Let's Talk Tactics - Utilizing Cover
Cover comes in many forms, yet we as players never seem to use it. Sure, a barbarian has little need for hiding behind a tree but what about our spell casters? You can always find some sort of cover in any scenario, whether it be a tree in the forest, a wall or door in a dungeon, or a table when your party decides to start a bar fight. Hell, hide behind the bar and have a quick mug of ale why you’re there. I’m sure it’s only an object interaction. For those poor souls that are crossing a giant desert and there isn’t any cover, you can always hide behind the barbarian. I’m sure they won’t mind.
What is Cover?
The concept of cover is simple in theory, but in practice, it leaves the door open for a great deal of arguing… I mean interpretation. It is defined as:
Cover
Walls, trees, creatures, and other obstacles can provide cover during combat, making a target more difficult to harm. A target can benefit from cover only when an attack or other effect originates on the opposite side of the cover.
There are three degrees of cover. If a target is behind multiple sources of cover, only the most protective degree of cover applies; the degrees aren't added together. For example, if a target is behind a creature that gives half cover and a tree trunk that gives three-quarters cover, the target has three-quarters cover.
Player’s Handbook, pg. 196
Reading the first two lines for using cover seems fairly straightforward. You put something between you and the bad guy, making it harder to hit you. As you read on, however, things start to get a bit more complicated. What are these three types of cover? How is it determined what type of obstacle is which kind of cover? And we haven’t even talked about what bonuses received if you find a rock to hide behind. Let’s take a look at each type of cover and how they work for you (The following definitions are all located in the Player’s Handbook on page 196).
Half cover - “A target with half cover has a +2 bonus to AC and Dexterity saving throws. A target has half cover if an obstacle blocks at least half of its body. The obstacle might be a low wall, a large piece of furniture, a narrow tree trunk, or a creature, whether that creature is an enemy or a friend.”
When I was reading about the cover (I’ll admit, I never actually read the definition or mechanics behind cover before this), it immediately struck me that the benefits of +2 to AC and Dexterity saving throws were reminiscent of 1st edition. 5th edition usually steers clear of giving you a positive or negative modifier, instead of providing you with advantage or disadvantage. I like the feel of it, and since there are three tiers of cover, it makes sense do to it this way. It’s not like you can get super-advantage for three-quarters cover!
The examples listed should give you a decent idea of what will provide half-cover. A medium-sized creature hiding behind a comfy chair would definitely have part of their body exposed unless they dropped prone. Going prone is a whole different issue but we aren’t going to address that here. Seeking cover behind a friend seems a bit cruel, but it’s a very wise tactical maneuver. A high AC character should not be offended when the wizard hides behind them, as long as the wizard clearly communicates his plan. Think of it like a dance where the two participants never face each other. The wizard can stay behind the barbarian and maintain cover as long as they mirror the barbarian’s steps, in conjunction with their opponents movements. Saving the spell slot for an offensive spell instead of casting mage armor could be the difference in victory and a TPK.
Three Quarters cover - “A target with three-quarters cover has a +5 bonus to AC and Dexterity saving throws. A target has three-quarters cover if about three-quarters of it is covered by an obstacle. The obstacle might be a portcullis, an arrow slit, or a thick tree trunk.”
When thinking of three-quarters cover, you have to realize that it means if even the tiniest bit of your person can be seen by an enemy, you have three-quarters cover. An arrow slit provides way more than a three-quarters cover, but it falls under the three-quarters cover rule. Be thankful this isn’t 1st edition, because I’m fairly confident Gygax would have made chart breaking down cover by 5% categories.
Total cover - “A target with total cover can't be targeted directly by an attack or a spell, although some spells can reach such a target by including it in an area of effect. A target has total cover if it is completely concealed by an obstacle.”
You are behind a door or window that is closed. You cannot be targeted when you have full-cover, but you can’t attack either.
Pretty Pictures for Those that Learn Visually
The DMG provides some image examples of what would be half cover, and this is where things can get messy. When explaining how to determine whether you have cover from the BBGE trying to kill you, we start with the DM choosing a corner of the BBGE’s space or the point of origin of an area of effect. The DM then will draw lines from the chosen corner to each of the corners of your square. If one or two of those lines are blocked by an object, spell effect, or individual you’ve got half cover. If three or four of those lines are blocked but the attack can still hit you, you’ve got three-quarters cover. How you position yourself on the battlefield makes all the world!
Examples of Half Cover
Let’s look at a couple of examples of half cover first.
This example (1) is first to illustrate a point. It looks like you may have full cover, or at the very least three-quarters cover, right? Not according to the terms we discussed above. The line that touches the top left corner counts as a hit on the square. You only have half-cover.
In our second example (2), we see how close the difference is between hitting and missing your square. The travel path to the top left corner in this example barely passes through the barbarian’s square, but it does, so according to RAW, you have half-cover. Don’t expect your DM to agree.
