D&D 5E is the dodge action broken?

[Reahastar Kity]

this is my understanding of dodge.
The defender uses the Dodge action thus causing the attacker to attack with disadvantage.

so whether the defender has a 2 dex or a 20 dex has no effect on the dodge action?

 

[Leatherhead]

You are correct about the mechanics of it. However, most people would argue that it isn't broken.

As how it would work with low DEX: Think of one of those bumbling heroes that you often see in comedies, who just barely escape getting clobbered by an attack while flailing about.

 

[CubicsRube]

Why are you using the term broken? Broken means that you think its overpowered.

I dont think it is. You have to give up an action for it.

 

[Lapasta]

Directly it doesn’t. But indirectly your Dex is already accounted for at the attack roll. Having 20 dex raises the difficulty for the roll (your AC) and thus makes the roll with disadvantage even more prone to failure.
For example, attack with no bonus vs for with no armor:
With dex 2, AC is 6, there is 75% hit chance normally, 56% with dodge action.
With dex 20, AC is 15, 30% hit chance normally, 9% with dodge action.

If the dodge action gave any bonus based on your dex it would effectively be accounted twice for the roll.

 

[Fanaelialae]

Even in the case of heavy armor (where Dex does not apply) one can imagine that the defender is focusing on making certain that attacks are deflected by the plates of the armor (as opposed to slipping through the more vulnerable joints).

 

[Cap'n Kobold]

If "dodge" is causing too much cognitive dissonance, call it "fighting defensively" instead.

 

[JPL]

Yeah, it's really "full defense" rather than dodging. Not necessarily acrobatics --- could be turtling up behind your shield, or parrying, or whatever makes sense.

 

[Krachek]

this is my understanding of dodge.
The defender uses the Dodge action thus causing the attacker to attack with disadvantage.

so whether the defender has a 2 dex or a 20 dex has no effect on the dodge action?

DnD rules are not realistic. If you continue to evaluate rule from that point of view, you gonna be often disapointed.

 

[Reahastar Kity]

ty all for the response

 

[CubicsRube]

If "dodge" is causing too much cognitive dissonance, call it "fighting defensively" instead.

Yeah i don't like the term dodge for it as its not really dodging or making a dex save (which is really a dodge as i imagine it).

Its fighting defensively.