[DnD 3.5] Mechanical Thought Experiment: All Characters Have Evasion/Mettle

[Warclam]

While I don't much care for 4th edition in general, there are some changes it makes that I like. One is that area spells (and other spells too for that matter) still require some form of attack roll against some form of defense.

One way I thought of to have a similar sort of effect would be to give all characters evasion and mettle. Anyone who would gain evasion or mettle through class/item/power/whatever instead gains the improved version. Not really a good idea, I think, but it was interesting enough that it stuck with me.

So, I ask you this: what sort of impact would that have on the game? What spells/abilities/class become lousy or useless? Are there any that actually get better? Any interesting synergistic consequences?

[Eldan]

For one, thing, it means that a lot of spells become all or nothing affairs.

What this means is that, then, in most cases, you have to really evaluate if a spell is worth using: if enemies make their saves, you wasted an action.

Now, this isalready the case on many spells. However, the current game balance already strongly favours save or suck spells over damage spells. Just about the only thing making some damage spells still viable is that you almost always deal at least a little damage. If you had the option of doing the following two to your enemy:

1) Save or take 30 damage, no effect on a successful save
or
2) Save or be unable to fight effectively for the rest of the encounter, no effect on a successful save

Then blasting becomes entirely worthless.

[Warclam]

Mm, pretty much what I thought. Yeah, clearly any mechanic intended for this sort of thing has to try to either hose all spells equally, or give the greater hosing to the stronger spells. Better would be to make all "target"s of a spell, and those within an area, still require a touch attack or something, though now spells like enervation that are only a touch attack get an abrupt boost.