Sterling's Players Roll Everything

With this mod for D&D 5e players roll all the dice.

Ok so Sterling didn't actually make up this house rule, it's an optional rule from D&D 3.5e. But Sterling introduced me to it, and adapted it to 5th edition, so I'll always remember it as Sterling's Players Roll Everything mod. Why this isn't an optional rule in the core 5th edition rule books is beyond me; this one little tweak simultaneously streamlines the DM’s workflow—freeing them up to focus on combat tactics, environment, and pacing—and keeps players more engaged in combat in between their turns.

The one downside to this house rule is that the DM can no longer secretly pull punches behind their DM screen of mystical mystery (which you would never do anyway I’m sure, 😉). Personally, as a player, I prefer and welcome the challenge!

This mod consists of two changes to D&D 5e gameplay:

1. Armor Saves: replaces enemy attacks against players
2. Spell Attacks: replaces enemy Saving Throws vs player spells and abilities

Armor Saves

When an enemy attacks a player character, the DM now asks the targeted player to make a Armor Save vs the enemy’s Attack Difficulty (instead of the DM rolling an attack for the enemy). Players add their character’s Armor Class Bonus to their Armor Save.

If a player’s Armor Save is equal to or exceeds the enemy's Attack Difficulty, the character successfully defends themselves and the enemy’s attack fails.

Tip: Asking your player’s to describe how they defend themselves can add a nice cinematic touch to combat.

Note there are no changes to combat when a player character attacks an enemy; players continue to make attack rolls vs an enemy’s Armor Class as normal.

Enemy Attack Difficulty

An enemy’s Attack Difficulty is equal to 11 plus their attack roll bonus. For example, a Goblin has +4 to hit with a melee weapon attack, giving them an Attack Difficulty of 15 (11 + 4).

Tip: Write down Attack Difficulty (in place of attack roll bonuses) on your enemy stat blocks (or slap a tape flag or sticky note to the monster’s page in your Monster Manual); with this system the DM should rarely need to do any math during combat—that’s the player’s job now.

Armor Class Bonuses

Player characters receive an Armor Class Bonus to their Armor Saves, which is equal to their Armor Class (AC) minus 10.

For example, let’s say Rognar is clad in studded leather armor (AC 12) and has a Dex of 12 (+1 to their AC), giving Rognar an AC of 13. That translates to a +3 Armor Class Bonus (13 - 10). When Rognar rolls a Armor Save they add +3 to their roll.

Tip: Have your players write down their Armor Class Bonus in place of their AC on their character sheets. Their original AC values will no longer be used.

The following table contains Armor Class Bonuses for the standard D&D 5e armor and shields equipment. Refer to your Player’s Handbook for all other armor and shield attributes as normal.

Putting It Together

Expanding on the above examples, when the Goblin attacks Rognar, played by Johnny, the DM might say, “The berserking goblin, frothing at the mouth, screams and charges at Rognar with their scimitar, swinging it wildly. Roll a Defence Check, difficulty 15.” Johnny rolls a 14, adds +3 for a total of 17, and says, “Ok, I got a 17. I sidestep the crazy Goblin’s attack, keeping my balance and readying my battle axe to counter attack.”

Critical Hits

When a player rolls a natural 1 on a Armor Save, that’s equivalent to the enemy rolling a natural 20, and thus scoring a Critical Hit against the player character.

Spell Attacks

When a player casts a spell or uses an ability which would typically result in an enemy rolling a Saving Throw, instead have the player roll a Spell Attack vs the enemy’s Save Score. The player adds their character’s Spell Casting Bonus to their Spell Attack.

If the Spell Attack equals or exceeds the enemy's Save Score, the character successfully casts and inflicts the full consequences of their spell on their enemy.

Tip: Asking your player’s to describe what their spell looks like is always recommended!

Note there are no changes when an enemy casts a spell on a player character, players continue to make Saving Throws as normal.

