In most of the games I like to play, they often say that the referee should only ask a player to roll a save if failure will have negative consequences. We can say that you should only roll if there is a meaningful risk.  The higher the risk, the higher the need for a save. Referees in these games are required to perform an on the fly risk analysis every time a player character does something. For most situations this is rather straightforward, but some times you may need to think on it for a second or two. In an effort to make this task easier, here is a little risk analysis tool I use in my games.

Urgency - How much time you have to accomplish your action.

Impact - The effect your action has on the world. 

If you have ever been in a corporate workplace, you might have seen something similar called a priority matrix. However, instead of measuring priority we are measuring risk. By mapping the intersection of these axes on the chart we can make simple assumptions about how much risk is involved in any action, as such:

Low Risk - Don't save.

Moderate Risk - Depends on the situation. Skews up or down depending on other factors, such as whether the character has appropriate skill or resources available.

High Risk - Definitely save.

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