using cover to avoid AoO when getting into melee against larger creatures

[gourry187]

So we had a situation where while fighting a large creature, a character was able to get into melee (passing through a threatened area) without provoking an attack of opportunity.

M=monster, R=Ranger, F=Fighter, -=open space

movement pattern

----
--R-
-MM-
-MM-

--F-
--R-
-MM-
-MM-

----
-FR-
-MM-
-MM-

The question really comes down to does the Ranger provide cover to the fighter. RAW states you can't make an AoO against something with cover. To keep things moving along (it was a large combat), we just decides there was cover but now that I think more about it, I'm not so sure. The monster is tall so it has a reach of 10.

[Majuba]

The answer comes down to two things.

One is simply whether cover applied (a lot of times large creatures can choose one of their corners to avoid it).

The second is the open question of whether Soft Cover is A) Cover, less the benefits to reflex saves and ability to make stealth checks, or B) like Cover, giving the AC bonus only.

Lately discussions have pointed to A), that soft cover is actual cover, with a few, listed, drawbacks. I personally prefer B), that soft cover isn't 'real' cover, it just provides a bonus to AC. That prevents this kind of maneuvering (neutral on that), as well as allowing reach weapons to ignore it (big positive imho).

[Zilvar2k11]

I haven't been following all of the current brouhaha about the subject, but during our last campaign we ruled it worked that way.

I prefer to let other players act as cover. It gives area control/tanky guys an additional tool to actually protect friends and party members.

[Sammy T]

Here is an example using a Devil, an Animal Companion and a Ranger. The Ranger bravely uses his companion to meatshield for him.

The Devil chooses a corner to determine cover. We draw lines from that to the corners of the Ranger's squares. It is determined the Ranger has cover, so no AOO on him.

[N N 959]

gourry187 wrote:

So we had a situation where while fighting a large creature, a character was able to get into melee (passing through a threatened area) without provoking an attack of opportunity.

M=monster, R=Ranger, F=Fighter, -=open space

movement pattern

----
--R-
-MM-
-MM-

--F-
--R-
-MM-
-MM-

----
-FR-
-MM-
-MM-

The question really comes down to does the Ranger provide cover to the fighter. RAW states you can't make an AoO against something with cover. To keep things moving along (it was a large combat), we just decides there was cover but now that I think more about it, I'm not so sure. The monster is tall so it has a reach of 10.

Yes.

PRD wrote:

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.

PRD wrote:

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.

Without question, "soft" cover counts as cover against reach weapons, which means no AoO.