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A saving throw is a term used in many roleplaying games to denote a special type of die roll in which the player tries to ward off or diminish some negative effect. Examples of negative effects include catching a disease, being poisoned, being affected by a spell, or being caught in a trap.

The gamemaster (GM) or the rules themselves determine when a saving throw is necessary and the difficulty of the roll. In most systems, this is a numerical value that the player must roll above or below, depending on the rules. Often, penalties or bonuses affect the roll. For instance, a big burly barbarian might have no bonus to avoid being hit by a rock, but might very well have a bonus to avoid damage. On the other hand, a nimble thief's bonuses might reflect just the opposite.

Many popular roleplaying game systems feature saving throws, including pen-and-paper games such as the D20 system and GURPS, as well as computer games, such as Diablo, which employs a resistance system.

In the D20 system, there are three basic saves:

• Reflex—Tied to Dexterity. Helps to avoid physical objects.
• Fortitude—Tied to Constitution. Helps to avoid damage, posion, and disease.
• Will—Tied to Wisdom. Helps to ward off psychic attacks, some spells, and insanity.