Death Saving Throws and How to Help Incapacitated Allies

Knowing what Death Saving Throws are can help you understand what happens to your characters when they reach 0 Hit Points in Baldur's Gate 3 (BG3). Read on to learn more about Death Saving Throws and how to help incapacitated allies during combat.

What is a Death Saving Throw?

Determines the Survival Rates of All Characters

The Death Saving Throw is a mechanic that determines the survivability of your characters when taking hits that would reduce their HP to 0. When this happens, the character will roll a d20 die to determine their fate. If the number lands between 1-9, this is recorded as fail. Anything higher than 10 will be recorded as success.

Additionally, if a character fails a Death Saving Throw three times in a row, they will end up dying instead. On the other hand, if a character rolls three successes before three failures, they stabilize and are no longer required to make death saving throws. Any fatal hits that follow will only down your characters.

How to Help Incapacitated Allies

How to Help Incapacitated Allies in Baldur's Gate 3
Use Help on Downed Allies Use Healing Spells Throw Potions on Incapacitated Allies

Use Help on Downed Allies

Use Help on downed allies to help them get back on their feet with 1 HP. This is a common class action, so you can use this with any present allies you have on the field.

Keep in mind that you can only use Help on playable allies. Other units or creatures on the field will always end up dying from enemy blows. If you want to save a certain NPC from dying, you can use Non-Lethal Attacks on them to knock them out instead.

How to Use Non-Lethal Attacks

Use Healing Spells

You can also use healing spells like Healing Word and Cure Wounds to help incapacitated allies. Clerics, Druids, and Bards are some of the classes that can learn healing spells, so make sure to bring an ally of this class for extra support.

List of All Spells

Throw Potions on Incapacitated Allies

You can also throw potions on allies to heal a portion of their missing HP. This will also help them get back on their feet and allow them to continue fighting with your party once they get up.

List of All Potions

How to Revive Dead Allies

How to Revive Dead Allies in Baldur's Gate 3
Use Revivify Scrolls on Dead Allies Ask Withers for Resurrection Use the Revivify Spell

Use Revivify Scrolls on Dead Allies

If any of your characters fails a Death Saving Throw and ends up dead, the only way to resurrect them is to use a Scroll of Revivify.

Scroll of Revivify Item Guide

Ask Withers for Resurrection

In the event that you find yourself short on Scrolls of Revivify, you can ask Withers to resurrect that ally for you by paying him 200 Gold. This will usually be the cheaper option compared to purchasing a scroll off of traders.

How to Unlock Withers

Use the Revivify Spell

Alternatively, parties with spellcasters may also opt to use the Revivfy spell if they have it on hand. Clerics will naturally learn this spell at Level 3, while Paladins learn it at Level 5. Use this instead if you're saving your Scroll of Revivify for better use in the future.

Revivify Spell Guide and Effects

Baldur's Gate 3 Related Guides

Baldur's Gate 3 Beginner's Guide