The Flexible Fighter - easy combat stunts for BD&D

It has often been said that the BD&D fighter is a simple class (at least until level 9, where you have some domain management to take care of). Even though one can mention magic swords, setting spears versus charges, armor choice and so on, it is hard to deny that the fighter is pretty straightforward when compared to wizards, for example.

Some see this as a feature, others think that the classic Fighter is boring. In my opinion, the Fighter can get too simple in BD&D (and the wizard, too complicated, but this is a whole different post).

So here is a more flexible and tactical, but still pretty simple, BD&D Fighter.

First of all, she gets an extra attack from time to time. I prefer doing this in levels 6, 12, and 18, but you can keep whatever progression you're using.

Here is the twist: in lieu of making an extra attack, you can use each one for a number of different things. You can call them "combat moves" if you want.

Choose an option on level 8 and every three levels after that (or just allow everyone to do anything, maybe wit a -4 penalty if they don't have the appropriate "feat". Fighters just do it better - as long as this doesn't overwhelm your players). Say you have three attacks, total. You can make three attacks, one regular attack and one attack with extra damage, or just one attack with extra damage to the head.

Here are some examples:

Precise strike: add 1d6 to your attack roll. Add 1d8 if using some kind of finesse weapon.

Mighty blow: add 1d6 to damage. Add 1d8 if using a two-handed or heavy weapon. This makes more sense if you're using some kind of cleave rules or DR.

First strike: add 1d6 to your initiative, if you're using a d20 (or +1 if you're using a d6, etc).

Parry: add 1d6 to AC against one attack. If using a shield or weapon, you may choose to add 1d8 but it might break. Missiles can only be parried by shields, a fireball cannot be parried by a common sword, etc.

Dodge: add 1d6 to AC against one attack. Add 1d8 if unarmored or using light armor.

Toughness. Add 1d6 to a saving throw. Because when you're in combat, you're unstoppable. No saving throw? 1d6 penalty to whoever is attacking you instead. No attack roll? 1d6 less damage then.

Opportunistic strike. Use your extra attack at any moment. You can interrupt another character if she is using a spell or slower weapon (maybe compare DEX or make a saving throw to see who stops who). Yes, if your initiative system doesn't allow for wizards to be stopped when casting a spell, now the fighter can stop them all the same. Now you have your own "opportunity attacks" as well.

Disarm, trip, ensnare, etc. Just make an attack roll, no penalty, and produce the desired effect, within reason. Having adequate equipment is a plus. Your opponent might get a saving throw.

Hit location: choose which body part you want to hit. Effects are up to the GM, who will take the amount of damage you dealt in consideration. Knocking a dragon out because you dealt 2 points of damage to his head? Not likely. Cutting a Minotaur's horn? Sounds like a good idea. Not wearing a helmet? That's just dumb...

Dash: move 10 extra feet.

And so on, ad infinitum. Add options to taste.

Do you miss the warlord? Make a fighter that can rally the troops and grant bonuses to allies. Want a paladin? Your character can use his attack to turn undead or lay on hands, and adds a d10 instead of a d6 to damage when smiting evil. Ranger? Use one of your attacks to command your pet, or something. Defender? Take a hit for an ally. Assassin? Extra attacks when backstabbing (stab! stab! stab!). Wolverine? Why not? Use an attack to regenerate 1 point of HP, to a maximum of whatever you had when you started the battle or Constitution score plus level, whichever is lower.

Also, you get one extra attack when you're a paladin fighting demons. Or an enraged barbarian. Or a knight fighting for you lord, or whatever system you use for this kinds of things.

I would advise against stacking bonuses, but adding different bonuses is ok. Throwing your mace in the wizard's mouth just when he is preparing to cast a fireball? Sounds awesome. Nothing against wizards, really. I kinda like them, in fact.

Of course, you could make a wizard or thief with the same reasoning. Although I do have some other ideas for them, if you're wiling to wait. On the other hand, this system works very well for monsters.

Now you can have a tactical fighter without using penalties for special actions, complicated feats, "encounter" and "daily" actions, and, most important, you can still have your simple Fighter at earlier levels so new players can get the hang of it.

