Hey everyone, I just have a quick question that I've been wondering about. Next session, my players will be fighting in a barley field (the barley being fairly large, about 3 feet in height), and I was looking at the cover and concealment rules to see if it should or would provide either. I may not be looking thoroughly enough, but I'm not sure what to consider it, if anything. What would you rule it as?
Thanks for your help!
It would provide some cover, how much depends on the GM. I would say +4 to AC.
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Hey everyone, I just have a quick question that I've been wondering about. Next session, my players will be fighting in a barley field (the barley being fairly large, about 3 feet in height), and I was looking at the cover and concealment rules to see if it should or would provide either. I may not be looking thoroughly enough, but I'm not sure what to consider it, if anything. What would you rule it as?
Thanks for your help!
My ruling would be difficult terrain for all. Medium creatures would get partial cover (+2 ac) and small creatures more cover (+4 AC).
prone medium creatures or smal creatures could use the barley for concealment.After all a 3' tall halfling in a 3' tall barely field should be able to have some stealth...even in the bright noonday sun.
Depends on the thickness of the field, the range, and the size of the creatures involved.
Normally, RAW say that something that only covers half of you doesn't provide cover more than 30' feet away, so if you're out of the barley, nothing.
And, assuming the barley field is lush, I'd say that at high ranges, the field it's providing cover to people medium or small - (though you might want to give only partial to people who are 6' tall in 3' grass, as suggested by the rules) -- after all, at range, the thick barley will pull any arrow/sling bullet/whatever fired through it off target.
In addition, however, small-sized folk in there are also completely concealed by the barley, at least until you get close to 'em. [As are prone mediums]
I'd probably drop the cover effect on mediums at 60' and reduce to partial cover for smalls at that range - and then drop concealment for smalls to partial at 30'.
Even at melee range, I'd probably still give attacks against the smalls a 10% miss chance, but that's me.
Prones, I would say, remain concealed until you're in melee range.
From my miss-spent youth dodging the local farmer in his wheat fields, concealment for anyone Small sized or dropping prone and crawling. Not difficult terrain, though, you can move pretty darned fast in wheat fields ... especially when chased!
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Hey everyone, I just have a quick question that I've been wondering about. Next session, my players will be fighting in a barley field (the barley being fairly large, about 3 feet in height), and I was looking at the cover and concealment rules to see if it should or would provide either. I may not be looking thoroughly enough, but I'm not sure what to consider it, if anything. What would you rule it as?
Thanks for your help!
It def'ly provides concealment if adequately "submerged," such as for a small character or medium creature kneeling or prone. Same with relatively low-to-the-ground creatures, whether dog or snake, for example. Cover involves physical interference and I don't know much about barley. If you have a tactical bent, you might consider a few ideas:
1) differentiate cover and/or concealment by direction of the crop rows.
2) differentiate cover by weapon type (slash/pierce/bludgeon). I could see barley doing more to reduce weapon effectiveness vs bludgeoning or slashing, while I'd expect a spear to be unaffected.
3) differentiate cover by time of year; I'd think green barley might be more resistant to cutting through than ripe, dried up stalks. This could be particularly meaningful if you are going to reuse the battle site.
4) provide characters with Kn(nature), Survival, or Profession (farmer) check to have a better forewarning about whatever tactical decisions you come up with.
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Granted, those folks are much taller than the barley but their footing seems pretty even. For three feet of barley, I'd give a 20% concealment to any Small or prone creatures and nothing to standing Medium or larger creatures, no hindering terrain and no cover unless there are some other environmental factors like mud or, for some reason, a particularly hardy breed of barley that requires an axe to cut through.
Thanks for the help, you guys. I'll consider my options and figure out what exactly I think it should provide.
Its definitely concealment, not cover. Cover is something hard that physically blocks your shots and spells. Concealment is brush who's main mechanism of making you miss is screening your opponent from view.
Its not going to block an arrow, a sword, or stop a fireball. A weapon goes through it like.. well.. a scythe through grain.
I would consider it light undergrowth, per the environment rules in the core rulebook (which notes farmland consists of "40% light undergrowth" which could include crops). I might also review the plains section in general for more ideas.
The 20% concealment for small and prone creatures in this case also makes sense.
I'd say concealment for small creatures and medium creatures that are crouching.
If there is 20+ feet of barley between targets than they might get total concealment (height permitting), very much like a web spell.
