AoO or not - does soft cover stop an attack of opportunity

[Nazard]

* = wall
x, y = baddies
W = withdrawing baddie
M = me

Here's the layout:

* * * *
x W *
y M *

W performs a withdraw action to move straight left, through x's square.

Withdrawing means I don't get a whack at him for leaving his original square, but does the soft cover from x prevent me getting a whack at him there?

[james maissen]

Nazard wrote:

Withdrawing means I don't get a whack at him for leaving his original square, but does the soft cover from x prevent me getting a whack at him there?

Soft cover doesn't apply to melee attacks.

-James

[IkeDoe]

Note that if you (M) are using a reach weapon (i.e. lance) or any other weapon to perform a mele attack against an enemy that is NOT adjacent soft cover may apply (cover from ranged attacks apply).

In the example the target is adjacent, thus only walls and low walls can provide cover.

[BigNorseWolf]

Soft Cover: Creatures, even your enemies, can provide you with cover against ranged attacks, giving you a +4 bonus to AC. However, such soft cover provides no bonus on Reflex saves, nor does soft cover allow you to make a Stealth check.

So not only do you get to whack, but you don't get the -4.

http://paizo.com/pathfinderRPG/prd/combat.html#cover

[Hexcaliber]

Soft cover applies to reach weapons, look up reach for clarification.

[Bard-Sader]

Soft cover prevents AoOs only for Reach weapons.

[EWHM]

From the combat section of the PRD
To determine whether your target has cover from your ranged attack, choose a corner of your square. If any line from this corner to any corner of the target's square passes through a square or border that blocks line of effect or provides cover, or through a square occupied by a creature, the target has cover (+4 to AC).

When making a melee attack against an adjacent target, your target has cover if any line from any corner of your square to the target's square goes through a wall (including a low wall). When making a melee attack against a target that isn't adjacent to you (such as with a reach weapon), use the rules for determining cover from ranged attacks.

Low Obstacles and Cover: A low obstacle (such as a wall no higher than half your height) provides cover, but only to creatures within 30 feet (6 squares) of it. The attacker can ignore the cover if he's closer to the obstacle than his target.

Cover and Attacks of Opportunity: You can't execute an attack of opportunity against an opponent with cover relative to you.

So people or monsters with natural reach or reach weapons do not gain an AoO against anyone with 'soft cover'. You can, in fact, advance into melee behind someone else without eating an AoO, or (more frequently), use them to cover your retreat.

[Quantum Steve]

EWHM wrote:

When making a melee attack against an adjacent target, your target has cover if any line from any corner of your square to the target's square goes through a wall (including a low wall). When making a melee attack against a target that isn't adjacent to you (such as with a reach weapon), use the rules for determining cover from ranged attacks.

According to that, the only thing that will provide an adjacent creature cover from melee attacks is a wall. Soft cover is not a wall, so no cover.

[EWHM]

Adjacent, yes, but the original poster is concerned about the 2nd square the withdrawing baddie passes though (since he gets the first one free from the withdraw action). Once he's a square away, he's eligible for soft cover and gets to lurk off scot-free :-) Getting cover against people that are right in your face is pretty hard, you've got to be at a wall intersection or the like, and it's pretty much always reciprocal. It does seem to me though that there's a crying out need for an equivalent of 'precise shot' for polearm users.

[Howie23]

EWHM wrote:

Adjacent, yes, but the original poster is concerned about the 2nd square the withdrawing baddie passes though (since he gets the first one free from the withdraw action). Once he's a square away, he's eligible for soft cover and gets to lurk off scot-free :-) Getting cover against people that are right in your face is pretty hard, you've got to be at a wall intersection or the like, and it's pretty much always reciprocal. It does seem to me though that there's a crying out need for an equivalent of 'precise shot' for polearm users.

OP's diagram has the second square adjacent to the attacker. So, OP's original square doesn't qualify ranged/reached soft cover. Additionally, per p. 193, friends in same square don't provide cover.

Friend between you and reach/ranged baddy provides you with soft cover, as per your post, but you in same square at time of attack does not provide cover.

[EWHM]

Howie23 wrote:

EWHM wrote:

Adjacent, yes, but the original poster is concerned about the 2nd square the withdrawing baddie passes though (since he gets the first one free from the withdraw action). Once he's a square away, he's eligible for soft cover and gets to lurk off scot-free :-) Getting cover against people that are right in your face is pretty hard, you've got to be at a wall intersection or the like, and it's pretty much always reciprocal. It does seem to me though that there's a crying out need for an equivalent of 'precise shot' for polearm users.

OP's diagram has the second square adjacent to the attacker. So, OP's original square doesn't qualify ranged/reached soft cover. Additionally, per p. 193, friends in same square don't provide cover.

Friend between you and reach/ranged baddy provides you with soft cover, as per your post, but you in same square at time of attack does not provide cover.

You're quite correct---I've misread his diagram.

[0gre]

"Friend: You can move through a square occupied by a friendly character, unless you are charging. When you move through a square occupied by a friendly character, that character doesn't provide you with cover."

So the enemy who's square he's moving through doesn't give him cover.