And combat can still be simpler to the players that chose classes with different schitcks, since they have less options to think about.

Next: the simple wizard.

The Gray Enforcer, lawful angel of death - A creature for 5e, B/X and LotFP

The Gray Enforcer is the ultimate agent of the letter of the Law, its sole purpose to take revenge against sinners and lawbreakers. The Enforcer is literal and unrelenting; it sees the idea of “the spirit of the law” as heresy, repentance as dissimulation, and forgiveness as the ultimate sin of wretched souls who would substitute sacred scripture for their own misguided opinions. Although it despises chaotic and unnatural creatures, those who defy written rules within their own societies are the ones it hates the most.

The Enforcer follows no particular creed or religion. It’s not up to him to judge the whims of the gods, real or imaginary. If the it is in the doctrine, it must be fulfilled. Oral tradition is ignored by the Enforcer, that only executes written rules.

The Enforcer looks like a humanoid creature with bulging muscles, stony gray skin, and a cuboid head with no facial features. It fights with a great maul and carries a huge book strapped to its back. It’s thick skin, stony skin halves the damage caused by fire, electricity, cold, poison, and slashing or piercing weapons. 

Art by Robert Chew - source.

The Enforcer dwells on a gray, sterile plane of empty buildings and perfect Euclidean geometry, where no words are spoken in order to avoid lies. This plane is also the home to an underground library that holds the enormous Books of Iniquity, each with a interminable list of names of those who have broken a particular written law.

Unable to punish all sinners at once, the Enforcer randomly picks a Book and goes out on a hunt in the less Lawful planes (such as our own) until 1d100 names are crossed from it. After that, it goes back to its bleak dwelling to recompose and choose a new book. The Enforcer is able to teleport though any rectangular doors or similar passages, arriving at any known destination of its choice.

While carrying a Book, the Enforcer is granted specific edicts and powers, as well as the ability to detect those who partake in one particular sin. Here are some examples:

1. Hypocrisy. Those who willingly associate with chaotic creatures must have their faces violently rearranged (losing 1d4 points of Charisma). While fighting parties that include chaotic and non-chaotic characters cooperating, any damage dealt to the Enforcer with weapons is also inflicted upon the attacker.
2. Witchcraft. Anyone who has spells memorized must have his tongue pulled out. The Enforcer is immune to arcane magic.
3. Leniency. Anyone who has forgiven others of a crime or sin must carry the weight upon themselves, and thus will have slabs of stone attached to their torsos, affecting Encumbrance (10 lb).
4. Doubt. Those wearing heavy armor must be stripped naked and cast into a pit. The Enforcer’s attacks ignore armor.
5. Idolatry. Anyone who carries a holy symbol must have their bones broken (losing 1d4 points of Dexterity) and be displayed for others to mock. The Enforcer is immune to clerical magic.
6. Avarice. Anyone currently searching for gold or treasure will be victim to a curse that causes all valuables being carried to turn to stone. Bladed weapons are useless against the Enforcer, and non-magical weapons break on a natural 1.

Other sacred laws involve trespassing, eating forbidden things, wearing inadequate clothing, saying wrongful words, and others. The Enforcer believes every transgression, no matter how small, must be punished in due time.

In order to inflict the punishment such as the ones listed above, the Enforcer must roll a natural 20 unless the target is helpless – this special effect is caused in addition to the normal damage. The punishment is usually dealt with a strike of the maul, that can break bones and faces, push opponents away or leave pieces of stone in them, depending on the circumstances. The target will have a glimpse of understanding of its supposed crimes, and must succeed in a saving throw (Charisma or Magical Device) or will ardently believe the punishment received to be justified. The maul itself isn’t special, but the Books are.

Carrying a Book of Inequity gives the wielder powers and defenses similar to those granted to the Enforcer, but also and insatiable urge to inflict punishment to the listed. Merely reading it allows one to find a particular name included in the Book (1-in-6 chance of finding it per hour), but carries a cumulative 1% chance of obsession per hour (the reader will hunt sinners relentlessly and must punish 1d6 of them before recovering). A save is allowed in order to avoid obsession.

