D&D 5E Why do we need saving throws?

[Bawylie]

Gotta love a happy ending.

Please, don't be inappropriate.


-Brad

 

[Tony Vargas]

Please, don't be inappropriate.


-Brad

Eye of the beholder. Well, mind.

 

[Greenstone.Walker]

My understanding is that Saving Throws are specifically (and solely) for the situation where the player has no agency.

E.g. If your character is poisoned then you have no agency because there is literally nothing you can do to stop that event - they have been poisoned, period.

The Saving Throw is the model for how well the character unconsciously resists the effect. Not the event.

You do sometimes have agency to avoid the events that lead to the effect. Maybe you don't go to the banquet set out by your enemy. Maybe you do attend but you don't drink or eat anything (perhaps this involves a CHA\Persuasion check to avoid offending your hosts). Maybe you pretend to drink (probably a DEX\Sleight of Hand check). But once you've drunk that poisoned wine, you have no agency left. It's Saving Throw time.

To put it simply: if there is agency then use Ability Checks and/or Attacks; only use Saving Throws when there is no agency.

 

[Xeviat]

Other than that last one, the result all look the same to me. Avoid fire by dropping to the ground, result: damage avoided on success. Avoid fire by hiding behind shield, result: damage avoided on success. Avoid fire by hiding behind cover, result: damage avoided on success.

I don't think saves are there to limit you, they are there to give you fair, balanced default option, usually the one you would be most likely to pick in the first place. If your DM denies you from taking an option against a spell or effect that you logically should be able to take, that's more of a fault with your DM than the system.

The difference is that these choices have consequences. They aren't just "roll high, take less damage". They're a trade off. Maybe dropping prone (and staying prone) gives you more of a bonus. You can't take cover when there isn't cover near by (and that moves you, you might not want to move).

 

[Phazonfish]

The difference is that these choices have consequences. They aren't just "roll high, take less damage". They're a trade off. Maybe dropping prone (and staying prone) gives you more of a bonus. You can't take cover when there isn't cover near by (and that moves you, you might not want to move).

The option to drop prone for a bonus on the save would be nice, but 5e likes to keep things simple; I would say ask your DM if you want the option, but personally I think this could be too powerful an option based on how often it could come into play. As for the second option, I think the implication is "If you are not already in cover, you don't have time to get to it."

 

[Azurewraith]

Rolling dice is fun, plus they did that in 4e and well most folks hated 4e.