Post/Author/DateTime	Post
treacle 09-20-05, 08:44 PM	A lot of DMs that I RPG with use a house rule for the Dodge feat so that the PC doesn't have to designate an opponent, e.g., they get a flat +1 dodge bonus to AC. I'm currently setting up some house rules of my own, and I'm wondering whether I should add this rule or not (one of the players asked me if we can add it). I'm not sure that a rule like this would be a bad rule, however, I'm not sure that it would be a good rule either. I mean, do you get the dodge bonus to range attacks too (it doesn't specifically say that in the Player's Handbook v3.5e, other than the statement "You are adept at dodging blows", which to me, implies that it doesn't). If it's only for melee, what about reach weapons and creatures that have a natural reach of 10 or more? I don't have a lot of DM time under my belt, therefore, I thought I'd ask some of you DM veterans which of the Dodge feat house rules (below) you think would work the best... A. Do not make a house rule on this, e.g., the Dodge feat works just fine the way it is written in the Player's Handbook (PHB). B. You do not have to designate an opponent per the description in the PHB. The +1 dodge bonus to AC works against all opponents that THREATEN you. C. You do not have to designate an opponent per the description in the PHB. The +1 dodge bonus to AC works against all ADJACENT opponents. E. You do not have to designate an opponent per the description in the PHB. The +1 dodge bonus to AC works against all opponents that can make an attack against you. F. None of the above, here's what I would do <insert golden nugget of wisdom here>. BTW, I'm personally leaning towards option "A" or "B", and that, "E" would be a bit too much. TIA :)
Crash01234567890 09-20-05, 09:24 PM	It's normally a dodge bonus vs. anything that one opponent does to you. I'd personally allow it to affect everyone if I was running a basic campaigne, but in my campaignes the PCs normallly only fight one or two baddies at a time so I leave it alone.
Eagle of the Star 09-21-05, 04:09 PM	I have played with A, B, and E. Of those A is the most balanced, but requires more bookkeeping (and causes a lot of those those "no-wait you say the gnoll who just hit you was your dodge-partner -- I thought it was the other one" arguments). Hence the reason so many people house-rule it to B or E. The trouble with this is that it makes the feat significantly overpowered. A free +1 ac that stacks with anything all the time (except when flatfooted) is just a little too powerful (even if it is just melee, -- ranged attacks just aren't the biggest threat in d20). I saw a substitute feat called Dextrous Dodge recently (don't remember which book, but I think it was one of the newer ones) which gave a +2 dex for purposes of calculating armor class only, and counted as Dodge for purposes of prerequisites and bonus feats. If you can track down where that feat is, I would just offer it as an option to any player who doesn't like the standard Dodge feat.
treacle 09-21-05, 05:43 PM	Thanks for the input, I really appreciate it. I'm leaning towards keeping it the way it is, e.g., per the PHB. I just don't see a compelling reason to change it. I saw a substitute feat called Dextrous Dodge recently... The only thing I found, on a quick look through some of the books I have, is the Expeditious Dodge feat from the "Races of the Wild" book. You gain a +2 dodge bonus when you move 40 feet in a round. Is that what you were thinking about Eagle of the Star?
MachinaDeus 09-24-05, 04:42 AM	I've been considering changing it to something more along the lines of a static +1 dodge bonus vs. everything, with the slight change of if you designate someone, you get a +2 vs. them, and no dodge bonus against anyone else. Something more along the lines of being more focused on your current target than anything else.
kinigit 09-26-05, 06:46 AM	In the past I've tended to allow it as a flat +1 dodge bonus against everyone, for simplicities sake. Worked fine, no balance problems. Virtually no-one was willing to take the feat... Currently trying version seen in some other D20 games (Star Wars was one of them IIRC). Player can select each round for flat +1, or for +2 vs only one opponent. Now it's got some takers and seems to be going just fine....