Each Book has a number of hit points equal to one fourth of those of the Enforcer (and -4 or disadvantage to hit). Without it, the Enforcer loses its purpose, and must immediately return to its plane for a new one.

LotFP / B/X: 

Armor: as plate (18 or 3), Move 60′, 8 Hit Dice, 1 maul attack doing 1d10 damage plus special effect, Morale 12, Save as Fighter 8, Alignment: Lawful.

5e (summary):

Medium celestial, lawful neutral

Armor Class 18, Hit Points 280, Speed 60′ (and teleportation - see above).

STR 22 (+6) DEX 16 (+3) CON 26 (+8) INT 18 (+4) WIS 20 (+5) CHA 22 (+6)

Saving Throws: Wis +10, Cha +10.

Damage Resistances: acid, fire, necrotic, poison; slashing and piercing from nonmagical weapons.

Condition Immunities: charmed, frightened, poisoned.

Senses: darkvision 60′, passive Perception 20.

Languages: all, telephaty 60′.

Challenge 14 (11,500 XP)

Attacks: Maul (+11 to hit, 6d10+6 damage). Either multiattack (x2) or 1 attack plus special (see above).

Special thanks to James Raggi (monster originally created for a contest in the LotFP blog). 

D&D Unleashed, part II: Above and Beyond Ability Limits

In most editions of D&D, the six abilities have a hard cap - a point beyond no PC can go, maybe because it is a "pinnacle of human capability" of some sort, even though D&D characters aren't restricted to human capabilities at all. D&D 5e explicitly say that "You can’t increase an ability score above 20". In some classic editions, you couldn't increase an ability score AT ALL, although nowadays many retroclones allow it.

The reason I dislike static abilities is that, as a character advances in levels, she gets tougher, better at fighting (even if she is a wizard, in most games), with more powerful spells and better saves, but for some reason not stronger or even wiser. Static abilities were fine in the original LBB D&D, where they granted little bonuses and weren't used for skills, saving throws, etc., but as they got more and more important, it seems that any real advancement should include improving abilities.

Hard caps on abilities bring similar problems, although they take longer to manifest. If you're a fighter, for example  you probably start with a good STR, and will augment it at every opportunity. Soon you hit the ceiling, and then you'll look for other abilities to improve. That, apparently, is how 5e works: you first put 15 in your main ability, then increase it with race features, ten increase it again with ability score improvements, and before level 10 you have already reached your maximum.

So your 20th level fighter will probably have a STR that is no greater than 99% of the 8th level fighters in the world, and in fact no fighter will ever be stronger than that (unless you're using feats instead of ability score improvements, of course).

But wouldn't be cool if you could make a Fighter with superhuman STR? One that was stronger than most Fighters, and probably stronger than anyone in the realm, but not necessarily the best Fighter of her level? Then you could have a match between two 15th level fighters where one has superhuman STR but the other can still prevail using speed and guile - and all  without using traits, alternate classes, or having to turn your Fighter into a Barbarian, Rogue or Swashbuckler.

Wouldn't it be cool?

Now, there is a reason for this limit. Since so much of the class traits focus on a single ability, if you leave it with no ceiling everybody would be tempted to put all their points in that ability (despite the problems it may cause), making everyone in the same class very similar.

My solution for this is: diminishing returns. Use soft caps instead of hard ones. Which means, you can have an ability greater than 20, but it will cost you.

Try this, for example (but see my notes below on how to change this table):

Score	Modifier
5	−5
6	−4
7	−3
8	−2
9	−1
10–11	+0
12–13	+1
14–15	+2
16–17	+3
18–19	+4
20–22	+5
23–25	+6
26–29	+7
30–34	+8
35–39	+9
40...	+10...

Now, all Fighters may benefit from a great STR - up to a point - but after a while being well-rounded might be more useful depending on the character concept. Want to create a Fighter with STR 25? Go ahead and do it! Her saves will suffer, and she might be easily fooled by someone smarter. She will probably be a great fighter, but not necessarily the best one in her level. At the same time, nobody will be better at arm-wrestling, carrying stuff or breaking doors down.

