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I'm DMing a pbp and a situation came up. A PC wants to provide a full cover to another PC while both of them are moving, and the other PC heals wounded. PC providing a cover is medium (dwarf) and has large shield. The other PC is halfling-sized. Is this possible? My ruling was that only partial cover is possible.
I would treat it like a tower shield for the halfling and, if the dwarf is huddled behind the shield, I'd give him partial cover.
I wouldn't argue with your ruling though.
Hey, nightflier! been lurking your return to Korvosa thread. Nice group you've got there.
To your question, 90% of the time I'd agree with your ruling. If the party was getting really desparately near TPK beat up I might let the full cover thing work, but I'm kind of soft that way.
I'm DMing a pbp and a situation came up. A PC wants to provide a full cover to another PC while both of them are moving, and the other PC heals wounded. PC providing a cover is medium (dwarf) and has large shield. The other PC is halfling-sized. Is this possible? My ruling was that only partial cover is possible.
While to rules don't specifically address this, personally I think partial cover (+2 AC) might be a little to harsh. Although if I was at your table I probably wouldn't object to your ruling all that strongly.
If the dwarf were used as soft cover alone the bonus would be (+4 to AC). Using the aid another action might allow another (+2 AC). Total defense would be (+4 AC albeit to the dwarf).
Since I don't know the number and location of attacker(s) it might be hard to say. I would allow the halfling to at least get 'soft cover' and allow them to occupy the same space (penalties if they fought like that). If the dwarf went total defense I'd allow the dwarf to assign the +4 bonus as he saw fit (+2 each or +4 to the halfling). I would probably not give this much if they were both medium-sized.
Maybe, I'm just overly generous, but I try to reward creative thinking and heroic deeds.
The Dwarf would give the Halfling soft cover (+4) AC if nothing else. Actually, the reverse would also hold true since small and medium creatures have the same base. The Aid Another action only works in melee combat.
I also feel that it would be a good house rule to let the Dwarf "take the bullet" as it were. Add the Dwarf's Dex to AC to the Halfling's AC and adjucate it similar to soft cover in that the Dwarf has a chance to be hit.
Add the Dwarf's Dex to AC to the Halfling's AC and adjucate it similar to soft cover in that the Dwarf has a chance to be hit.
Although I like the idea of adding the dwarf's Dex bonus to AC; mercifully, chance to hit soft cover died in D&D 3.0.
Idk if you're allowing it but the APG has a feat for providing additional AC to casters..seems to be along the same lines and all you have to do is be adjacent to another person with the same feat. Base bonus is +4 to AC.
Add the Dwarf's Dex to AC to the Halfling's AC and adjucate it similar to soft cover in that the Dwarf has a chance to be hit.Although I like the idea of adding the dwarf's Dex bonus to AC; mercifully, chance to hit soft cover died in D&D 3.0.
[rant]Really? How lame. That was a bit of realism that didn't complicate the rules. Sure, you could abuse it by aiming at the wall behind things you otherwise would need a 20 to hit, increasing your chance to hit by a factor of 4, but It still meant you couldn't shoot straight through an allies back without a chance of hitting him. That is: Don't shoot if you don't have a clean shot! Common sense, man![/rant]
I still find little bits that was changed between editions. Even when I read the whole rule book, my brain fills in the parts it expects to find. But, yeah... still not changing it.
Add the Dwarf's Dex to AC to the Halfling's AC and adjucate it similar to soft cover in that the Dwarf has a chance to be hit.Although I like the idea of adding the dwarf's Dex bonus to AC; mercifully, chance to hit soft cover died in D&D 3.0.
[rant]Really? How lame. That was a bit of realism that didn't complicate the rules. Sure, you could abuse it by aiming at the wall behind things you otherwise would need a 20 to hit, increasing your chance to hit by a factor of 4, but It still meant you couldn't shoot straight through an allies back without a chance of hitting him. That is: Don't shoot if you don't have a clean shot! Common sense, man![/rant]
I still find little bits that was changed between editions. Even when I read the whole rule book, my brain fills in the parts it expects to find. But, yeah... still not changing it.
Hear, hear! Considering re-introducing it in my games.