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Can someone explain to me if a creature shoots a cone attack and some people are behind a pillar, does that pillar fall under total cover for total protection from the attack or does the cone wrap around the pillar and hit the people? Cover is on page 195-196 of core rule book. The gm says the cone attack will wrap around a pillar and hit the players but I disagree.On page 214 under bursts and talks about total cover doesn't this help my case and the people behind the pillar are protected and get full cover from the cone attack?
It depends on if the spell is Burst or Spread effect.
"Burst, Emanation, or Spread: Most spells that affect an area function as a burst, an emanation, or a spread. In each case, you select the spell's point of origin and measure its effect from that point.
A burst spell affects whatever it catches in its area, including creatures that you can't see. It can't affect creatures with total cover from its point of origin (in other words, its effects don't extend around corners). The default shape for a burst effect is a sphere, but some burst spells are specifically described as cone-shaped. A burst's area defines how far from the point of origin the spell's effect extends.
An emanation spell functions like a burst spell, except that the effect continues to radiate from the point of origin for the duration of the spell. Most emanations are cones or spheres.
A spread spell extends out like a burst but can turn corners. You select the point of origin, and the spell spreads out a given distance in all directions. Figure the area the spell effect fills by taking into account any turns the spell effect takes."
If you have total cover to the point of origin, you are fine if it is a burst spell.
If it is a spread spell, instead of being safe, it depends on how much range is left on the spell. If the cone range is 30', go from the point of origin, and see if the effect can reach you spending less than 30' of movement. If it can, then it is able to spread around the pillar and reach you. If it can't, then you are safe still.
As an example, Fireball is a 20' radius SPREAD spell. As long as from the point of origin to you, it can reach you in 20' you are hit.
However, also in the magic rules it states: "A cone-shaped spell shoots away from you in a quarter-circle in the direction you designate. It starts from any corner of your square and widens out as it goes. Most cones are either bursts or emanations (see above), and thus won't go around corners."
So typically, you wouldn't expect a cone attack to spread. Breath weapons aren't specifically defined as burst or spread, so it is up to the GM how to rule them.
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Hellhound looking fire breathing critter burps fire. Some characters are behind a pillar. Are the characters behind the pillar affected by the firey burp?
The considerations are the nature of the breath weapon (burst, spread, or emanation), and whether the pillar provides cover. I'm going to exclude emanation...it's immaterial from burst for our purposes, and a breath weapon isn't going to be an emanation.
Breath weapons are basically treated like spells regarding area of effect. Area spells have a point of origin, which is a corner intersection on the grid.
For a burst breath weapon to affect a character, it has to have line of effect to the character. It has line of effect if a line can be drawn from the point of origin to any of corners of the character's square. If all of these are blocked, the character has total cover from the burst breath weapon. If only some of them are blocked by the hard cover, the character is affected, but gets a bonus on his reflex save. The character also has to be within range of the breath weapon.
A spread breath weapon does not have to have direct line of effect. A spread will turn corners, go through openings, etc. With a spread, cover does not have direct benefit, although it may force a path of travel to get around the cover that will exceed the range of the breath weapon. If you are within range of a spread weapon, it will go around barriers and you will not get a bonus to the Reflex save from cover.
The GM may have just been adjudicating on the fly without being completely clear on the rules. That's generally a pretty good practice; rather than bog down the game, make a ruling and look it up later for future encounters. He may also have adjudicated that the breath weapon was a spread, in which case the cover wouldn't help. Finally, he may have adjudicated that it was a burst, but that the critter still had line of effect to at least one corner of the character's square.
If you're talking about a 5-foot wide pillar, it's very likely that a burst breath weapon had some line of effect, but that the character had cover.