If you don't like the idea of messing around with the ability score/modifier table, you could also do this with a simple feat, instead, such as:

Exceptional Talent
One of your abilities is greater than normal human limits. Choose an ability. Increase this ability by 1, and now this ability can be raised beyond the maximum of 20, up to 22. Each time you take this feat, add 2 to this maximum.

What's the point? Adding more character concepts without adding much complexity or new traits and classes to the system.

Of course, the table above could be changed in many ways, and could go on forever. It also has MANY uses other than that (discouraging "dump stats", making that INT 8 really sting, allowing you to beat a house cat in a fight...). I use a similar version in my own game, but with more nuance. The example above are meant too keep things identical to RAW 5e in most of the cases. The whole "diminishing returns" subject is worth a post of its own - just stay tuned!

D&D Unleashed, part I: YES YOU CAN! (Classes)

Once upon a time, I got tired of OD&D/BD&D and all of its limitations, specially those regarding classes. "Wizards cannot use swords", "thieves cannot wear heavy armor", or even the (misguided) "non-thieves cannot hide", and so on. I thought this was silly. To this day, I dislike the limitations some editions of D&D try to enforce (even if they say you can take a feat to ignore it, although this makes things better), but once I better understood them, I realized that leaving D&D because of them is misguided.

Instead, I got rid of the limitations.

Of course, lots of people have done this before. Is easier than you may think. Let's see...

Can I use any skill, even if I'm not a thief? 

YES, YOU CAN. This is the easy one. In fact, this was probably the case from day one, as many have argued. Thief's skills are meant to go above and beyond a normal person's abilities. For examples, a thief can hide "in shadows" and climb "sheer surfaces", feats there are impressive for most people - but almost anyone can hide behind a curtain or climb a knotted rope. The thief's ability to "hear noises" is a bonus to what all classes can do, and there is no reason not to apply this to every skill they have.

Can I use any weapon, even if I'm not a fighter? 

YES, YOU CAN. And it won't break the game or be unfair. Fighters will still make the best of whatever weapons they get their hands on, due to better Strenght, HP, BAB, THAC0, etc. In OD&D there was a specific reason for this limitations: magical swords were the most powerful weapons around and were quite common in the random treasure tables. If this isn't the case in your game, there is probably no good reason to keep the limitation.

Now, if for some other reason the sword is simply the most powerful weapon of the game and everyone will use swords if you don't stop them, the problem is with your weapons, not with your classes - remember that older versions of D&D would sometimes use weapon speed and effectiveness against armor along with damage, so the "best" weapon was dependent on circumstances. But even if your swords do 1d8 damage while all other weapons do 1d6 and you don't use other distinctions, there should be plenty of "narrative" reasons to try other weapons: concealment, religious taboos, prohibitive laws and customs, availability, etc.

So what about armor? Can I wear any armor, too?

YES, YOU CAN. This one is a bit trickier, as armor, unlike weapons, can be equally useful to all classes. While I find unreasonable that wizards and thieves cannot wear armor, saying that armor gets in the way of magic and thievery sounds good. A penalty or a flat chance of failure due to armor sounds better than prohibition. Or you might want to use something from the next paragraph...

Anyone can read spell books...

Oh, yeah? So what about spells? Can I cast them even if I'm not a wizard?

YES, YOU CAN. And not just for scrolls, either. You can use spell books if you want. Look at thieves again: 10th level thieves can use magic scrolls with a 10% chance of the spell being reversed (if 7th level or greater), in OD&D. Yes - they are that good. Now think what would happen if someone else would try that - the chance of failure would be way greater.

For a one-line old school solution, save vs. spell to avoid the spell turning against you or causing other disastrous effects. Not old school enough? Then use the "% Chance to Know any given spell" in Supplement I. By the way, the books described in Supplement I are good examples of stuff that may happen when one reads the wrong book.

