the Jester
Legend
I'm taking the discussion to cover all save-each-turn-spells, not just Hold Person.
But if we're changing the subject (since you're talking about "how powerful should a 2nd level spell be" rather than the "how much power does Hold Person lose because of its save-per-turn" the rest of us were having), let me say there's a case to be made that if you avoid ALL save-each-turn spells that ALSO require your Concentration, you're simply better off. Yes, your spell selection shrank, but at least you're free from one of the more obnoxious restrictions on spellcasters added by 5E.
I'm not sure why you call it a change of subject. You're arguing for making hold person more powerful than a 2nd level spell ought to be in 5e in that particular case. I'm arguing that most of the suggestions in this thread err on the side of making hold person overpowered.
In general, the save ends mechanic is really more of a duration measuring thing than anything else. Instead of lasting 1d4 rounds, it's lasting until you make a save. I get what you're saying about avoiding save ends + concentration spells, and that's certainly a valid approach to a spellcaster. However, I've found that most creatures don't make those saves too easily, so 'save ends' often means that a creature is out for half the combat or more. I don't know how much 5e you've played, but most monsters don't have really great save bonuses on their Wis saves. So far in my experience, 'save ends' mostly just means that the creature has a chance of re-entering the combat before it's over.