I was going to resurrect an old "favorite houserules" thread, but they were all buried pretty deep...
So, Dodge is a feat that I would honestly never take unless I need it as a prereq for a build; the +1 to AC is pretty insignificant. I had an idea to make it a more enticing option: The Dodge feat allows you to add your DEX bonus to your AC twice, but only when you're wearing light armor or no armor. So, a rogue with +2 DEX bonus adds an additional +2 dodge bonus.
I know this is much bigger; rogues and rangers could have +5 or better DEX bonuses by mid levels. Personally, I like the idea of a rogue being SUPER-slippery in combat and I think an option like this would be a badly-needed boost for a rogue. Rangers, on the other hand, would find this really enticing, too, and they don't need a power boost. Does ranger abuse tip this idea into the "overpowered" category? It is overpowered anyway? Or does this sound like a reasonable boost?
It does sound pretty overpowered, as you can pump DEX up to quite a high number, especially at the later levels.
If you start with 18 DEX, you can get 20 DEX(+5 mod) by LV8. Your feat would give them +5 Dodge AC which is way too good. Maybe something like a +1 Dodge AC, and another +1 per 5 or 6 HD/LV? At LV8 you'll have +2, and at LV15 or 16 you'll get +4 from the feat. Still pretty good, but not as broken maybe?
Yeah, might be a bit too much with armor.
I could see it as being a bonus you get when wearing no armor. Could make the nudist style a bit more attractive. You'd have to give it a stupid prereq to make it unattractive to casters though, like proficiency in all martial weapons.
Granted, what the feat should be is just a +1 that scales up to bigger digits with hit dice like Chooky suggested.
Arachnofiend is heading in the right direction, but from what Wildebob said, it seems like he wishes the feat to be more for Rogues than Rangers/Fighters.
Maybe keep it as +1 Dodge AC, but you get 2x DEX if 1)Light or not wearing armour, and 2) Have Evasion or Uncanny Dodge?
If wearing armour, you're still bound by the MAX DEX of the armour until you get 10+ ranks in Acrobatics?
If you are in the AC game +1 is worth a feat IMOP. Double DEX is silly good. Will weapon focus then also give double STR to attack?
I definitely see your points. That's probably why I asked...I knew it was wide open for abuse, but I wanted it to work out.
I'm gonna compare a level 8 fighter's armored AC to a level 8 rogue's AC with this dodge feat and see how it comes up:
Level 8 fighter
AC = 10 + 2 DEX + 8 armor (+2 breastplate) + 2 deflection (ring of protection +2) + 2 natural armor (amulet of natural armor +2) = 24 (reasonable?)
Level 8 rogue
AC = 10 + 5 DEX + 6 armor (+2 chain shirt) + 5 dodge (Dodge feat) + 2 deflection (ring of protection +2) + 2 natural armor (amulet of natural armor +2) = 30 AC
Ah. I see it now. Never mind. Guess I should have worked this out before posting.
Well, if you made it so that it only works unarmored then it would be pretty reasonable. 18 Dexterity with Dodge would be the same as 18 Dexterity with a chain shirt, and you can enhance the chain shirt to increase that AC for cheap.
I think if you can find a way to ensure that casters can't get anywhere near the feat without investment it would be great. Naked fighting wouldn't be optimal, but it'd be viable.
If you want the rogue to have a bit more AC. Pehaps give them the nimble class feature of the gunslinger.
Those are good suggestions. Thanks. I'll tinker some more.
If you add something like "this bonus is still limited by your armor's max dexterity allowance (or whatever the proper terminology is)" then I really don't see too much of an issue, at least as far as a Rogue is concerned. It would be a god tier feat for Monks though... if you want it for Rogue specifically why not make it into a new Rogue Talent and leave Dodge as is? If anything is lacking in good options, it is Rogue Talents.
Mage Armor/Bracers would still stack freely to it tho, 'no armor' has more then a few workarounds.
I would honestly just make Dodge scale with level or BAB (perhaps let rogues treat their level as their BAB for this feat). Alternatively, I'd make it do something else, like make it give a Reflex bonus or let you increase the bonus against a single attack as an immediate action.
Maybe have it double the benefit from combat expertise or fighting defensively (although that's getting into the territory of being a completely different feat rather than modifying dodge).
I think of my archer, and wearing one of those light Eastern Armors that has absolutely no max Dex penalty but still offers an AC bonus, and my guy is in heaven while still able to enhance his armor too.
Also, dodge in Pathfinder is way better than it ever was in 3.xE on the fact alone it always is on.
Dodge also applies to your touch AC, and your CMD. Dodge always stacks as well, so when you fight defensively, or take a full defensive, you're pumping up numbers there too.
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I've just added one line to it: "If you meet the prerequisites for Mobility, you gain it as a bonus feat."
Dodge on its own is a bit lackluster. Mobility on its own is usually not worth the feat. Together for the price of one, it's pretty good. A +5 AC when provoking because of movement, means you can actually afford to provoke that way. And a lot of other prerequisites just got easier.
I have Dodge and Fleet combined into one feat in my campaigns. +1 AC and +5 movement speed sounds pretty tasty.
If you add something like "this bonus is still limited by your armor's max dexterity allowance (or whatever the proper terminology is)" then I really don't see too much of an issue, at least as far as a Rogue is concerned. It would be a god tier feat for Monks though... if you want it for Rogue specifically why not make it into a new Rogue Talent and leave Dodge as is? If anything is lacking in good options, it is Rogue Talents.
i actually second this suggestion, as it allows a little less dependancy on dex for those builds that would be dependant otherwise (kensai magus without dervish dance, hooray).