Suppose I have to run 300 feet across an open field from one area of full cover to another. The entire time I'm in the open, I will be taking incoming ranged attacks, and I want to minimize the number of attacks that hit me as I cross the field. My speed is 30. I have 2 options:
- Take the dodge action each round and move 30 feet per round for 10 rounds, thus facing 10 rounds of attacks at disadvantage.
- Take the dash action and move 60 feet each round for 5 rounds, thus facing 5 rounds of attacks without disadvantage.
Which of these 2 options results in fewer attacks hitting me on average? If the answer depends on the roll needed to hit, when is it better to use one or the other? Alternatively, is there a more complex solution using only "basic" actions (i.e. only actions available to an unarmed commoner) that does better than either of the above?
For simplicity, you can assume there is 1 incoming attack per round, although the result should be the same for any number of attacks. You can also assume that all attacks have the same modifier. You can also assume that the attacks are always made within the short range of the weapon, so there is no disadvantage from long range. (For this last point, imagine the 300-foot run is parallel to a wall lined with enough archers to cover the entire path in their short range, or more simply, just imagine a single longbow archer with the sharpshooter feat.) I am not overly concerned with the effect of critical hits, but if you want to take them into account, you can assume that a critical hit deals double the damage of a regular hit (even though this is not true in general).