Enemy Save Scores

An enemy’s Save Score is equal to 11 plus their associated Saving Throw bonus. For example, an Adult Red Dragon has a +6 Dex save, giving them a Dex Save Score of 17 (11 + 6).

Tip: Write down Save Scores (in place of Saving Throw bonuses) on your enemy stat blocks (or slap a tape flag or sticky note to the monster’s page in your Monster Manual); with this system the DM should rarely need to do any math during combat—that’s the player’s job now.

Spell Casting Bonuses

A player character’s Spell Casting Bonus is equal to their spell save DC minus 10.

For example, let’s say Sencha is a level 5 Cleric (proficiency bonus +3) with a Wisdom of 16 (+3 Wisdom modifier), giving Sencha a spell save DC of 14. That translates to a +4 Spell Casting Bonus (14 - 10). When Sencha rolls a Spell Attack they add +4 to their roll.

Tip: Have your players write down their Spell Casting Bonus in place of their spell save DC on their character sheets. Their original spell save DC values will no longer be used.

Putting It Together

Expanding on the above examples, when Sencha, played by Crystal, casts Hold Person on a crazed cultist who is chasing them, Crystal might say, “I quickly cast Hold Person on the cultist.” Crystal rolls her Spell Attack, gets a 9, and adds +4 for a total of 13. “I rolled a 13 for my Spell Attack.” The DM, checking the cultist’s stat block, who has a Wisdom Save Score of 13, says, “The cultist fails to resist your magic and instantly freezes in place giving you an opportunity to escape!”

Other Abilities

Similarly, some other non-spell character abilities call for Saving Throws, which should use the same Spell Attack system. For example, Monks have a Ki Save DC which can be calculated as an Ability Bonus—the same way as calculating Spell Casting Bonuses. Another example is a Barbarian’s Intimidating Presence ability, which calls for the target to make a Wisdom Saving Throw vs a DC of 8 + the Barbarian’s proficiency bonus + the Barbarian’s Charisma modifier. In this case the Barbarian’s player would roll an Ability Check with a bonus equal to the ability’s DC minus 10.

Tip: Calculate Ability Bonuses ahead of time and have your players write them on their character sheets next to each ability—this will keep gameplay streamlined.

Notes

“Never tell me the odds!” says Han Solo in The Empire Strikes Back. But why not? It’s up to you if you make your enemy’s Armor Classes, Attack Difficulty, and Save Scores secret or public. I’ve found that simply making these values known to the players has two advantages (Solo doesn’t want to know the odds but your player’s might).

First, it speeds up combat (which should be fast paced, right?). Players instantly know if they’ve been hit, if their attack lands, or if an enemy resists one of their spells or abilities.

There is no need for all that back-and-forth we’re used to, “I roll a 14 for my attack, plus 2, that’s a 16. Does a 16 hit?” You check your notes, “Yeah, a 16 hits the Goblin. Can you describe what that looks like?”

Instead, at the beginning of battle (or the first instance in which any of the 3 check types come up) you state the odds: “The Orcs appear battle hardened, clad in weathered and dented scale mail. They have a hit target of 14.” Now, players can tell you if they’ve hit their target each round, and they can immediately move on to their description, “16! That’s a hit! I smash into the Orc’s chainmail throwing my full weight into my battle axe!”

Secondly, knowing the odds actually adds additional strategy mechanics to combat. Since all roll targets are now out in the open, knowing an enemy’s Armor Class, Attack Difficulty, and Save Scores is a good indicator of how difficult the battle might be. These are seasoned adventurers after all. They’ll know that a kobold is a much less formidable foe than a Troll—the exact values don’t have to be a mystery (they’ll figure them out after a few rounds of combat anyway). And since you can no longer pull any punches, knowing the odds will make your players think twice before charging into battle.

Tip: Keeping the values for special abilities and special attacks secret until they come up will still add some mystery and uncertainty to encounters.