Improvement to Dodge

[Merkuri]

(Is there a search function on this site? I couldn't find it. I feel like this topic must have come up before, but because I couldn't figure out how to search I couldn't look for it.)

I've heard complaints that the Dodge feat stinks, and I have to agree. I have a character who took the feat only becasue it was a prerequisite for something else, and I keep forgetting to declare the bonus. With the level we're at right now and the fact that my character is hardly ever in melee (favored soul with longbow as the diety's favored weapon), that +1 to AC doesn't really matter that much, but I asked the DM if we could assume that the dodge bonus gets applied to the closest enemy if we don't declare it. He said that was okay, but I keep forgetting to apply that +1 to AC anyway, even if there's only one enemy.

What ideas have people come up with to make Dodge not so lame? I had a thought in the shower (the best place to do heavy thinking! )... what if declaring the dodge target was treated more like taking attacks of opportunity? When being attacked, a character with the Dodge feat could decide to apply his +1 bonus when an enemy attacks him, but he's only allowed to do it once per round. Once an enemy is declared as the dodge target, the dodge bonus is applied to any attacks made by that enemy until (and including) the character's next turn. For example, if a rogue were to be attacked by an orc he could declare that orc as the target of the dodge and would immediately gain a +1 dodge AC bonus against attacks from that orc. If, on the rogue's next turn, she were to provoke an AoO from that same orc, the +1 bonus would still apply. Once her turn is done the dodge bonus goes away until she declares another attacker as the target.

The only difference is when the bonus is declared. RAW says it must be declared on the character's turn. Would it make it any better if it was declared when the attack rolls were made, but was still limited to one enemy per turn? If nothing else, I think it should make it easier to remember.

 

[Stalker0]

Probably one of the most common houserules in the whole game is to say dodge grants a +1 bonus to AC...period. As said, it is a very common houserule, and I've never heard complaints about it.

 

[reanjr]

+1 AC bonus, in my opinion, is not overpowered since the feat is limited to being taken once. Just permanently add in the bonus to AC (but not flat-footed AC).

 

[Captain NeMo]

I agree. I've heard a friend complain about that fix, but in the past he has suggested taking away the Dwarf's to-hit bonus against Giants and Orcs, their Weapon Proficencies (because "there is a feat for that anyway") and their saves vs. Magic to balance them, so we don't take him too seriously.

 

[Nyaricus]

+1 AC bonus, in my opinion, is not overpowered since the feat is limited to being taken once. Just permanently add in the bonus to AC (but not flat-footed AC).

It wouldn't give a bonus to flat-footed AC, since it is a dodge bonus anyways

Anywho, Dodge giving a +1 Dodge bonus to AC is simple, clean and not overpowered in the least. That's what I HR in my games.

 

[Arkhandus]

This is how I have Dodge houseruled in my Aurelia setting, but I haven't decided yet if it needs another slight boost. I tend to keep reasonably organized notes so I don't generally worry too much about ending up with too many things to track during play.

Dodge (General)
You are adept at dodging blows. This is a similar but slightly different version of the original feat.
Prerequisite: Dex 13+.
Benefit: During your action, you designate an opponent and receive a +1 dodge bonus to Armor Class against attacks from that opponent. You can select a new opponent at the start of your turn. Note that a condition that makes you lose your Dexterity bonus to Armor Class (if any) also makes you lose dodge bonuses. Also, dodge bonuses stack with each other, unlike most other types of bonuses.
Special: You can gain this feat multiple times, and its effects stack. However, you may choose to divide the dodge bonuses you gain from this feat amongst multiple opponents, such that a character who has gained this feat three times could choose to gain a +1 dodge bonus to AC against each of three opponents, or a +3 bonus against a single opponent, or a +1 bonus against one opponent and a +2 bonus against another.



In my Rhunaria campaign, I instead have the following feat as an addition rather than a revision.

Clever Dodging (General)
After much training and studying of combats, you have learned to more effectively dodge attacks by using your familiarity with the battlefield situation.
Prerequisites: BAB +4 or higher, Dex 13+, Int 13+, Dodge, Mobility.
Benefits: You may spend a full-round action in combat to look around the battlefield and analyze the situation, seeking to find good defensive features and opportunities. After that, you gain a +2 dodge bonus to Armor Class for the next 5 rounds (half a minute). This bonus is doubled against anyone you have chosen to apply your Dodge feat against. The dodge bonus from this feat is lost during any time in which you are denied a Dexterity bonus to AC. You also lose this dodge bonus if you are blinded or otherwise prevented from looking around the battlefield for a full round.

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

Personally, I've never HR'ed Dodge, but I agree that the feat would be more popular if the common HR (+1 to AC) was used- I've suggested it to other DMs & players of my acquaintance.

However, I'm intrigued by Arkhandus' version- it almost works like Combat Reflexes or some such. With the general paucity of Feats in general, it would be darned hard to abuse.

 

[airwalkrr]

Probably one of the most common houserules in the whole game is to say dodge grants a +1 bonus to AC...period. As said, it is a very common houserule, and I've never heard complaints about it.

Yea, not unbalanced at all in my opinion. As long as there are not a ton of feats that duplicate the same bonus allowing PCs to stack it, I see no problem with allowing this as a house rule. If any PC had ever bothered to take this feat in even one of my home campaigns (no one ever has over seven 3e campaigns I've run and dozens of one-shots) then I would probably allow this.