[3.5] Ways To Make Someone Fail a Save

[Unusual Muse]

Are there any spells/feats/whatever that essentially make someone fail their next saving throw? Something along the lines of True Strike, but instead of giving you a +20 bonus to hit, it gives you a +20 DC to the class feature, spell, or SLA you're using?

[Biffoniacus_Furiou]

There's the Irresistible Spell metamagic feat from the Kingdoms of Kalamar Player's Guide. It's got the D&D logo on the cover, so it's technically even more valid for general use than Dragonlance material.

[Ashram]

Heighten Spell is the obvious way; Pathfinder has a 1st level spell called Bungle that imposes a -20 to any one attack roll or check, only problem is that it's Will negates. :P

[PlzBreakMyCmpAn]

There's the Irresistible Spell metamagic feat from the Kingdoms of Kalamar Player's Guide. It's got the D&D logo on the cover, so it's technically even more valid for general use than Dragonlance material.I'm so glad that that campaign's lisence lapsed while Dragonlance's didn't.

In fact I'd say one of the obscure Dragonlance books has the only balanced (aka worth it without causing significant campaign problems) ev

[Unusual Muse]

Anyone know of something that applies to non-spell saves (assassin's death attack, for example)?

[Slipperychicken]

If the target's your friend, you can pretend (via false theurgy or similar) you're casting a save: (harmless) spell like Cat's Grace or Mindblank. Since no one resists those, free mind control.

[unundindur]

Fatespinner (from Complete Arcane page 38) gives an ability that does something remotely like this 1/day at level 5.

At level 2 the same class can force people to reroll their rolls. Combined its pretty much a failed save :)

[Joe Eskimo]

Poisons spring to mind. Any poison that affects con is sure to lower his fort save. He'll be forced to roll a save twice before you hit him with your Death attack on his already weakened fort save.

[Acanous]

Doomspeaker Bard forces people to fail saves. Witha couple levels of Blackguard the neg to saves increases.
There's luck feats you can take to force someone to reroll a save.

[candycorn]

For a more cheesy method, try UMD optimization + Staff use. Since you can UMD to emulate an attribute, with the UMD -20 being the attribute you get, boosting your UMD to crazy levels will let you boost your primary stat for purposes of using the staff. Since the DC for a spell in a staff is based on your casting attribute, you can easily outpace the save DC. I've seen, by level 15, UMD checks getting into 100 or so, which means an 80 stat. For a level 5 spell, with an 80 stat, the DC to resist would be 50. It's not a guaranteed fail, but almost.

[Rejusu]

Doomspeaker Bard forces people to fail saves. Witha couple levels of Blackguard the neg to saves increases.
There's luck feats you can take to force someone to reroll a save.

Paladin of Tyranny is much better for this, since it gets the exact same aura as the blackguard and doesn't require any prerequisites to take levels in it. You're still only looking at a -12 to saves, -14 if you stack a fear effect (shaken) on top of it. It's a lot, but not a guaranteed fail and you're limited on how often you can use it due to Doomspeak using up a use of bardic music.

[RandomLunatic]

Shaken characters take a penalty on saving throws, so simple Intimidation will work.

[Elric VIII]

The feat that gives you the ability to bind a vestive (ToM) can be used with Fochalar (spelling?) to give a -2 to all saves, checks, and AC of anything within 5ft. Stack that on a Doomspeaking Bard/Paladin of Tyranny/Blackguard/Dirgesinger and yo've got someone that can debuff like a champ.

[Shadowleaf]

For a more cheesy method, try UMD optimization + Staff use. Since you can UMD to emulate an attribute, with the UMD -20 being the attribute you get, boosting your UMD to crazy levels will let you boost your primary stat for purposes of using the staff. Since the DC for a spell in a staff is based on your casting attribute, you can easily outpace the save DC. I've seen, by level 15, UMD checks getting into 100 or so, which means an 80 stat. For a level 5 spell, with an 80 stat, the DC to resist would be 50. It's not a guaranteed fail, but almost.It's -15. This is probably not RAI - heck, it's only RAW by a stretch. I'd rule it as Staves use your ability scores, not your emulated ones, seeing as emulation is only for activation, not effect.