"Common Sense" approach to rules (RACSD)

[Malachei]

Rule 015: Unconscious does not mean Mindraped: Undecided at the moment. I can see arguments in both directions. Making a save against a mind-effecting spell already seems like an unconscious rather than a conscious action - you don't even have to be aware of being a target to make a saving throw, after all. It's something that I don't think there's a clear common-sense line for, so I'll leave this one Undecided and note that I think it's a case where I'd expect most DMs to have their own rulings on how it works because using the RAW isn't necessarily satisfactory.

I think it is RAW, but ambiguous. But my main point is that allowing saves while unconscious has few negative impacts on a game, while disallowing them opens the door wide for abuse.

Example: Powerful PC (or NPC) with a lot of excellent defenses and a very high will save, possibly with regeneration. Apply a lot of nonlethal damage. PC falls unconscious. Apply mindrape (or charm, dominate, etc.)... Game over.

This is a house rule which is a LOT better than what the official reading seems to imply. I only fear we have to exclude fortitude too. You are not unable to overcome poison only because you are knocked out. In fact, because the brain is not as active, you are probably more able.

this is quite a difficult question. I think I agree that raw it means: willing if unconscious. But I also agree that this is not a good thing.

I think the easiest way is to give them a save all the time.

RAW defines the unconscious condition as helpless (the SRD even hyperlinks it). The helpless condition entry also includes unconscious in its text and back-references to it. So, mechanically, by RAW, unconscious = helpless.

Also, the paragraph that is often used to justify unconscious targets would be willing, specifically states it refers to spells that only work on willing targets, right in its introduction.

I think this is plain RAW.

I completely agree that you should be allowed saves against poison. You can even do Reflex saves when you are helpless (albeit at Dex 0).

In avoiding to create a huge list of exceptions (and trying to apply more real-world logic), I think the easiest solution is to just allow the save.