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Call of Cthulhu 7th Edition skill

Dodge

Dodge is a skill in Call of Cthulhu 7th Edition: Avoiding harm through quick movement.

Last reviewed

Key facts

Base Value
DEX/2

Overview

Dodge represents your ability to avoid attacks through quick movement, diving aside, slipping free, and staying out of reach. It's your primary defense in combat when you can't fight back. Dodge is based on DEX and serves as your reactive defense. Unlike Fighting, which defends only by hitting back in melee, Dodge answers any attack you can see coming, including a gun fired from within your reach.

How it works

Base Value: DEX ÷ 2 Common Rolls:

  • Evading melee attacks
  • Avoiding a gun fired from close enough to reach
  • Avoiding traps and hazards
  • Escaping grapples Limitation: Dodge answers every attack aimed at you in a round, while fighting back only works against one attacker per round. vs Fighting: Fighting can parry in melee. Dodge works against any attack you can see.

Tips and playstyle

Defense of Last Resort: Dodge when you can't or won't fight. It's your survival tool. Improve It: DEX-based, so high DEX characters should invest in Dodge. Know When to Run: Sometimes the best Dodge is not being there at all.

Frequently asked questions

Can I Dodge bullets?

Only when the shooter is close enough for you to reach them. At any greater range a firearm attack cannot be dodged at all, and your option is to dive for cover instead.

How many times can I Dodge per round?

As many times as you are attacked. Dodging is a reaction rather than your action for the round, which is why an investigator surrounded by three cultists can dodge all three attacks but can only fight back against one of them.