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It may not make much actual sense on a 3D scale, but every medium-sized creature takes up a 5' cube. Yes, even the nearly 7' tall half-orcs only take up a 5' cube in height.
If he's occupying the 5' cube directly underground, then you have a couple questions to ask yourself:
1) Do the rules support being able to target along a line that is directly on the line of cover? Yes. Ranged rules allow this.
2) Is there any reason that a creature with Earth Glide couldn't just sit inside the ground if they wanted? No.
3) So what rule should I use to adjudicate this? Well there isn't one specifically for earth glide, but incorporeal creatures can also sit inside the ground or walls. So it does make some common sense to co-opt that ruling.
That being said, you could also rule that as long as you are earth gliding, you are either in the ground, or you are not. So none of this incorporeality stuff where you get to peak out and attack.
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I have a druid character who sometimes pulls a similar trick, and I just assume that he is exposed yet has cover any round in which he attacks or casts a spell from the wall. It grants my character an advantage, but it doesn't completely cut his foes off from fighting back.
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Remember that he has to move or 5' step out of the ground far enough to see his target, and then use his Standard, usually, to cast, so he wouldn't have any way to get back into the ground.
Now, if he is using Quickened spells, then he could "come up", cast swiftly, and then "sink back down" in a single turn, using a move and a standard for movement.
And, of course, he can still be targeted by a Readied action when he comes up.
Even with Tremorsense, he only knows where people moving are, not who is where, especially if the combat is very fluid.
My two cents in my own game:
An earth gliding druid who attacked with slams, a touch, or a ray or something with the 50% miss chance from using tremorsense instead of sight would probably work like the incorporeal example (untargetable except while attacking, and then cover). If the druid wants line of effect, line of sight, or the ability to target anything other than with a touch, then they would need to be out of the wall (to requote the incorporeal rules from the OP but add an additional line that comes just before for context):
It can sense the presence of creatures or objects within a square adjacent to its current location, but enemies have total concealment (50% miss chance) from an incorporeal creature that is inside an object. In order to see beyond the object it is in and attack normally, the incorporeal creature must emerge.
Also, in the "in the wall reaching out" mode, I would imagine that the druid's ability to communicate with the party in either direction, including to command any animal companion, is virtually non-existent. Perhaps in a home game the other characters can come up with a foot-tapping morse code to reveal information to the druid via tremorsense, though that seems like it would take actions beyond free.
50% miss chance from using tremorsenseCommon misconception, largely I suspect due to the difference between Blindsense and Blindsight. As long as you're touching the ground it works like Blindsight.
Tremorsense (Ex) A creature with tremorsense is sensitive to vibrations in the ground and can automatically pinpoint the location of anything that is in contact with the ground.
Let's look at Blindsense side-by-side.
The creature usually does not need to make Perception checks to pinpoint the location of a creature within range of its blindsense ability
I would actually say you should use underwater rules. I mean, earthglide does say this:
Earth Glide (Ex) A burrowing earth elemental can pass through stone, dirt, or almost any other sort of earth except metal as easily as a fish swims through water. If protected against fire damage, it can even glide through lava. Its burrowing leaves behind no tunnel or hole, nor does it create any ripple or other sign of its presence. A move earth spell cast on an area containing a burrowing earth elemental flings the elemental back 30 feet, stunning the creature for 1 round unless it succeeds on a DC 15 Fortitude save.
So why not treat it like you are fighting some crazy mermaid while you are stand on the beach or on a small boat? So lets check out underwater combat, cover, and casting.
Characters swimming, floating, or treading water on the surface, or wading in water at least chest deep, have improved cover (+8 bonus to AC, +4 bonus on Reflex saves) from opponents on land. Land-bound opponents who have freedom of movement effects ignore this cover when making melee attacks against targets in the water. A completely submerged creature has total cover against opponents on land unless those opponents have freedom of movement effects. Magical effects are unaffected except for those that require attack rolls (which are treated like any other effects) and fire effects.
Casting spells while submerged can be difficult for those who cannot breathe underwater. A creature that cannot breathe water must make a concentration check (DC 15 + spell level) to cast a spell underwater (this is in addition to the caster level check to successfully cast a fire spell underwater). Creatures that can breathe water are unaffected and can cast spells normally. Some spells might function differently underwater, subject to GM discretion.
Notice that lovely concentration check. It is not super hard to pass, eventually, but it is still a nice little nerf.
Anyway, we also see the rules for improved/total cover. Since the character is spell casting (and probably has an exposed arm), they would likely get considered 'at the surface', and as such only get a boat load of AC and reflex bonus.
EDIT: OH, darn, you ninja'd me Avoron.
Yeah, underwater rules seem to fit nicely.
One thing I would like to note, the polymorph subschool description says that if you change into a form that can burrow, you can breath while burrowing, so I believe you wouldn't need to make the concentration check.
Whoops, missed the breathing thing (cause....underwater rules? Really?) Yeah, that does seem like it removes that element. Too bad.
Might serve well to get the half dozen other class options that give earthglide. I think there is an oracle mystery, a sorcerer bloodline, and maybe a subschool for wizards. Since all of those are full casters... yeah, adding a hitch might help.
EDIT- oh, and for the original problem. Overall, I would prevent the druid from casting while inside the ground under the same logic that the caster can't usually cast spells into the room next door (unless it is some long distance spell designed for that, of course). If he just wants to chill underground and buff himself though...then that seems alright.
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I have a druid character who sometimes pulls a similar trick, and I just assume that he is exposed yet has cover any round in which he attacks or casts a spell from the wall. It grants my character an advantage, but it doesn't completely cut his foes off from fighting back.
I treat him as hiding in water (but freedom of movement don't help attacking him). Simplier than using the incorporeal rules.
It may not make much actual sense on a 3D scale, but every medium-sized creature takes up a 5' cube. Yes, even the nearly 7' tall half-orcs only take up a 5' cube in height.
Source for that statement?
I see a lot of rules about squares when speaking of the area our character occupy, nothing about cubes,