Free tables Natural 1 — saving throws and ability checks

Natural 1 Table — Constitution Saves and Checks, d100

A free d100 table for a natural 1 on a Constitution save or check in 5e. 100 outcomes, graded by severity.

Fifth edition does not critically fail saving throws or ability checks either: a natural 1 is just a 1, and on a check it can still succeed if the modifier is high enough. This table is for DMs who want the genuinely bad roll to land as something, and it is graded so that most results cost very little.

Written for Constitution specifically. A blown Constitution roll should fail in a way that has something to do with Constitution — which is why this is six tables and not one.

Roll d100 when a player rolls a natural 1 on a saving throw or ability check and you want the moment to land.

Severity tiers

Each result names its tier, so you can see at a glance how bad a roll was without decoding a colour.

Slip 1–20 — A moment's failure. It costs you nothing but composure.
Stumble 21–40 — A real but minor cost — tempo, position, or grip.
Lapse 41–60 — The attempt is gone, and so is your turn or your footing.
Debacle 61–80 — You are now measurably worse off than before you tried.
Ruin 81–95 — Real loss. Someone is going to remember this one.
Infamy 96–100 — Rare, spectacular, survivable. Describe it in loving detail.

The table

100 results. Roll d100.

d100	Result	Tier	What happens
1	Queasy	Slip	A wave of nausea passes. No mechanical effect.
2	Cold Sweat	Slip	No effect, but you look genuinely terrible.
3	Dry Heave	Slip	Nothing comes up. No mechanical effect.
4	Shivering	Slip	You can't stop for a few seconds. No effect.
5	Ears Ring	Slip	You have disadvantage on your next Perception check that relies on hearing.
6	Metallic Taste	Slip	Sharp and unpleasant. No mechanical effect.
7	Head Swims	Slip	You can't take a bonus action this turn if you haven't already used it.
8	Clammy Hands	Slip	You have disadvantage on the next check you make using tools.
9	Short of Breath	Slip	The first 5 feet you move on your next turn costs double.
10	Stitch in Your Side	Slip	You have disadvantage on your next Athletics check.
11	Blurred Edges	Slip	You have disadvantage on your next Perception check.
12	Coughing Fit	Slip	Anything within 30 feet that can hear knows someone is here and unwell.
13	Numb Lips	Slip	An odd, spreading numbness. No mechanical effect.
14	Sudden Chill	Slip	Cold to the bone for a moment, then gone. No effect.
15	Heartbeat Loud	Slip	You can hear it in your ears. No mechanical effect.
16	Weak Knees	Slip	They hold. Barely. No effect.
17	Dropped Something	Slip	One light item you were holding falls into your space.
18	Bitter Bile	Slip	You can't taste anything for the next hour. No mechanical effect.
19	Flushed	Slip	No effect, but your allies can see something is wrong with you.
20	Rode It Out	Slip	It passes almost as soon as it arrives. No penalty, and you have advantage on your next Constitution saving throw.
21	Nauseous	Stumble	You have disadvantage on your next attack roll.
22	Weak Grip	Stumble	You drop whatever you were holding in one hand.
23	Legs Unsteady	Stumble	Your speed is reduced by 10 feet until the end of your next turn.
24	Exposed	Stumble	You grant advantage to the next attack roll made against you before the start of your next turn.
25	Slow to React	Stumble	You can't take reactions until the start of your next turn.
26	Concentration Slipping	Stumble	If you're concentrating on a spell, make a DC 10 Constitution saving throw or lose concentration.
27	Cramping	Stumble	You have disadvantage on the next Strength check or Strength saving throw you make.
28	Retching	Stumble	You can't speak — and so can't cast spells with verbal components — until the end of your next turn.
29	Cold Fingers	Stumble	You have disadvantage on your next attack roll made with that hand.
30	Winded	Stumble	On your next turn you can move or take an action, not both. Bonus actions still work.