(And did you ever notice how magic-users are harmed by the Book of Exalted Deeds and not by the Book of Vile Darkness? What does this say about the nature of magic?)

Okay, now I guess you'll say I can turn undead and use cleric spells as well?

YES, YOU CAN. If you faith is strong enough, there is no reason not to. Sure, you have to respect any taboos that a particular god may enforce (avoiding particular weapons or arcane magic, for example), but a deity won't abandon its followers just because they aren't part of the clergy. Clerics can probably get more leeway, as a life of righteousness allows for a little misstep every now and then... or at least this is what they tell themselves in order to be able to sleep at night, depending on how gritty is your game.

By the way, you might need a cross to turn a vampire, depending on your GM. Better be prepared.

What about elves, dwarves, monks, barbarians, paladins, etc? Can they do anything as well?

YES, THEY CAN. Same ideas apply. Monks can wear armor although it gets in the way of their kung fu. Paladins have got it mostly right, they are just fighters that gain special powers in exchange for following some tenets. Dwarves and barbarians can cast spells, but they know it might be a bad idea, specially if they have more wisdom than intelligence... And so on.

... but results may vary.

And what about 5th edition? 
The way 5th edition works might make things a bit different, but not much. For example, BAB doesn't vary across classes (is usually equal to proficiency), but the differences in STR, HP and special traits should be enough to guarantee that a wizard with a sword won't break anything or get in the fighter's "niche". A rogue with a heavy weapon is fine too; she's probably better off with a rapier anyway. Same goes for spell-casting fighters and so on.

What's the point?
Limitations in D&D are a matter of taste, but if you have a player that wants to create a wizard with a sword, why not let him? A fighter of the same level will still beat him in a sword fight. Choices are what make RPGs so cool, and it will be fun to see what happens when the fighter wants to cast a spell, without knowing what is waiting for her...

The utility belt: a rule to fix cost, weight, and inventories, for any system

"How did you escape prison?", the warrior asked. 

"The guard got too close to the cell. So I put my blade to his throat and took away his keys", said the thief.

"Your blade? I heard they'd took your sword the minute they got their hands in you! ".

"Well, I always keep an extra blade under my belt. Just in case".

Systems with detailed equipment rules often encourage players to go through extensive shopping lists in order to buy the stuff they want - and prepare for every eventuality. They may also encourage you to spend as much as you can, and carry as much as you can, as long as you stay within certain thresholds. No problem with that, really; choosing equipment this way becomes a mini-game in itself.

Here is an option that avoids these pitfalls (if you don't you like them, of course) and lets the character, not the player, make smart choices about what to carry. I'll give some examples based on my own game, so you get the gist of it, but it can be used in D&D, GURPS, Fate, or whatever.

These rules only make sense if you're spending some significant time in a place where your resources are scarce and you can't just walk into a store and get what you need, such as a dungeon or a forest.

Let's say your character can carry 20 pounds without being encumbered (or receiving any penalties at all) but is currently carrying only 15 pounds. This mean you can add 5 pounds of miscellany (or 5 slots, 5 kilos, 5 stone, 5 items, 5 gizmos, etc).

Whenever you need an item, you can roll to see if you remembered to pack for this exact occasion. The roll is based on Intelligence plus an adequate background - a Fighter may have an extra blade, a Scholar may have special herbs, a Diplomat may be carrying an appropriate gift, etc. The Target Number should be about 15, in order to make things a bit harder, but you can alter this number based on the likelihood of having the item under the current circumstances.

For example:

- We are climbing the Endless Tower! Of course I have some spare rope in my backpack besides the one I ruined! (TN 10).
- Belladonna? Why would you be carrying that if you never heard about werewolves in this region? Ok, maybe you're carrying some similar herb... (TN 20+)

Also, if an item is too rare, too expensive, too frail, too big (what do you mean you had an extra Zweihänder?), the GM should veto the roll or make it more difficult.

If the roll succeeds, you have the item you need. Write it down, pay the cost immediately (if you don't have any money left, well, you can't have the item), and that's it. If the item weights 2 pounds, you now have 3 pounds of miscellany instead of 5.

