```metadata
title: 'Rule Variant: Players Roll All the Dice'
description: >-
  A simple rule variant for Dungeons & Dragons 5th Edition, allowing players to
  roll the dice instead of the DM when defending against attacks and forcing
  saving throws.
tags: ''
systems:
  - 5e
renderer: V3
theme: 5ePHB

```

# Rule Variant: Players Roll All the Dice
{{wide
In tabletop games, it's become more common to make players make most, if not all of the rolls, and this is a mechanic at least some tables for even DnD 5e have been interested in implementing, as it can give players more to do and the DM a little less to worry about. 

To this effect, there was an Unearthed Arcana release a while ago that suggested a [rule variant](https://media.wizards.com/2015/downloads/dnd/UA5_VariantRules.pdf) allowing players to roll when defending against an attack or when forcing a saving throw upon a creature. Unfortunately, the variant didn't work, in part because the formulas were a mess of additions and subtractions, but also because the formulas were [mathematically wrong](https://rpg.stackexchange.com/questions/69064/is-unearthed-arcana-players-make-all-rolls-correct), failing to reproduce the same chances of success and failure by a significant margin. 

The following aims to rectify this by suggesting simpler (and correct) formulas for tables to use. If you are interested in having players roll more often at the table, this is the variant for you.
}}

## Defending against an attack
When a creature attacks you, roll a d20 against the attack's DC and add your defense modifier. You roll with disadvantage if the creature has advantage, and you roll with advantage if the creature has disadvantage. Modifiers to the attack are applied to the DC instead, and modifiers to your AC are instead applied to your roll.
___
- **Attack's DC** = 22 + attack's bonus to hit
- **Defense modifier** = your AC 

If the d20 roll is a 20, the attack misses regardless of any modifiers or the attack's DC. If the d20 roll is a 1, the attack hits regardless of any modifiers or the attack's DC and is a critical hit.

\column

## Forcing a saving throw
When you force a creature to make a saving throw, roll a d20 against the creature's DC and add your offense modifier. You roll with disadvantage if the creature has advantage, and you roll with advantage if the creature has disadvantage. Modifiers to the saving throw are applied to the DC instead, and modifiers to your save DC are instead applied to your roll.
___
- **Creature's DC** = 14 + creature's saving throw modifier
- **Offense modifier** = your proficiency bonus + your save DC ability modifier
	
![](https://images-wixmp-ed30a86b8c4ca887773594c2.wixmp.com/f/821376fc-4b6d-45cc-a484-03bd21ab1fc1/d85y5vi-4ae5bbe8-34e1-4b87-a7f4-2ad7bc47fb86.jpg/v1/fill/w_1066,h_750,q_70,strp/rolling_dice_by_ianllanas_d85y5vi-pre.jpg?token=eyJ0eXAiOiJKV1QiLCJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJzdWIiOiJ1cm46YXBwOjdlMGQxODg5ODIyNjQzNzNhNWYwZDQxNWVhMGQyNmUwIiwiaXNzIjoidXJuOmFwcDo3ZTBkMTg4OTgyMjY0MzczYTVmMGQ0MTVlYTBkMjZlMCIsIm9iaiI6W1t7ImhlaWdodCI6Ijw9ODU1IiwicGF0aCI6IlwvZlwvODIxMzc2ZmMtNGI2ZC00NWNjLWE0ODQtMDNiZDIxYWIxZmMxXC9kODV5NXZpLTRhZTViYmU4LTM0ZTEtNGI4Ny1hN2Y0LTJhZDdiYzQ3ZmI4Ni5qcGciLCJ3aWR0aCI6Ijw9MTIxNSJ9XV0sImF1ZCI6WyJ1cm46c2VydmljZTppbWFnZS5vcGVyYXRpb25zIl19.L9aycUM0bCq69tsVEZfcZ4zicbmq2cJsG9SQkhJu9ZM) {position:absolute;bottom:-50px;right:-150px;width:1000px}

![](https://i.imgur.com/zdcYLtP.png) {position:absolute;bottom:-140px;right:0px;width:1000px}
	
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{{footnote PART 1 | RULES}}

\page
# Why this works
{{wide
The following is a quick proof to show that the chances of success and failure remain the same using these formulas:
}}

### Defending against an attack
- Your base AC with a Dexterity modifier of 0 is 10. A monster with no bonus to hit on their attack misses on a 9 or below, which is a 45% miss chance.
- With a modifier of 0, you succeed on a DC 12 check on a 12 or above, which is a 45% chance of success.
- An increase of 1 to your AC increases the attack's miss chance by a flat 5%, and vice versa. Conversely, an increase to the monster's bonus to hit of 1 reduces the attack's miss chance by a flat 5% and vice versa.
- Thus, adding a minimum of 10 to both sides increases the base DC by 22, after which point adding subsequent modifiers to either side such as your Dexterity modifier (if applicable) and the attack's bonus to hit reproduces the same chances of success.

