Ranged Cover issues (with pictures!)

[Hypersmurf]

Image link - Click for Pictures!

The Ranged Cover rules have a few issues.

In Image 1, we have a five-foot-wide corridor, guarded by an orc. The corridor is well-lit and featureless - no nooks, crannies, or shadows.

The thief comes up the corridor towards the orc.

The thief has a +2 cover bonus to AC, since no matter which corner of the orc's square we measure from, lines to two corners of the thief's squares run along the edge of a hard surface, and are therefore blocked. As a result, even though he has no concealment, the thief can use Stealth to hide from the orc.

On the other hand, when the thief tries to throw a dagger for the sneak attack, the orc gets the same +2 to AC!

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Compare Images 2A and 2B.

In 2A, with the orc out in the open, he has a +2 cover bonus to AC against the archer. In 2B, where he's moved behind the swordsman, his cover bonus has diminished to +1.

Compare Images 2C and 2D.

In 2C, with the orc out in the open, he has a +2 cover bonus to AC against the archer. In 2D, where he's moved to interpose the swordsman to some degree, he has no cover at all.

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In Image 3, there is a halfling between the wizard and the orc. Not only does the orc have a +6 cover bonus to AC and a +4 bonus to Reflex Saves against the wizard, in addition, the wizard has no line of sight at all (since lines to all four corners of the orc's square are blocked), and thus cannot cast targeted spells like Magic Missile or Charm Person.

-Hyp.

[Jason Bulmahn]

Doh...

I thought I removed that line, but I did not. Lines that run along a hard edge do NOT count as blocked. I will see that this is fixed in a future release.

That changes it to

1 - No cover
2A/C/D - No cover
2B - +1 cover
3 - +2 cover

Hope that helps.. and makes a bit more sense.

Jason Bulmahn
Lead Designer

[Hypersmurf]

Jason Bulmahn wrote:

Lines that run along a hard edge do NOT count as blocked.

Much more intuitive!

-Hyp.

[Russell Akred]

Jason

As a player that loves his stealth, I would raise the required +2 to a +4 or more for using cover and stealth. I don't want Humans hiding behind Halflings it is just weird.

[Hypersmurf]

Russell Akred wrote:

As a player that loves his stealth, I would raise the required +2 to a +4 or more for using cover and stealth. I don't want Humans hiding behind Halflings it is just weird.

There's no difference in the rules between hiding behind a halfling and hiding behind another human; the cover bonus doesn't change until there are two size categories of difference.

Whether he's behind a human or a halfling, his cover bonus is still +2.

-Hyp.