[RPG] How many saves do you roll vs. Zone of Truth

dnd-5esaving-throwspells

From the description of Zone of Truth, PHB p.289:

Until the spell ends, a creature that enters the spell's area for the
first time on a turn or starts its turn there must make a Charisma
saving throw. On a failed save, a creature can't speak a deliberate
lie while in the radius. You know whether each creature succeeds or
fails on its saving throw.

If you read this carefully, you will discover that a creature staying inside the area has to roll saves every turn until it fails one. After that it is affected until the spell ends or he leaves the area. However

  • The last sentence is about a singular save.
  • This is the only spell that works like this, but it is not explicitly stated.

These led me to question whether this is intentional or not. Can anyone point me to sage advice / RAI clarification / errata?

Best Answer

This is likely intentional

Can anyone point me to sage advice / RAI clarification / errata?

I was unable to find an official response at the time this question was asked, however Jeremy Crawford recently answered this question directly. See the answer by V2Blast.

I believe you have interpreted the spell correctly, and I believe it is intentionally designed to function in that manner as it follows the same pattern as similar spells.

Compare Zone of Truth:

On a failed save, a creature can’t speak a deliberate lie while in the radius.

To Evard's Black Tentacles:

When a creature enters the affected area for the first time on a turn or starts its turn there, the creature must succeed on a Dexterity saving throw or take 3d6 bludgeoning damage and be restrained by the tentacles until the spell ends.

Or Web:

Each creature that starts its turn in the webs or that enters them during its turn must make a Dexterity saving throw. On a failed save, the creature is restrained as long as it remains in the webs or until it breaks free.

Or Control Water:

When a creature enters the vortex for the first time on a turn or starts its turn there, it must make a Strength saving throw. On a failed save, the creature takes 2d8 bludgeoning damage and is caught in the vortex until the spell ends.

The spells are broadly similar in that:

  • Each spell forces a save when a creature enters the affected area, or starts its turn there.
  • Each spell specifies an effect the creature will suffer on a failed save.
  • Each spell specifies that the condition will last until some other condition is met (spell ends, creature leaves the affected area, creature breaks free, etc...).

Zone of Truth follows the same pattern. It would appear that this is the intended design.

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