As an example: Drak the half-orc fighter is wearing full plate and a shield, giving them an AC of 20. An Ancient Red Dragon makes a bite attack against them with a +17 to hit. The attack misses on a 1 or 2, giving it a 10% miss chance. Should you choose to make a defensive roll, you would make a roll against a DC 39 with a +20 modifier. You succeed on this roll on a 19 or 20, and thus have a 10% chance of success. Using either roll, the attack's chances of hitting (and missing) remain identical.

## Art
This brew uses art assets created by a variety of talented artists. Gratitude and due credit go towards the following artists for their work, with indications on where their assets have been used.

{{note
#### Art Credits
- [Background](https://imgur.com/a/SKmRN) [page](https://imgur.com/a/TW79K) [stains](https://imgur.com/a/OZt2m) by [Aeron Drake](https://www.reddit.com/user/AeronDrake/), [QalarValar](https://www.reddit.com/user/qalarvalar/), and [flamableconcrete](https://www.reddit.com/user/flamableconcrete)
- *[Rolling Dice](https://www.deviantart.com/ianllanas/art/Rolling-Dice-493721406)*, by [Ian Llanas](https://www.deviantart.com/ianllanas) (Page 1)
}}

:

## Using This Brew
This is a homebrew intended to be read and used freely by all. If you were to use any part of this in your games, I would be honored.

I am always looking to improve my work, and would love to hear your feedback and suggestions. You can find me on Reddit as [/u/Teridax68](https://www.reddit.com/user/Teridax68), and on Discord as 2B#7614.

I hope this was, at the very least, a fun read. Thank you for taking the time to read through this brew, and best of success and enjoyment with your own creations!

\column

### Forcing a saving throw
- Your base save DC, without counting your proficiency bonus, is 8. A monster with no bonus to their saving throw would fail a DC 8 check on a 7 or below, which is a 35% failure chance.
- With a modifier of 0, you succeed on a DC 14 check on a 14 or above, which is a 35% chance of success.
- An increase of 1 to your save DC increases the monster's chance of failure by a flat 5%, and vice versa. Conversely, an increase to the monster's saving throw modifier of 1 reduces their chance of failing the saving throw by a flat 5% and vice versa.
- Thus, adding subsequent modifiers to either side such as your proficiency bonus and saving throw ability modifier, as well as the monster's saving throw modifier, reproduces the same chances of success.

As an example: Varian the 7th-level human mage with an Intelligence score of 18 casts *Phantasmal Killer* on a Drider. The spell's save DC is 8 + 3 + 4 = **15**. The Drider makes the Wisdom saving throw with a +2 modifier, as their Wisdom score is 14. The Drider fails on a 12 or below, so their chance of failure is 60%. Should you choose to make an offensive roll, you would make a roll against a DC 16 with a +7 modifier. You succeed on this roll on a 9 or above, and thus have a 60% chance of success. Using either roll, the saving throw's chances of success (and failure) remain identical.

## Resources
This brew was created using resources and guides written by dedicated individuals. Without their contributions, this brew would not have been possible, and would not have been nearly as much of a joy to write.

{{note
#### Resource Credits
- [The Homebrewery](https://homebrewery.naturalcrit.com/), by [Scott Tolksdorf](https://www.stolksdorf.dev/)
- [Formatting](https://homebrewery.naturalcrit.com/share/HJWLQsTwUZ) [Guides](https://homebrewery.naturalcrit.com/share/B1Hju_QaTx) for The Homebrewery, by [Aeron Drake](https://www.reddit.com/user/AeronDrake/)
- [*Full Page Watercolor Stains*](https://homebrewery.naturalcrit.com/share/SkKsdJmKf), by  [flamableconcrete](https://www.reddit.com/user/flamableconcrete)
- [*Watercoloring in Homebrewery*](https://homebrewery.naturalcrit.com/share/HyWImuH06x), by [QalarValar](https://www.reddit.com/user/qalarvalar/)
- And, of course, [*Dungeons & Dragons 5th Edition*](https://dnd.wizards.com/), by [Wizards of the Coast](https://company.wizards.com/)
}}

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{{footnote PART 2 | PROOFS AND ACKNOWLEDGMENTS}}