D&D 5E Saving Throws vs. Defenses, An Easier Way

[Sunseeker]

For mass targets, if undifferentiated , it's the players choice of one roll or all ...

I like adding this option to any game. It speeds up combat so so much if we don't have to roll individual attacks or saves or damage, but if a player can do so quickly, I don't mind giving him the option.

 

[Greenfield]

When an AoE gets dropped on mass targets I'll often handle them statistically, or in blocks.

That is, if you drop a Fireball on a horde of Bugbears, I'll do some quick math to resolve: Presume that they need to roll a 12 or better to Save, that's 45% success rate so 45% of them saved.

Either that or I'll roll once for every five of them, just to speed things up.

But whether you're rolling mass Saves or mass Attacks, the only difference is whose hands roll the dice. And many hands make for light work, as the old saying goes.

 

[triqui]

I guess I'm a bit of a grognard on this point: I never understood why it's faster for someone who throws a Fireball to roll five separate attack rolls vs five people to roll their Saves.

That's why you roll to attack only once and save time.

 

[Gargoyle]

I'm a fan of saving throws. Players seem to like having that "control" over their characters fate, even though it doesn't really matter who rolls the dice. The reaction when they are hit by an attack they didn't roll is usually more negative than the reaction I see when they fail a saving throw, and making a tough saving throw roll seems to elicit that elusive "fun" feeling, while the DM failing an attack roll produces little to no emotion.