What are the options to upgrade your dodge action?

Question

Since I read about the Dwarven Fortitude feat, I want to make a dumb build where I use it to do some silly stuff. (For those who want to know, you can spend an hit dice to heal when you take the dodge action.)

The only option I can think of is (obviously) the monk, that can dodge as a bonus action. But I want to know if there is more than that? Like, I don't know, something that lets you do something else when you dodge (attack, cast a spell, dash... I don't know, I just want to weaponize dodge).

Answer 1

Like you said, a Monk can Dodge as a bonus action, at a heavy cost.

All Monks get Patient Defense at level 2. It costs 1 Ki to activate, and uses your Bonus Action, and 1 Ki point of the Monk's notoriously limited pool. This limits the Ki abilities you can use until your next Short Rest, it also gives up your Bonus Action, meaning no Flurry of Blows and no Martial Arts.

A Magic Item could give you extra options

The Sword of the Parnus from Guildmaster's Guide to Ravnica, allows it's wielder to do the following:

Immediately after you take the Dodge action, you can enable one creature within 60 feet of you to use its reaction to gain the benefits of the Dodge action.

Anything that affects what happens when you spend Hit Dice to heal will synergize with Dwarven Fortitude.

This includes the Durable Feat:

When you roll a Hit Die to regain hit points, the minimum number of hit points you regain from the roll equals twice your Constitution modifier (minimum of 2)

Or the Bloodwell Vial from Tasha's Cauldron of Everything:

when you roll any Hit Dice to recover hit points while you are carrying the vial, you can regain 5 sorcery points. This property of the vial can't be used again until the next dawn.

If all else fails, Cast Spirit Guardians and dodge until your enemies die.

This is a rather common tactic used by Clerics who use the Spirit Guardians spell.

Standing next to an enemy while the spell is active and dodging will allow you to deliver damage while maximizing your defenses.

At a high level, True Polymorph could give extra options for dodge, without much purpose.

The 9th level spell True Polymorph could turn you into a creature that can dodge as a bonus action. As per the text of the spell:

Creature into Creature. If you turn a creature into another kind of creature, the new form can be any kind you choose whose challenge rating is equal to or less than the target’s (or its level, if the target doesn’t have a challenge rating). The target’s game statistics, including mental ability scores, are replaced by the statistics of the new form. It retains its alignment and personality.

The creatures with abilities related to Dodge include the following:

The Fastieth from Eberron: Rising From the Last War has the Quickness feature:

Quickness (Recharge 5-6). The fastieth can take the Dodge action as a bonus action.

And the Drow House Captain from Mordenkainen's Tome of Foes can grant it's allies Dodge actions with Battle Command:

Battle Command. As a bonus action, the drow targets one ally he can see within 30 feet of him. If the target can see or hear the drow, the target can use its reaction to make one melee at-tack or to take the Dodge or Hide action.

However, if you are the one being Polymorphed, you will presumably not be able to use Dwarven Fortitude.

Answer 2

Heal more when dodging

You can improve the Dodge action indirectly by increasing the healing recived from the Dwarven Fortitude feat.

One avenue to do so is the Periapt of Wound Closure, which grants this benefit to the wearer:

whenever you roll a Hit Die to regain Hit Points, double the number of Hit Points it restores.

Another is the Gift of the Ever-Living Ones, an invocation that requires Pact of the Chain and which states:

Whenever you regain hit points while your familiar is within 100 feet of you, treat any dice rolled to determine the hit points you regain as having rolled their maximum value for you.

By combining that feat, item, and invocation you could heal 16 + Constitution Mod whenever you Dodge.

Answer 3

Alternate Method: Focus on Bonus Actions and Reactions

In addition to Hikari's excellent answer, any extra ability that lets you act on your bonus action or reaction could also be considered an upgrade to the dodge action.

Spells that require concentration like Spiritual Weapon, Witch Bolt, and as mentioned earlier: Spirit Guardian and similar affects lets you continue acting with your bonus action while taking the Dodge action.

Feats that grant you additional reaction abilities that do not require the use of your action also synergize very well such as Mage Slayer, Sentinel, Shield Master, Defensive Duelist etc.

Some class features such as Fighting Style - Protection or a Rouges "Fast Hands" can also "Level up" your reactions / bonus actions to get more out of dodge while its being used.

Related Question: What Reactions are available to all characters