If you fail, you don't have the item, and suffer some additional setback, depending on the "mode" of play your group chooses:

* Easy mode: well, at least you might have some other useful item, or you might look through your stuff later to find something useful.
* Average mode: write down a few pounds of "useless miscellany" in your inventory (2 pounds, in the example above). If you keep it with you, you may still find an use to it, but add 5 to TN.
* Hard mode: you're carrying useless stuff. You packed extra clothes that you didn't need, more water or firewood than necessary, etc. You should get rid of it. Using the example above, you're down to 3 pounds of miscellany until you can go back to somewhere you can buy random stuff. The good thing is that you don't have to pay for that.

You can get rid of your miscellany at any time before using it - if you find valuable stuff that you must carry, for example.

What's the point? 
* Reduce the time you spend shopping and planning.
* Encourage players to carry fewer items.
* You don't need to check inventory or encumbrance at all times - only when it matters.
* Give a few advantages to character that are smart, strong or skilled. For example, the ranger will always be prepared to face natural dangers.
* Give the characters a chance to know the perils they face even if they players don't.
* Make characters with "utility belts" a viable concept - they might even have skills or feats that make their rolls easier.
* Make money more useful.
* Let players and characters surprise the GM - and foil the villain's plans.

What if I don't track encumbrance in my games? 
You can still roll to see if you have the item you need. Just use common sense instead of pounds.

What if I want other character to carry my stuff? 

No problem, provided you agreed on that before leaving town.

UPDATE:

If you liked my 2d6 stuff, here is how to use it with this:

	Roll	Result
	2	You're carrying this? Though luck... (it explodes, attracts more foes, makes things worse, etc).
	3-5	This is beyond useless, better get rid of it.
	6-8	Not quite what you were looking for, but might be useful anyway.
	9-11	Yes, you have it!
	12	The perfect tool for the job!

Who knows, you might come up with a whole character class based around this idea... Reminds you of anything?

Mad Max, Dark Sun and 50 random ideas

After watching Mad Max: Fury Road, I couldn't keep Dark Sun (maybe the most awesome D&D setting of all times) off my mind, and how cool it would be to create a new post-apocalyptic desert landscape to play D&D in, maybe with less elves and more mutants.

So here is a list of random ideas from Dark Sun, Mad Max, Dune, Fallout, and a bunch of different stuff. 1-10 are places, 11-20 are related to transportation, 21-30 are factions, 31-40 are visuals and apparel, 40-45 are dangers, and 46-50 objects.

Or, to sum up some ideas in the proverbial 25 words or less (almost):

Maniacs, mutants, and marauders, carrying obsidian and bone, ride oil-eating dragons through Endless Sands. Psionic monks battle radioactive sorcerers, dinosaurs and warlords in the apocalyptic heat. 

Places

1. Ziggurat city, ruled by the god-emperor and his templars. 

2. Endless “seas” of silt, salt, or glass (excessive Ss, sorry).

3. Sky-high monasteries where holy-people sharpen their martial skills. 

4. Underground vaults with the last surviving fragments of the Old World. 

5. A building with innumerable floors inside the tableland.

6. A hill labyrinth of colored sands. 

7. The Vermilion plains, where even the trees have red leaves. 

8. The moving metropolis. 

9. The green places, filed with cannibals and dangerous animals. 

10. Cursed pyramids, with the remains of alien humanoids. . .  and their destroyers. 

Creatures & Transportation

11. Petrol-eating, fire-spitting, many-legged drakes that run around like crazy after a good meal.

12. Velociraptors, tyrannosaurs, stampeding apatosaurs and, why not, pterosaurs. 

13. Flying ships and stingrays. 

14. Sandworms, purple-worms, or bulletes. 

15. Giant insects. 

16. Tree-hoping people. 

17. Relentless runners. 

18. Gigantic warmachines. 

19. Psionic teleportation. 

20. Caravans, controlled by merchant-princes. 

People

21. Bloodthirsty youngsters eager to die in epic ways. 

22. The genetically engineered, with perfect bodies and deranged minds. 

23. Scorpion-smoking religious assassins. 

24. Preservers of the last seeds. 

25. Mutant sand raiders. 

26. Psionic monks. 

27. Rabid cannibals. 

28. Woman-hating slavers. . . 

29. . . . and the Amazons who survive them. 

