[RPG] What kind of action are dodge and disengage

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Question about Actions vs Bonus Actions, vs Reactions:

In a game I was DMing recently, the cleric had 2 ghouls on him. He took his reaction to dodge the attacks of the ghouls, and on his turn, he took his action to try to use turn undead, then used his bonus action to dash from the ghouls. If he was able to do this, that was some pretty smart use of all of his actions, but I thought it seemed like using a reaction to keep dodging every attack that comes near you would make you really strong in combat.

Can you even use disengage as a bonus action, or maybe even dodge?

From what I've read, you could only use Dodge or Disengage as an action, unless you had some class feature that worked otherwise. He argues, though, that dodging is a bonus action, and thus he is able to do it.

Sorry that there's a lot to cover, but anything would really help me with this before my next game comes up.

Best Answer

The Dodge and Disengage actions are primarily considered as an option to take as your primary Action (PHB p.192):

Dodge

When you take the Dodge action, you focus entirely on avoiding attacks. Until the start of your next turn, any attack roll made against you has disadvantage if you can see the attacker, and you make Dexterity saving throws with advantage.

Disengage

If you take the Disengage action, your movement doesn't provoke opportunity attacks for the rest of the turn.

There are some classes however, that allow you to "Dodge", but these class features aren't the same as the Dodge action. For example, the Rogue's Uncanny Dodge feature halves damage, as a reaction (PHB p.96):

Starting at 5th level, when an attacker that you can see hits you with an attack, you can use your reaction to halve the attack's damage against you.

The Monk does gain a feature to allow them to Dodge as a bonus action, at the cost of a Ki Point (PHB p.78):

Patient Defense

You can spend 1 ki point to take the Dodge action as a bonus action on your turn

And then a feature similar to the Rogue's Uncanny Dodge (PHB p.78):

Starting at 3rd level, you can use your reaction to deflect or catch the missile when you are hit by a ranged weapon attack.

Outside of this, there is very little that allows a player to make these actions as a reaction, or a bonus action.

The only other suggestion I might make is that Matt Mercer's Critical Role series allowed players to use their Bonus Action as "another Action", to basically make things more cinematic. This was generally a spur of the moment decision to keep things moving, rather than to stop the game and check the rules, however.

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