Thursday, April 7, 2011

Return of the Saving Throw

Older editions of D&D had a plethora of saving throws required in different circumstances. Save vs Breath Weapon, Save vs Wand, etc etc. Different classes had different charts for how their saving throws improved as they gained levels. 

In 4th Edition, the Saving Throw has all but disappeared. There are some effects that require a saving throw to brush off, but it is a flat "roll 10 or higher" across the board. How boring! But whatever. I'm not advocating the elimination of that mechanic, nor am I calling for a return to cumbersome charts. My solution is much simpler and is already part of the ruleset. 

Whenever an attack targets a PC's reflex, fortitude or willpower defenses, we will assume it will be successful, unless the PC saves vs the attack. All this requires is having the player make the monster's attack roll! By rolling under the target number, she effectively saves vs that attack. Just a simple way to put some of that old-school feel back into a decidedly new-school ruleset. Probably dangerous, as I can no longer fudge those things behind the screen! We're getting our game on this evening, so we will see how it goes. 

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