D&D 5E What are the "important" saves?

[Ancalagon]

Hello

Pretty simple question. I was rather intrigued by the fact that in 5e every stat is tied to a save. This apparently helped "balance" out the stats. However, I've been reading comments lately that said that this wasn't really true, as certain stats almost never come up as important saves... but unfortunately those posts didn't say which stats those were... I haven't have been able to read all the spells yet either...

So.... basically, what are the important saves in 5e?

 

[The Human Target]

Constitution (fortitude), Dexterity (reflex), Wisdom (will)

Amazingly.

 

[AaronOfBarbaria]

To slightly disagree with the general opinion, Charisma saves are individually more important than Dexterity saves - while Dexterity saves are much more frequent, both in the number of effects that call for them and the likeliness of such effects coming up during typical play, Charisma saves stand between a character and effects like banishment, instant death or other potent consequences of divine word, not being able to teleport out of a forcecage, and getting body-jacked by magic jar, all of which are magnitudes more severe than the typical consequence of a failed Dexterity save (i.e. taking full damage rather than half).

 

[GX.Sigma]

Dex/Con/Wis. Note how each class has proficiency in one of those, and one of the others.

 

[NotActuallyTim]

Save importance depends entirely on the difficulty, frequency and consequences of the saves, and the DM can make up or select for any of those conditions. However, the 3 saves mentioned above do come more frequently than Strength, Intelligence or Charisma. Even though Int and Cha saves tend to have nasty consequences.

Str has the short end of the stick in theory, because it typically covers being moved around. However, due to the online popularity of Dexterity as a stat, Str may ironically wind up killing more optimizers than anything else, as an ever increasing number of Str 8 characters get chucked off of cliffs, pushed into pools of acid/lava/slimy doom tainted water or even tossed into allies ongoing AoEs.

 

[Horwath]

Wis->con->cha->str->dex->int

IMO

 

[Byakugan]

Wis->con->cha->str->dex->int

IMO

The old adage hasn't really changed.

A failed Con save kills you...a failed Will save kills your party.

 

[AaronOfBarbaria]

Wis->con->cha->str->dex->int

IMO

Since the majority of illusions are overcome by Intelligence (Investigation) rather than an Intelligence save, I can agree with this order of importance. Though I might note that I consider Strength and Dexterity saves about as equal as is possible, since circumstances can greatly affect the importance (a dex save to take 5 damage instead of 10 being less important than a str save to prevent going overboard on a ship, but a strength save to avoid being pushed 15 feet across open terrain not being as important as a dex save to take 40 damage instead of 80).

 

[Horwath]

Since the majority of illusions are overcome by Intelligence (Investigation) rather than an Intelligence save, I can agree with this order of importance. Though I might note that I consider Strength and Dexterity saves about as equal as is possible, since circumstances can greatly affect the importance (a dex save to take 5 damage instead of 10 being less important than a str save to prevent going overboard on a ship, but a strength save to avoid being pushed 15 feet across open terrain not being as important as a dex save to take 40 damage instead of 80).

I too think of them as equally important, but I give slight edge to str saves as 95% of dex saves involves only HP damage. And you're equally deadly with 40% HP missing and 80% HP missing. And str has lost of "crowd control" effects in case of a failed save.

I would rate dex as 3rd save in importance for rogues. Low HD and evasion and they get to roll the most. scouting and traps, hehe.

 

[FormerlyHemlock]

Hello

Pretty simple question. I was rather intrigued by the fact that in 5e every stat is tied to a save. This apparently helped "balance" out the stats. However, I've been reading comments lately that said that this wasn't really true, as certain stats almost never come up as important saves... but unfortunately those posts didn't say which stats those were... I haven't have been able to read all the spells yet either...

So.... basically, what are the important saves in 5e?

Con, Wis, Dex, Int, Cha, and to an extent Str.