacks.

[Esmian]

Fortitude seems to be used the most in this game cause like 70% of the enemies have some type of poison effect.

[Finrod]

Originally posted by Fluent:

So for Valerie, if I want to make her a tank front line, what would be best - Fortitude? In terms of resisting enemy melee body attacks.

Fortitude save is not related to weapon damage. Unless she's attacked by ennemies who have poisoned weapons...and the save is against the poison effect.

[Flip]

I would save try to boost will saving throughs. Spells targeting will tend to be Stuns, CC like fear or outright domination and tanks tend to have low will saving throws so boosting that can help.

Also when you use spells

Spells that have fort saves - try to use vs Mages first, then archers as they tend to have low fort saves. Melee will probably have high fort saves

Spells that use will saves, target melee mobs first, then archers, they tend to have low will. Mages and clerics tend to have high will saves.

Reflex saves, well most of these are AoE but rogues & archers tend to have high reflex saves so take less dmg.

[GAME GOD FLUENT]

Originally posted by Finrod:

Originally posted by Fluent:

So for Valerie, if I want to make her a tank front line, what would be best - Fortitude? In terms of resisting enemy melee body attacks.

Fortitude save is not related to weapon damage. Unless she's attacked by ennemies who have poisoned weapons...and the save is against the poison effect.

So it's only poison then, and not like, a special melee ability strike from an opponent?

[Graygan]

Originally posted by Fluent:

Originally posted by Finrod:

Fortitude save is not related to weapon damage. Unless she's attacked by ennemies who have poisoned weapons...and the save is against the poison effect.

So it's only poison then, and not like, a special melee ability strike from an opponent?

Not exactly.

Fortitude is for resisting effects that would affect the internal workings of the body. Poison, Disease, Magical effects that do something similar, etc.

Straight up normal damage is either taken or not taken based upon the attack roll vs the armor class attacked. Although... it's also possible to get DR (Damage Resistance) on your armor or through other means, and that will stop an amount of physical damage coming through.

Reflex is for dodging magical effects or other things, like a falling tree(though that could also be a skill roll instead).

Willpower is for resisting magical and non-magical mind-altering effects. Sleep spell, Color Spray, Fear, Intimidate, etc.

[GAME GOD FLUENT]

Why doesn't something like Mage Armor add to my AC? Is that only for mages with robes on?

[Flip]

Originally posted by Fluent:

Why doesn't something like Mage Armor add to my AC? Is that only for mages with robes on?

I armor AC is determined either by spell or armor whichever is higher, they don't stack. So it is useful for mages etc that don't wear armor but for armor wearing classes it is not really useful.

It is essentially magical light armor for mages since they cannot wear physical armor

[Finrod]

Originally posted by Fluent:

Originally posted by Finrod:

Fortitude save is not related to weapon damage. Unless she's attacked by ennemies who have poisoned weapons...and the save is against the poison effect.

So it's only poison then, and not like, a special melee ability strike from an opponent?

Poison is one of the possible side effect of a melee attack that will require a saving throw.
In 99% when receiving melee attacks, if it hits, you just get damage to HP (and no saving throw is needed).

[GAME GOD FLUENT]

Ok, so what early level spells/potions/scrolls are best for AC? I think Reduce Person is working well, but what will stack with that?

[Finrod]

Originally posted by Fluent:

Why doesn't something like Mage Armor add to my AC? Is that only for mages with robes on?

In Pathfinder, no bonus will stack in general.
If you wear an armor and cast mage armor, you get the higher. (The only difference is that mage armor protects against incorporeal touch attacks by ghost)
To AC, only Dodge bonus will stack.

If you wear a natural armor amulet and cast barkskin spell(druid), you get the higher bonus.
If you have deflection ring, and cast shield of faith (cleric) you get the higher.

Normally in Pathfinder, if a bonus stack, it is stated in the rule.

Also, arcane caster (non magus class) wearing armor is a very bad idea due to arcane failure.

If you want good AC, use mage armor and barkskin. And before combat use shield of faith and mage shield