Undead VS Fort Saves

[MiyamotoMusashi]

Hello everyone, I'm asking you a question. Are undead immune to fort saves? I know they haven't a COS value, but they indeed have Fort save points. How does this work? I'd like to cast a spell, Baleful Blink, Wiz 4, from PH2. Could you help me solve this issue? Thank you.

[Kish]

They're immune to any effect that allows a Fortitude save and can't target objects.

Baleful Blink has a target of "1 creature" and "Fortitude negates"--it will not work on undead.

For contrast, Disintegrate can target an object, thus it will work on undead.

[Necroticplague]

Hello everyone, I'm asking you a question. Are undead immune to fort saves? I know they haven't a COS value, but they indeed have Fort save points. How does this work? I'd like to cast a spell, Baleful Blink, Wiz 4, from PH2. Could you help me solve this issue? Thank you.

Well, let's read over the Undead Traits:


Immunity to any effect that requires a Fortitude save (unless the effect also works on objects or is harmless).
So, sometimes, yes, they are immune to fort saves. However, they still need to make FORT saves sometimes. For example, they aren't immune to Disintegrate.
Baleful Blink doesn't work on objects, so it doesn't work on undead, either.

[MesiDoomstalker]

I've always wondered, besides Disintegrate, what Fort-save granting effect are Undead not immune to? I can't think of any off-hand that affect objects.

[Crake]

I've always wondered, besides Disintegrate, what Fort-save granting effect are Undead not immune to? I can't think of any off-hand that affect objects.

I've known some DMs to allow flesh to stone to work (since they allow dead flesh, which would be an object, to be affected by the spell).

[EyethatBinds]

I've known some DMs to allow flesh to stone to work (since they allow dead flesh, which would be an object, to be affected by the spell).

That's some odd logic. Does that mean that Barkskin technically doesn't work since you can't touch the person's living flesh without them being stabbed somewhere? Or that touch spells don't work on people wearing full armor?

[sleepyphoenixx]

I've always wondered, besides Disintegrate, what Fort-save granting effect are Undead not immune to? I can't think of any off-hand that affect objects.

Glass Strike works. Probably my favorite spell against undead casters (who generally have terrible fort saves).
Also some damage spells that target fortitude and aren't limited to creature's as targets (so mostly area spells like Arctic Haze or Boreal Wind).


I've known some DMs to allow flesh to stone to work (since they allow dead flesh, which would be an object, to be affected by the spell).
That's clearly a houserule. Well, two houserules really because the spell description has "target: one creature" in it, so neither of these applications works by RAW. It even has the whole thing repeated at the end to be extra clear.

Only creatures made of flesh are affected by this spell.

[Duke of Urrel]

I've always wondered, besides Disintegrate, what Fort-save granting effect are Undead not immune to? I can't think of any off-hand that affect objects.

There's also Polymorph Any Object.

[Zanos]

I've always wondered, besides Disintegrate, what Fort-save granting effect are Undead not immune to? I can't think of any off-hand that affect objects.
Probably not what you're looking for, but there are some effects that specifically only work on undead that require fortitude saves, like devastate undead.

[Venger]

Probably not what you're looking for, but there are some effects that specifically only work on undead that require fortitude saves, like devastate undead.

bone chill is another really good one.

[MiyamotoMusashi]

Thanks everybody for your precious opinion!

[Venger]

flesh to salt is another useful one.