I don’t understand WIS saving throws - Dungeon Masters Only - Dungeons & Dragons Discussion - D&D Beyond Forums (2024)

So I’m here at 3AM, insomnia full swing, and I just realized I don’t understand wisdom saving throws. Like what they’d look like physically/mentally. I understand them mechanically. But I’m more thinking how to describe what happens. The rest of the saving throws seem fairly obvious.

Strength is whether you can physically beat the effect.

Dex to ninja out of the way in time.

Constitution to have your body resist the effect.

Intelligence to either see through the effect, though that one’s also a touch tricky.

Charisma to win a battle of wills against the effect.

Wisdom to... see if it’s a good idea?!

I’m just wondering in terms of flavor and description how you guys describe what happens with wisdom saves.

TheDungeon Masters Guidehas a table on p.238(chapter 8 - running the game -using ability scores)

Wisdom:Resisting effects that charm, frighten, or otherwise assault your willpower

An example could be the Frightful Presence:

Frightful Presence.Each creature of the dragon’s choice that is within 120 feet of the dragon and aware of it must succeed on a DC 19 Wisdom saving throw or becomefrightenedfor 1 minute.

I think it could best be described as a different type of willpower alongside CHA.

While CHA is the force of your personality and sense of self, WIS is the force of your emotions and sense of connection with others.

Strength: To see if you can hold your position. Mostly used for prone effects, or effects that move you back.
Dexterity: To avoid or partially dodge the effect of a targeting spell, or a spell with an area of effect.
Constitution: Your organs and body. Used for poisons and diseases. Blight spell. It withers your body. Poisoning it.
Intelligence: To see if you are strong enough to see reason even though a spell is put on you. It is a tricky one yes, but I think it's to see if you can see reason and a reason not to believe that as the spell takes effect.
Wisdom: Your pure will. The ability to withstand mind effecting effects. Something that changes you or the way you think and act (mostly). Think of it like this:
Your mother said you can take 3 pieces of candy in the kitchen. You know she can't hear or see how many pieces you take, so you can take 1 know and grab 3 and put them in your pocket and have 2 in your hand while eating the first. Acting like you only have taken 3. But a wisdom save would be to resist the lust of taking 2 extra. And only taking 3. A simple and pure test of your mental resistances.
Charisma: Your very soul. I view this as your connection to your soul, how spirited and in touch with yourself and who you are as a person. Perhaps how strong your bond with your ki you are, or as I mostly view it, your own soul. As when you die you end up in a plane that fits your alignment and actions. Even more so if you are a strong and known worshipper of a deity.
Charisma is used against plane shift and banishment, so I would say it's about how in touch with yourself and how strong your soul is to resist the mere presence of a powerful entity.
Like dragons, they have a whole lot of charisma and they have a frightful presence effect. They are also touched by the weave (in forgotten realms). AND every dragons personality is so well known.

I hope this helped. But remember this: (unless it is different for you) saving throws are for serious/bad effects from spells, abilities, or features. Not for social interaction or guarding yourself toward insight checks and the likes. Read the above if you think differently but I explain saving throws to newer players as the "bad rolls" box. The box you really wanna roll good in, because it means bad effects. (MOSTLY. Very few features give you a save for a good thing, such as barbarians keep living ability!)

Obligatory

Funny images aside, WIS in relation to saving throws is your capacity of remaining present and vigilant, and/or impose your will on something. (or at least that's how I have always considered it)

From the PHB.

Wisdom reflects how attuned you are to the world around you and represents perceptiveness and intuition.

AWisdom saving throw is looking at an illusion and noticing inconsistencies, or intuitively knowing someone's true motives, or perceiving a hidden agenda.

Afoe casts phantasmal killer at you. With a successful Wisdom save, you notice, "hey, that monster isn't casting a shadow, maybe its not real and I don't have to be frightened."

Afoe casts charm person at you. With a successful save you intuit, "hey, this person isn't actually my friend!"

A foe casts polymorph at you. With a successful save, you use your connection with the world around you to resist this unnatural thing happening to your body.