How about this?
It merges the saving throw table with the attack table by equating saving throw categories to types of armor. It assumes the following for normal humans:
- Save vs. Magic or Dragon Breath is as difficult as “to hit” vs. Heavy armor (plate,)
- Save vs. Stone or Wands is as difficult as Medium armor (chain,)
- Save vs. Death is as difficult as Light armor (Leather.)
Since this is a dice-neutral table, the exact bonus depends on what dice you are rolling for attacks and saves. A +1 or +2 would do in most cases. The M-U save vs. Magic bonus should be Level/4 (round up) if you want it to be closer to the original probabilities. Or, as an alternative, you can use the advantage system on one or both of a class’s favored saves, rolling twice and taking the best, which will give a much greater benefit than a simple +2.
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What's your problem with a Will save?
ReplyDeleteHmm. Was going to track down and link some old posts, but maybe I should just write a new post summarizing my feelings. Haven't done a rant in at least a month!
DeleteDoes everyone really want to simplify saving throws?
ReplyDeleteIt certainly seems like it. Lots of people asking on forums for help in finding a system that either uses Fort/Ref/Will or a single save (like Swords & Wizardry.) Or switching to ability score-based saves.
DeleteI didn't do a poll or survey, though. Or tally up how many OSR blogs mention switching to something like those options.
To each his own! I like the 5 saves. It feels kludgey and arcane like it should.
DeleteI am not sure it's that common among people who likes to play old editions of D&D, as it's kind of part of the core of the game.
DeletePersonally I consider it a weird fetishism of some less than stellar rulings by Gary back in the early seventies. We have documents hinting that Dave in Minneapolis and a few years later Ken in Phoenix did utilize on the spot saves based on stats. I think Gary picked up on that behaviour, but mistakenly thought they should be thought out sets, instead of the improvised rolls they started as.
Personally, I have never understood the impulse to rid the game of that wonderfully tense moment when we get to say, "Save versus Death!"
ReplyDeleteNor I. Made sure I could keep the old save names.
DeleteI can sympathize with that phrase, but that's all I like with the old saves system.
Delete