30. The great desperate mass.

Style

31. Leather, piercings and unusual hairstyles. 

32. Shaved heads, black and white paint, faces like skulls. 

33. S&M apparel. 

34. Demon masks and bizarre armor. 

35. Half naked with sunburns and unkempt hair. 

36. Heavy brown robes, kerchiefs and goggles. 

37. Silk robes with vivid colors. 

38. Ritual scarification. 

39. Bones and human ashes as accessories. 

40. War paint or lots of tatoos.

Hazards

41. Sandstorms and lightning.

42. No ozone layer, sunlight slowly kills you. 

43. Water is scarce, non-radioactive water is scarcer.

44. Sinkholes and the things that cause them. 

45. Desert monsters above and below the ground. 

46. Flowers as signs of extreme wealth. 

47. A spice that causes hallucinations, mutations and increases psychic abilities. 

48. Weapons made of obsidian, glass and bone. 

49. Spikes in armors, mounts and buildings. 

50. Sun-powered death-ray lenses.

(image credits: right-click and "copy image address" for sources)

Saving Throws: Fortitude/Reflex/Will in 5th Edition

The way D&D 5th edition deals with saving throws is probably one of its most criticized aspects, mostly because:

* It's not like any other edition.
* High level characters don't get better saves automatically, making saving throws disproportionately difficult at high levels.
* Too many saving throws, and not enough reason to make the distinction.
* Some saving throws are simply better than others, although the "feat tax" is always the same.

I happen to like the general idea of "ability saving throws", specially in 5th edition, where abilities are meant to take a central role, but I do agree that the implementation has some problems. Fixing most of them is very easy. For example, you can:

* Give proficiency in all saves to everybody.
* Give proficiency in all saves to everybody, and advantage to those that would be proficient.
* Add half proficiency bonus if you don't have proficiency.
* Etc.

The good thing about all this solutions is that saving throws still differ a lot from character to character, because they are also based on abilities. The first one is probably the easiest.

My particular fix involves using Fortitude/Reflex/Will, but not quite like 3e and 4e. Instead, I would replace the "Resilient" feat for this three feats:

Fortitude
You are fit and able to endure great physical stress. You gain the following benefits:
* Increase your Strength or Constitution by 1, to a maximum of 20.
* You gain proficiency in saving throws using Strength and in saving throws using Constitution.

Reflex
You are quick to think and to get out of the way. You gain the following benefits:
* Increase your Dexterity or Intelligence by 1, to a maximum of 20.
* You gain proficiency in saving throws using Dexterity and in saving throws using Intelligence.

Will
You have a strong personality and amazing willpower. You gain the following benefits:
* Increase your Wisdom or Charisma by 1, to a maximum of 20.
* You gain proficiency in saving throws using Wisdom and in saving throws using Charisma.

Source: Fire and Ice - 1983

What's the point? Mainly, flavor. Its gives a reason to the fighter with low Charisma to withstand fear and mind control (he's mentally though!), and to raise Charisma or Wisdom at least once, for example. And he can choose between the two instead of having to pick Wisdom because it's saving throws are just better (Charisma saving throws are almost nonexistent).

What about classes that have different combinations of Saving Throws? Just let them choose. For example, the paladin gets Will or Fortitude. Or just Will, since Charisma is the main ability.

What about monsters? You can use them as they are. There is no problem in monsters using different rules than characters. To be honest, though, monster's saving throws don't seem to make much sense right now. Why does the Death Knight is proficient in Dexterity ST? Maybe Will would be enough.

What if I don't want feat taxes, or don't use feats at all? Just let them have the proficiency the first time they raise an ability after first level. For example, the first time the Fighter raises Wisdom after first level he gets proficiency in Wisdom and Charisma saving throws.