What can cause disadvantage on a future saving throw?

[MarkVIIIMarc]

Bestow Curse can, after the target fails a Wisdom Save you can give them disadvantage on whatever.

In some games I play drinking too much ale can cause disadvantage on some checks lol.

But what else does this? If it helps I'm trolling for a mid or lower level spell that can set up a failure on a really high level spell.

[Teaguethebean]

Well the UA mystic's mind storm is like a psychic fireball but if they fail an int save. they have disadvantage on saves until the end of your next turn.

[opaopajr]

Bane spell (cleric).

Conditions sorta: (autofails STR & DEX) Paralyzed, Petrified, Stunned, Unconscious. (DisAdv DEX) Restrained.

[MarkVIIIMarc]

Oh wow. Not much then I guess.

[BurgerBeast]

I’m not much of an expert and I’m AFB but I think Diviners who roll low on their portent dice can force fails.

[sophontteks]

Eldritch knight's have Eldritch Strike, which gives the enemy disadvantage vs. saves after hitting them with a weapon attack.

Shadow sorcerers have hound of ill omen which gives the targetted enemy disadvantage vs. your spells as long as the hound is within 5 feet.

Both of these abilities are amazing.

I'll give wild sorcerers a honorable mention. With bend luck they can subtract 1d4 from an enemy's save after seeing the roll, and it works with your allies spells and abilities too.

[Keravath]

The arcane trickster level 9 ability Magical Ambush gives creatures disadvantage on spells the trickster casts which affect them when the trickster is hidden from them.

[Cerefel]

Don't fear effects cause disadvantage on saving throws?

[MarkVIIIMarc]

Don't fear effects cause disadvantage on saving throws?https://roll20.net/compendium/dnd5e/Conditions#toc_5

I think its just ability checks and attack rolls. Nothing to laugh at though.

[hymer]

Paralyzed and stunned makes you automatically fail str and dex saves. Restrained gives disadvantage on dex saves.

[Foxhound438]

Light clerics and Ancients paladins also both get effects that can force disad on saves, but both have limitations- light's 17th level feature imposes disad against any spell that deals radiant or fire damage (to include an ally's Meteor Swarm), while ancients' capstone limits the effect to your paladin spells (banishment being probably the most powerful here)

If you can force something to stay in a Sickening Radiance, after 3 fails they'd have disad on saves as long as you're concentrating, and they'd be pretty far down on health anyway

I saw someone mention eldritch strike, and arcane tricksters have a close equivalent in magical ambush. the AT spell list is pretty good for that anyways, as you can hit something with a good enchantment spell to lock it down, or you can hide from a whole group and get a good chance to have your Fear or Hypnotic Pattern land on more targets.

And of course a sorcerer's heighten spell is an easy go-to.

[SpanielBear]

The Glamour Bard has a high level ability that can impose disadvantage on saves against all the bard’s spells if they hit the bard in melee, but it’s not really something you could plan around.

[Dark Schneider]

I miss some spell to reduce magical resistances. I am almost sure that on previous versions there are. Something like a spell without saving reducing 1d4 the saving throws for at least 1 ability for 1 minute, scalable to add more abilities or time.

[holywhippet]

The contagion spell can cause disadvantage on a save, depending on which disease you apply. However you need to wait until the target has made 3 failed saves before it will kick in (assuming they don't make enough successful saves first).

[Galithar]

I miss some spell to reduce magical resistances. I am almost sure that on previous versions there are. Something like a spell without saving reducing 1d4 the saving throws for at least 1 ability for 1 minute, scalable to add more abilities or time.

Bane is like that, so long as I'm understanding what you're talking about.
Hit someone with Bane and they take -1d4 to saving throws for the duration.

[BobZan]

Dunno if it fits, but Heightened Metamagic does that.

[Dark Schneider]

Bane is like that, so long as I'm understanding what you're talking about.
Hit someone with Bane and they take -1d4 to saving throws for the duration.
Partially, as it has its own saving (CHA) for multiple targets. It would be nice to have the single target without saving throw, as you precisely want to reduce them.


Dunno if it fits, but Heightened Metamagic does that.
But only the 1st one, not the successive ones.

[Samayu]

Other than spells like Hold Person, which cause an effect which makes it difficult to pass a save check... there is Sorcerer metamagic Heightened Spell, where you can cause disadvantage to one target of your spell.

But I suspect neither of these are what you're looking for.

[Dark Schneider]

Metamagic Heightened Spell only affects the 1st saving throw.