D&D 5E Why do so few 5E monsters have save proficiencies?

[el-remmen]

I have to say that one of the elements of 5E I was most skeptical about was the re-expansion of saves from three categories (in 3E) to six categories (the stats), when one of my favorite parts of 3E was the contraction of saves from five categories to three. It just seems like more to keep track of, and would have preferred keeping the three categories (fort, reflex, will) and allow for use of different stats to modify them based on circumstance or class or whatever. Regardless, I got used to it but was surprised to see so few monsters in the MM got any save proficiencies (at least based on my browsing, I have not gone through and counted).

As such I have been awarding different monsters/npcs (but not all) one or two save proficiencies based on what makes thematic sense.

Am I missing something?

 

[loverdrive]

The same reason why no one has proficiency in Athletics: WotC are smoking crack or somethin

 

[el-remmen]

The same reason why no one has proficiency in Athletics: WotC are smoking crack or somethin

Crack is so 2E.

But yeah, that reminds me, I am frequently giving monsters one or two skills, too.

 

[Jeff Carlsen]

I suspect monsters don't get save proficiency very often to ensure that monsters fail saves more often than players. Exceptions are made only when that extra high defense is a significant part of the monster. Personally, I'm content with that, as it's one fewer thing to check when running monsters.

 

[el-remmen]

it's one fewer thing to check when running monsters.

Only if they are not already incorporated into the save modifier in the stat block.

 

[Stoutstien]

mostly that make up for it with super high ability scores. I don't mind it because it keep stat blocks shorter. skill Prof is a weak point. its really easy to get high values so a 8 str rogue can grapple an ogre and such.

 

[iserith]

Someone in my Discord notes that whether or not a monster has a save proficiency is heavily skewed to monsters above CR 3 (with the highest amount being CR 10+), so his conclusion is that it may be related to tier 1 spellcasters not suffering too much since their spellcasting is almost prohibitively expensive if they fail. There may also be thematic reasons. Apparently most of the CR 10+ monsters with no save proficiencies are constructs or undead, stuff like that. With exceptions of course.

As for skill proficiencies, many of them are pretty much irrelevant outside of Acrobatics, Athletics, Perception, and Stealth except perhaps as descriptors that suggest something about the nature of the monster (e.g. smart monster has Arcana).

 

[Stalker0]

A lot of higher level monsters have magic resistance, which is basically +5 against magic, so basically prof in all saves

 

[Blue]

At higher levels most monsters have saves.

 

[el-remmen]

I haven't gotten to high levels in 5E yet (and even in previous editions I planned to end most campaigns by 10th or 12th - which to my mind is "high enough"), which might explain why I have seen so few.