D&D 5E Any reason not to let PCs add Proficiency to all Saves?

[Diamabel]

It wasn't an opinion. It was a fact.

At my table 5E is wrong.

The fact is that your table plays it differently.

Whether it is right or wrong is the subjective opinion of the table.

 

[BryonD]

The fact is that your table plays it differently.

So now you agree that what I said was a fact and not an opinion and thus your subsequent statement was completely in error. Cool.

Whether it is right or wrong is the subjective opinion of the table.

As are lots of other subjective ideas that don't appear in my post.

Would you like to continue claiming other people said things they didn't? I like that game.
Do I get to start taking issues with things you never said? Please?

 

[Diamabel]

So now you agree that what I said was a fact and not an opinion and thus your subsequent statement was completely in error. Cool.



As are lots of other subjective ideas that don't appear in my post.

Would you like to continue claiming other people said things they didn't? I like that game.
Do I get to start taking issues with things you never said? Please?

Your table plays things differently because it's opinion is that 5e is doing it wrong.

But whatever, don't be a dick.

 

[BryonD]

Your table plays things differently because it's opinion is that 5e is doing it wrong.

Fact

But whatever, don't be a dick.

opinion

 

[FormerlyHemlock]

So now you agree that what I said was a fact and not an opinion and thus your subsequent statement was completely in error. Cool.

As are lots of other subjective ideas that don't appear in my post.

Would you like to continue claiming other people said things they didn't? I like that game.
Do I get to start taking issues with things you never said? Please?

"Dude. You're not my nemesis. My nemesis... is Captain Hammer."

 

[Umbran]

Ladies and gentlemen,

We expect you to comport yourselves like ladies and gentlemen. Some of the last few exchanges fall short of that mark. Please show respect for your fellow posters, even when you disagree with them.

Thanks, all.

 

[Staffan]

Before I gave proficiency with all saves to all characters, I'd instead allow players to pick two good saves for their characters, instead of taking the default save proficiencies each class offers.

Were I to do something like that, I would allow them to take one of the "important" saves (Dex/Con/Wis), and one of the "lesser" ones (Str/Int/Cha). Otherwise, I can guarantee that everyone would have proficiency in Con and Wis saves.

 

[Jeff Carlsen]

Another side effect to giving proficiency to all saves is that it will further incentivize casters to use their ability score increases on their primary casting ability rather than rounding out their abilities or taking feats.

It does this on two ways. First, because low scores are increasingly improved through proficiency, there's less need to improve them. Second, because enemy saves keep getting better at the same rate as save DCs, ability score increases are the only way to get an edge.

 

[S'mon]

Another side effect to giving proficiency to all saves is that it will further incentivize casters to use their ability score increases on their primary casting ability rather than rounding out their abilities or taking feats.

It does this on two ways. First, because low scores are increasingly improved through proficiency, there's less need to improve them. Second, because enemy saves keep getting better at the same rate as save DCs, ability score increases are the only way to get an edge.

Enemy saves generally won't be getting better, since enemies follow the 'monster' rules, not the PC rules.

So, I'm definitely doing this for my Conanesqe low magic swords & sorcery chatroom game - I'm also giving Proficiency in all class skills BTW!

If/when I do a 5e campaign in a more typical high magic setting where caster dominance is a thing - Greyhawk say, or maybe FR - I'll reconsider. It does seem odd to me that Fighters never get better at dodging Fireballs, but maybe hit point gain is enough to offset that high level characters almost never make 2/3 of their saves although low level ones often do! This approach worked very badly in 3e/3.5e IME (I give my Pathfinder campaign characters & monsters a bonus to all saves equal to half hd/level) but maybe the spells have changed enough in 5e that it's not the same. If anyone has run or played a 5e campaign to 13th level or so and can speak from experience, that would be cool.

 

[clearstream]

If caster save DC is 8+Prof+stat bonus then target non-Prof saves will get harder and harder at higher levels, much like 3e. I'm not a fan of this. Is there any reason not to give Proficiency in saves across the
board?

It'll make the game less lively: vulnerabilities are the spice of life.