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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Tony Vargas" data-source="post: 7072519" data-attributes="member: 996">It's a meaningful distinction from function.  Saves serve no distinct function from attack rolls, you can use saves for attacks or attacks for save and get the exact same result, mathematically.  (Though, the game (or design philosophy or perceptions) can be slanted to create mechanical differences - you can only attack AC, but you can force one of six saves; you have disadvantage to make a ranged attack in melee, but saves you force at range while in melee are not at advantage, you can inflict half damage on a successful save, but not on a miss; you can crit an attack on a 20, but not crit-fail a save on a '1,' so damage inflicted by attacks can't be so high that a crit would break the encounter, etc, etc).   But their is an aesthetic difference, even if you discount arbitrary mechanical complexities, in particular, because the attack/save distinction has been familiar for decades.  That's not a distinction between the mechanics, but between who's acting.  You can cast a spell or not cast a spell, but when you're attacked, you're attacked. Nope, they are mathematically identical.  Both are d20 rolls vs a threshold.  A uniform distribution of 20 possible results, n of them succes, 20-n failure. In aggregate?  Unlikely.  There are multi-attackers, but there are also AEs that force saves.  It could easily go either way.   Action declaration & initiative 'RAW?'  I'm not sure I even remember it, there were so many variations, back then.   IIRC, formal action declaration was done by the 'caller' according to the rules or at least a sample of play or two, especially between combats.  I don't recall anyone actually doing that. Initiative was d6, with one roll on the player's side vs the DM rolling for the monsters. Or it was individual.  And the DEX 'reaction' adjustment applied.  Or maybe it didn't. And how isn't clear.  And your weapon speed and/or the casting time of your spell could matter... or not.  But, AFAICR, none of that had anything to do with saves.  You were only denied saves when there was no save, anyway (XX poison, Otto's Irresistible Dance, cursed magic items, etc) or the DM otherwise felt like it.</blockquote>

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