The Requirements section says "You...are near a feature that allows you to take cover..." Does this indicate that you are permitted to move to cover as part of the action if something is nearby? If so, what might the limitations of that movement be, if any?
If you can't move as part of the Take Cover action, why would they include that text? Wouldn't you essentially always have to have cover already, or else be prone to take advantage in that case?
Presumably, you would have to use an action to stride or step to the cover, if it's not already in your square, then use the Take Cover action there.
The "near a feature" language would be clearer if it said "in the square with a feature".
I would allow it if said feature were in an adjacent square between you and the adversary you're taking cover from, since many such features occupy a square and prevent sharing the square with it. That seems consistent with the wording.
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Check out CRB page 513. "While trees are omnipresent in a forest, they typically don't provide cover unless a character uses a Take Cover action. Only larger trees that take up an entire 5 foot square on the map (or more) are big enough to provide cover automatically."
Just below that it mentions that Light Undergrowth provides no automatic cover but can be used for the Take Cover Action. While Heavy Undergrowth does provide cover.
There's other sorts of terrain that could work similarly.
A tree. A stone wall. A shrubbery. Whatever the obstacle that can provide cover, it is unclear if this feature needs to be in your square or "near" - and the word "near" is undefined.
RD's question was whether movement is included in the action to take cover. I would argue that it is not - movement will require an additional action. But "near" could be adjacent to you and between you and your adversary - although this is not specified, as such.
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If a terrain feature does not provide Cover simply by drawing a line from the opponents square to your own you need to use the Take Cover Action.
The Take Cover Action does not grant, permit, or suggest in any manner that the participating PC can/does move from the Square they are already occupying.
So, in short, if you "move behind cover" you can gain Cover from things like the big trees, rocks, and other significant obstacles but if you're looking to use the "Take Cover" Action itself when no such large obstacles that break LoS or LoE (such as behind a "small" true, underbrush, or perhaps using furniature like a table or the serving bar at your friendly neighborhood tarvern) then you must do so within the square you were in at the beginning of said Action and you do not change squares in doing so.
RD's question was whether movement is included in the action to take cover. I would argue that it is not - movement will require an additional action. But "near" could be adjacent to you and between you and your adversary - although this is not specified, as such.
Right, but the conclusion he was reaching was: "Wouldn't you essentially always have to have cover already, or else be prone to take advantage in that case?" Which is not the case. I don't think he realized you could Take Cover with something that didn't already provide cover, which is a big part of the confusion.