In regards to the sharpshooter ability and cover, what exactly is defined as cover. Yesterday one of my players hid behind a table at a bar, and used this ability. I allowed it at the time, but thinking about it more it seems a little incredulous to me that a little bar table can provide cover in the middle of a heated battle.
Cover is pretty vaguely defined, partly on purpose... it's up to the DM's discretion what qualifies for cover, and whether it provides 1/2 cover or 3/4 cover. A character might be in a situation where they have Cover against one specific enemy, but not cover against all enemies.
So, with the table situation... hiding behind a table would provide a player with cover against any enemy on the other side of the table, but won't provide any cover if an enemy just walks around it and starts beating them up. Sharpshooter also isn't a factor when the Player has cover... it only applies against enemies that have Cover. Being behind Cover gives you no penalties to your own attacks.
"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.
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.
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.
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."
If the table in the bar fight blocked about 1/2 of the creature from other attacks then they would have 1/2 cover. If it blocks about 3/4 then they have 3/4 cover. Less than half is no effect.
It is a DM judgement as to how much cover - 1/2, 3/4 or total - that an obstacle can provide in each instance. Hiding behind a table might provide no effective cover if an opponent could shoot over it or under it. If the table was flipped on its side, it might provide 1/2 cover for medium creature or 3/4 cover for a small creature. The DM needs to decide exactly how much cover is provided for specific targets given their location and the intended attacks.
For example, a low table between two melee attackers might offer neither of them cover or it could give each 1/2 cover depending on the circumstances.
Finally, there is no interaction between Sharpshooter and a character with Sharpshooter behind cover. Sharpshooter lets the attacker ignore the 1/2 or 3/4 cover of the TARGET. Any cover they are using has no effect on the attacks they make but it might increase their effective AC against incoming attacks.
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In regards to the sharpshooter ability and cover, what exactly is defined as cover. Yesterday one of my players hid behind a table at a bar, and used this ability. I allowed it at the time, but thinking about it more it seems a little incredulous to me that a little bar table can provide cover in the middle of a heated battle.
1 shot dungeon master
Cover is pretty vaguely defined, partly on purpose... it's up to the DM's discretion what qualifies for cover, and whether it provides 1/2 cover or 3/4 cover. A character might be in a situation where they have Cover against one specific enemy, but not cover against all enemies.
So, with the table situation... hiding behind a table would provide a player with cover against any enemy on the other side of the table, but won't provide any cover if an enemy just walks around it and starts beating them up. Sharpshooter also isn't a factor when the Player has cover... it only applies against enemies that have Cover. Being behind Cover gives you no penalties to your own attacks.
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Here is what the rules say on cover:
"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.
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.
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.
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."
If the table in the bar fight blocked about 1/2 of the creature from other attacks then they would have 1/2 cover. If it blocks about 3/4 then they have 3/4 cover. Less than half is no effect.
It is a DM judgement as to how much cover - 1/2, 3/4 or total - that an obstacle can provide in each instance. Hiding behind a table might provide no effective cover if an opponent could shoot over it or under it. If the table was flipped on its side, it might provide 1/2 cover for medium creature or 3/4 cover for a small creature. The DM needs to decide exactly how much cover is provided for specific targets given their location and the intended attacks.
For example, a low table between two melee attackers might offer neither of them cover or it could give each 1/2 cover depending on the circumstances.
Finally, there is no interaction between Sharpshooter and a character with Sharpshooter behind cover. Sharpshooter lets the attacker ignore the 1/2 or 3/4 cover of the TARGET. Any cover they are using has no effect on the attacks they make but it might increase their effective AC against incoming attacks.