31	Fever Spike	Stumble	You have disadvantage on Constitution saving throws until the end of your next turn.
32	Blood in Your Mouth	Stumble	You take 1 damage.
33	Faltered	Stumble	You can't move for the rest of this turn.
34	Sour Sweat	Stumble	You have disadvantage on your next Charisma check.
35	Vision Narrows	Stumble	You have disadvantage on Dexterity saving throws until the end of your next turn.
36	Loud Distress	Stumble	One nearby creature of the DM's choice comes to investigate the noise.
37	Trembling	Stumble	You have disadvantage on the next check you make using tools.
38	Gear Slips	Stumble	A piece of your visible gear falls into your space.
39	Ally Distracted	Stumble	An ally within 5 feet is worried about you. Their next attack roll is made with disadvantage.
40	Doubled Over	Stumble	You aren't prone, but straightening up costs 5 feet of movement.
41	On Your Knees	Lapse	You fall prone.
42	Grip Goes Entirely	Lapse	You drop everything you're holding into your space.
43	Bringing It Up	Lapse	Your turn ends immediately, and you can't take reactions until the start of your next turn.
44	Turn Lost	Lapse	The moment takes everything you had. Your turn ends immediately.
45	Something Tears	Lapse	You take 1d4 damage.
46	Locked Up	Lapse	You're incapacitated until the end of your next turn.
47	Legs Gone	Lapse	Your speed is 0 until the end of your next turn.
48	Concentration Broken	Lapse	You lose concentration on any spell you're maintaining. No saving throw.
49	Staggered	Lapse	You're moved 10 feet in a direction the DM chooses.
50	It Takes Hold	Lapse	You're poisoned until the end of your next turn.
51	Contagious Moment	Lapse	An ally within 5 feet must succeed on a DC 10 Constitution saving throw or have disadvantage on their next attack roll.
52	Shaking Badly	Lapse	You have disadvantage on all attack rolls until the end of your next turn.
53	Blackout Moment	Lapse	You lose a few seconds entirely. The DM tells you what you missed while you were gone.
54	Eyes Streaming	Lapse	You're blinded until you use an object interaction to clear them.
55	Something Spoils	Lapse	A non-magical consumable you carry is ruined, DM's choice.
56	Heard Retching	Lapse	Every creature within 60 feet that can hear now knows roughly where you are.
57	Weakened	Lapse	You have disadvantage on Strength checks until the end of your next turn.
58	Fell Back	Lapse	You're moved 10 feet in a direction the DM chooses and fall prone.
59	Nothing in Reserve	Lapse	You can't take the Dash action on your next turn.
60	Collapse	Lapse	You fall prone and drop whatever you were holding.
61	Systemic Failure	Debacle	Your speed is halved until you finish a short or long rest.
62	Internal Damage	Debacle	You take 1d6 damage.
63	Contagion	Debacle	An ally within 5 feet must succeed on a DC 12 Constitution saving throw or be poisoned until the end of their next turn.
64	Lungs Burning	Debacle	You have disadvantage on Constitution saving throws until someone succeeds on a DC 13 Medicine check to settle you.
65	Convulsion	Debacle	You drop everything you're holding and it scatters up to 10 feet.
66	Blacked Out	Debacle	You're stunned until the end of your next turn.
67	Sweated Through	Debacle	Straps slick, grip poor. Your AC is reduced by 2 until you finish a short rest.
68	Buckled	Debacle	You fall prone and are restrained by your own body until you use an action to get moving again.
69	Sight Gone Grey	Debacle	You're blinded until the end of your next turn.
70	It Sets In	Debacle	Whatever this is, it has you now. The DC to shake it off increases by 5.
71	Consumable Ruined	Debacle	A non-magical potion, ration, or component you carry spoils. Magical potions survive intact.
72	Dragged Down	Debacle	You stagger into the nearest hazard or hostile creature's reach and provoke an opportunity attack from everything that can reach you.
73	Ribs Cracked from Coughing	Debacle	You have disadvantage on Constitution saving throws until you finish a long rest.
