D&D 5E Beginner´s question: Melee attacks cause a DEX saving throw?

[psiconauta_retro]

Beginner´s question: Melee attacks cause a DEX saving throw?

Hello,

I have read the PHB and recently I got the DMG. Last night I read Jeremy Crawford´s article on ability checks and I am somewhat confused.

The DMG says that the DEX saving throw is to use to "dodge your way out of damage".

If in your turn you decide to Dodge then you do get a DEX saving throw.

Does this mean that every time someone gets attacked by melee they get a DEX saving throw? The spells specify of the victims are allowed to do a saving throw...

Thanks in advance for your answers.

 

[UngainlyTitan]

No, you get the saving throw to avoid an area effect like a fireball or maybe a pit trap but not a direct attack. In the case of a direct attack any roll matching AC or better hits unless you have a reaction that can change the result. Dodge is a specific action adding a bonus to AC, I remember rightly.

 

[Ranes]

The part of DMG you quote is one of those all-too-frequent cases of a writer using a word (in this case, 'dodge') in its normal English sense when the same word can also have a rule case sense. Thus, confusion arises. But, as ardoughter says, melee attacks do not grant the defender a saving throw. The instance of the word 'dodge' you quote is in the context of an explanation of what is going on when a Dex saving throw is actually called for.

In combat, the Dodge action (with the capital 'D') puts your attacker at disadvantage. When you are in another situation that calls for a Dex saving throw (not a melee attack), Dodge grants advantage.

However, when you make a Dex saving throw, and don't use the Dodge action, but you make your save, you have still dodged the worst of the effect you saved against.

 

[psiconauta_retro]

Thanks for the answers, it is clear to me now!!