Next (3) is another example where you think you may have three-quarters cover, but you’re lucky you get half.
In our last one (4), we once again see the difference between hitting the corner and passing through a square is small, but if this instance it works in your favor.
But who wants half cover when you can have three-quarters cover. As seen above the difference between a +2 or a +5 bonus to your AC can be quite small. But it’s much harder to obtain than you may think.
Examples of three-quarters cover.
Number five (5) feel like you should have full cover. But our friendly rock in the middle can do only so much. You'll get a +5 AC bonus, but our bad guy can still throw a spear at you.
Up next (6), we see that have two people to stand behind is better than one, but there’s something to keep in mind when hiding behind two objects or people. When you are behind multiple sources of cover, only the most protective degree of cover applies; the degrees aren't added together. Cover does not stack. In this scenario, it may look like you have three-quarters cover, but in reality, you only have half-cover
Here (7), our wizard decided to enlarge your party's barbarian. Now she can provide the cover you were expecting in the previous example all by herself.
Wait…what the hell? I don't have cover when I'm standing behind a solid wall? (8)
I'm sure you think it makes no sense that you don't have full cover for #8. It doesn't, and I'll try to explain that below.
So What Does All This Mean?
When you think about combat mechanics, you have to realize that they are a generalized idea of what is happening during those six seconds of an individual’s turn. Your turn does not take place in a vacuum. If there are five people in combat, the other four don't just stop when it's your turn. Everyone else is still moving too - starting to speak the incantation for a spell, beginning to walk towards an opponent, or beginning to move from the safety of cover to attack. If you can't be hit while using cover, then you can't attack from that position either. By moving out from the safety of that large tree trunk, you have exposed yourself, and you are sure as hell can be sure your opponent will try and hit you back.
Here's one way to look at 3/4 cover. Depending on your position relative to your opponent, you may think there is no way you don't have full cover. The huge rock is 20 feet by 20 feet, and you're only 5 feet tall and barely a foot wide. But when you move out to attack, your opponent isn't just standing there, waiting for you to hit them, and then move back to the safety of your large rock. When their turn rolls around, we can assume that part of your body is still exposed to the oncoming attack, as the enemy has prepared to hit you once you popped your pretty little head out.
That said, we know you are moving as fast as you can to get back to the safety of the giant rock. While part of you may be exposed, the rock is large enough to make hitting you much more difficult, resulting in the +5 AC bonus. Mr. (or Mrs.) Rock is working hard to protect you even though it seems like they are not doing a thing.
For half cover, one way to look at it is this; no matter how you contort your body, part of it will be showing regardless of how you contort your body. The small table you flip over when the party starts a bar fight isn't big enough to hide your entire Goliath body. But it is protecting from the chest down, so a smaller bonus of +2 makes sense. These are just a couple of ways to explain how the mechanics of cover can work in-game. The DMG may give us a definition, but thinking and visualizing how it works leads us to our next talking point.
How Does Your DM Interpret These Rules?
As you've probably realized by now, cover rules leave a lot up for interpretation. Now is the time I would like to point out another important piece of the puzzle. The DMG does not say the corner you are drawing your travel path lines from is any old corner, but one that the DM picks. I'm not sure about your DM, but Stephen sure as hell isn't going to pick the corner that would give me full cover instead of half-cover. Even if you are a strict RAW table, determining cover is a situation where the DM gets a lot of leeway. Many times, they can rule how they want and still be protected by the letter of the law (or DMG in this case). That's because cover rules are based on the DM’s interpretation of the landscape in which combat occurs.
Your DM may also use the variant rules for hitting cover. Now is when Helga the Barbarian may not be overly thrilled that you are using her as a personal meat shield. When using this rule, if your opponent misses their range attack on you, the DM has the opportunity to determine whether or not the cover you’re using was hit by the attack, taking the damage they had planned for you. If the attack roll is low enough to miss the target (you) but high enough to strike if you not been standing behind Helga, then Helga is struck by the attack. Now, if the attack roll exceeds Helga's AC, then she is hit by the attack and will take the appropriate damage. Couple things to note. There is only one roll for this entire scenario. Also, the wording in the DMG definition does not use the terms "struck by the attack" and" "hit by the attack" interchangeably. When the attack strikes Helga because she is the only reason you weren't hit, it doesn't mean that she automatically is hit. The original roll has to meet or beat her AC just like every other attack roll to hit, resulting in her taking damage.
Final Notes
Cover is a part of the game that many players overlook. It is a handy mechanic and should be explored in much more detail by players, myself included. While I have not provided much information on the multitude of things that can provide you with great cover (a spell like Wall of Force immediately come to mind), I'm sure you can think up dozens on your own. Take the time to talk to your DM and see what their rules on cover are and incorporate them into your combat. But be careful - if you can find cover for your character, I'm sure the DM can find some for his beloved monsters!
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