74	Others Falter	Debacle	Every ally within 5 feet must succeed on a DC 12 Constitution saving throw or have disadvantage on their next attack roll.
75	Dropped Your Light	Debacle	Your light source falls and goes out — or rolls 15 feet away if it can't be extinguished.
76	Down and Winded	Debacle	You fall prone, and your speed is 0 until the end of your next turn.
77	Spilled Pack	Debacle	One item from your inventory — DM's choice, never an attuned one — falls into your space.
78	Hands Won't Close	Debacle	You drop everything you're holding and can't pick anything up until the end of your next turn.
79	Drew Something	Debacle	The sound, or the smell, attracts a wandering creature of the DM's choice. It arrives in 1d4 rounds.
80	Body Gives Out	Debacle	You take 1d6 damage and fall prone.
81	Dragged Someone Down	Ruin	An ally within 5 feet who tried to steady you falls prone and takes 1d6 damage.
82	Consumables Destroyed	Ruin	Every non-magical potion, ration, or component you carry is ruined. Magical potions survive.
83	Systemic Collapse	Ruin	You take 2d6 damage and have disadvantage on attack rolls until you regain any hit points.
84	Convulsed Clear	Ruin	Your own spasm throws you 15 feet. You land prone and take 1d6 damage.
85	Exhausted	Ruin	You gain one level of exhaustion.
86	Lasting Sickness	Ruin	You're poisoned until a lesser restoration or a long rest with proper care.
87	Structural Collapse	Ruin	You go down against something load-bearing. Every creature within 5 feet must succeed on a DC 13 Dexterity saving throw or take 2d6 bludgeoning damage. A piece of cover is destroyed.
88	Attracted Attention	Ruin	A wandering monster or reinforcement of the DM's choice arrives in 1d4 rounds.
89	Let Something Go	Ruin	Anything you were holding, restraining, or holding shut breaks free immediately.
90	Down in Reach	Ruin	You and everything you were carrying end up in a hostile creature's space.
91	Everything Falls	Ruin	You drop what you were holding, your pack, and one other item, each into a different space within 10 feet.
92	Concussed	Ruin	You're stunned until the end of your next turn, and have disadvantage on Constitution checks until you finish a long rest.
93	Can't Face It Again	Ruin	Whatever you were enduring can't be endured again by you this scene. The party needs another way through.
94	Ally Trapped	Ruin	An ally within 5 feet is pinned beneath you and restrained. Freeing them takes an action and a DC 13 Athletics check.
95	Out of the Fight	Ruin	You fall prone, drop everything, and your turn ends. You can't take reactions until the start of your next turn.
96	Down Through Something	Infamy	You collapse into something that was holding the room together. The DM introduces a hazard or a countdown. You take 2d6 damage and fall prone.
97	Gone Entirely	Infamy	Whatever you were carrying is lost to the scene as you go down — over the edge, into the water, down the drain. Recovering it is a side quest, not an action.
98	Hurt the One You Meant to Help	Infamy	The ally nearest to you takes 4d6 damage, or half as much on a successful DC 13 Dexterity saving throw.
99	Out Cold	Infamy	You're unconscious for 1 minute, or until you take damage or an ally uses an action to rouse you. You are not dying — your body has simply filed a formal complaint.
100	The One They'll Tell Stories About	Infamy	You go down comprehensively and unmistakably, in full view of everyone present. Every creature that can see you has advantage on attack rolls against you until the start of your next turn. You take no damage. Your dignity takes all of it.

Questions

Is a natural 1 an automatic failure on a check?

No. Automatic failure on a 1 applies to attack rolls and death saves. On an ability check or a saving throw, a natural 1 is just a 1 — add your modifier, and a skilled character can still succeed.

When should I roll on this?

Only when the failure matters. A natural 1 on a check nobody was watching is not a story.