[MENTION=6787650]Hemlock[/MENTION]: Well it depends a lot on which ability is targeted and I haven't done a rigorous analysis. (And fact that attack rolls are 2 points higher than save DC is a red herring because so many monsters have at least 2 points of armor.) But it's about more than just the math:
I may very well be wrong, but I feel that in general, forcing a save gives you a slight edge over making an attack roll. Of course, any good spellcaster is going to load up both types, so that they can target whichever defense is weakest in the moment. If anyone has done a rigorous analysis I'd love to see it. In fact just thinking about this issue makes me want to build a sniper-mage in reversal of my usual policy...
- Non-Dex saves are not subject to cover.
- There are generally fewer situations and statuses give bonuses to saving throws. You can't Dodge a non-Dex save, for example. It seems like there are slightly more situations that disadvantage saving throws (although that is pretty rare too). Magic Resistance is the main source of saving throw advantage in the game, but in theory that compensates for low save modifiers at higher levels.
- The Biggie: Almost no condition in the game decreases the caster's save DC. You can have all sorts of disadvantage on all sorts of attack rolls (being in dim lighting or melee range, for example, or being poisoned, frightened, or restrained) and still cast a saving throw spell normally.
I may very well be wrong, but I feel that in general, forcing a save gives you a slight edge over making an attack roll. Of course, any good spellcaster is going to load up both types, so that they can target whichever defense is weakest in the moment. If anyone has done a rigorous analysis I'd love to see it. In fact just thinking about this issue makes me want to build a sniper-mage in reversal of my usual policy...
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