Ducking behind a wall should make you harder to hit, and in fifth edition it does. Cover is one of the easiest ways to make a fight more tactical — and one of the most forgotten rules.
The three kinds of cover
- Half cover: +2 to AC and Dexterity saving throws. At least half of you is blocked — a low wall, a table, another creature.
- Three-quarters cover: +5 to AC and Dexterity saving throws. Only a small part of you is exposed — an arrow slit, a thick tree trunk.
- Total cover: you can’t be targeted directly by an attack or spell, though an area effect such as fireball can still reach you around a corner.
If several things give cover, only the best one counts; they don’t add up.
Creatures count as cover
Shooting past an ally or an enemy usually gives your target half cover. That is why archers like a high spot and a clear line, and why a ranged attacker standing behind the fighter has a harder time than you might think.
Using it in play
- Players: end your turn behind something. +2 AC is like a free shield.
- Casters: cover helps Dexterity saves against fireball and lightning bolt too.
- DMs: give enemies cover in their lair — barricades, pillars, overturned carts — and fights feel smarter instantly.
- Feats like Sharpshooter (ignore half and three-quarters cover) exist because cover matters.
Plan the battlefield
Draw a quick map with cover in the dungeon builder, balance the fight with the encounter builder, and read the full rule in the compendium: Cover.