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Message: <blockquote data-quote="GM Dave" data-source="post: 5816426" data-attributes="member: 6687992">My view on Wizard spells is based on play value at the table.1>  A player that gets Fireball as a spell is 'stoked' to use it.  They may only get one opportunity to shine that night and they intend Fireball to be that shining moment.2>  Okay, so now they roll the damage and it is say, 5d6 (first level in 3e and earlier for fireball).  The damage could be 5 or it could be 30; either roll is like a critical fumble or hit.  Let us look at what happens if we then impose an additional 'saving throw' on top of that damage roll.2 i>  If the player has rolled 5 for damage then if someone then makes or fails a saving throw it is no real difference.  The saving throw really is just a 'kick in the teeth' as it take the miserable 5 damage and cuts it to 2.  The roll of 5 damage is already a 'fumble' and the saving throw adds nothing to the play of the game but suck up time (especially when you have a large number of targets under the effect).2 ii>  If the player has rolled 30 for damage then a saving throw is like rolling to confirm a critical.  You got a lucky roll of five 6s and now you are going to have it taken away because most saving throws or defenses are built for 'maximized' characters having a 50% chance of success.  The lucky roll of dice turning up five 6s will now be reduced on a flip of a coin.  This again becomes another 'kick in the teeth'.3>  If Fireball is going to be the big moment to shine for the wizard then let them shine.  The rolling of the damage is enough of a hoop to leap through without having to leap a second hoop that only is going to take away from the main event which is the rolling of the damage dice.</blockquote>

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