I’m about to start my first campaign as a DM and there are a couple of thing with DC saving throws and attack modifiers that are confusing the heck out of me and I would really appreciate any help on offer. (My apologies if this sounds like a stupid question)
I understand the concept of a DC for an ability check. But how does it work while in combat when using spells? I have a cleric in the group who has 11 spell save DC, and +3 spell attack bonus. His spell casting ability is Wis.
Is anyone able to give an example of how this would look against a monster?
In addition, I also see he has access to the spell ‘Bane’ which is described as need a charisma check, if my clerics spell casting ability is Wisdom, how does that work?
Bane is a good example for what you're asking. If bane is cast, then the monster being affected has to beat the clerics spell save DC (in this case 11). So the monster rolls a D20 and adds any bonus they have from charisma. If they get an 11 or above they save.
The Bane example is a good one to illustrate. That your cleric's spellcasting ability is Wisdom means that their spell save DC is calculated based on their Wisdom modifier. That Bane requires a Charisma saving throw means that when your cleric casts Bane, the enemies make a saving throw with their Charisma, and the number they have to meet or exceed is your cleric's spell save DC.
If you were casting a spell that requires an attack roll, like Guiding Bolt, you'd add your spell attack bonus to the d20 you roll and compare that to the target's Armor Class like any other attack.
Thank you everyone I think I understand it a bit better now. So some spells require a spell save DC which is clearly indicated what the check is (like Bane which is a charisma check but uses the players spell save DC to beat) and other spells can require a check against the AC? (Such as guiding bolt)
Thank you everyone I think I understand it a bit better now. So some spells require a spell save DC which is clearly indicated what the check is (like Bane which is a charisma check but uses the players spell save DC to beat) and other spells can require a check against the AC? (Such as guiding bolt)
What is the cleric’s wisdom score? I ask, because it seems they only have a +1 modifier (so a 12 or 13 wisdom score), which is a bit low for a cleric.
The wisdom is only 13 and they are 1st level.
You might encourage them to re-spec to make wis their highest score. Certainly a cleric with a 13 wis can be viable, but they are going to have less effective spells than the game math assumes; the expectation is that most characters will start with a 15 or 16 in their primary stat.
If its an experienced player doing this, that’s one thing. But with a new player it may get frustrating that their attacks don’t work very well.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
To post a comment, please login or register a new account.
Hey folks,
I’m about to start my first campaign as a DM and there are a couple of thing with DC saving throws and attack modifiers that are confusing the heck out of me and I would really appreciate any help on offer. (My apologies if this sounds like a stupid question)
I understand the concept of a DC for an ability check. But how does it work while in combat when using spells? I have a cleric in the group who has 11 spell save DC, and +3 spell attack bonus. His spell casting ability is Wis.
Is anyone able to give an example of how this would look against a monster?
In addition, I also see he has access to the spell ‘Bane’ which is described as need a charisma check, if my clerics spell casting ability is Wisdom, how does that work?
Bane is a good example for what you're asking. If bane is cast, then the monster being affected has to beat the clerics spell save DC (in this case 11). So the monster rolls a D20 and adds any bonus they have from charisma. If they get an 11 or above they save.
The Bane example is a good one to illustrate. That your cleric's spellcasting ability is Wisdom means that their spell save DC is calculated based on their Wisdom modifier. That Bane requires a Charisma saving throw means that when your cleric casts Bane, the enemies make a saving throw with their Charisma, and the number they have to meet or exceed is your cleric's spell save DC.
If you were casting a spell that requires an attack roll, like Guiding Bolt, you'd add your spell attack bonus to the d20 you roll and compare that to the target's Armor Class like any other attack.
What is the cleric’s wisdom score? I ask, because it seems they only have a +1 modifier (so a 12 or 13 wisdom score), which is a bit low for a cleric.
Thank you everyone I think I understand it a bit better now.
So some spells require a spell save DC which is clearly indicated what the check is (like Bane which is a charisma check but uses the players spell save DC to beat) and other spells can require a check against the AC? (Such as guiding bolt)
The wisdom is only 13 and they are 1st level.
You might encourage them to re-spec to make wis their highest score. Certainly a cleric with a 13 wis can be viable, but they are going to have less effective spells than the game math assumes; the expectation is that most characters will start with a 15 or 16 in their primary stat.
If its an experienced player doing this, that’s one thing. But with a new player it may get frustrating that their attacks don’t work very well.