D&D 5E Firing Into A Melee

[jadrax]

There are no fumble rules in D&D. A natural 1 is just an automatic miss.

Quit your whining and roll damage.

 

[Agamon]

I'm just going to go by the book and say foes create cover, allies don't. No need to hinder the sneak attack, et al, more than it is already.

Edit: Oh, by the book is all creatures cause cover. Okay, that's new. I guess I'll roll with it.

 

[Olgar Shiverstone]

There are no fumble rules in D&D. A natural 1 is just an automatic miss.

In 1E and 3E, we used a rule where if you missed a target by the difference provided by cover (so within 2 or 4 depending on circumstance) and the roll was enough to hit the AC of the individual providing cover, you hit that character.

 

[jadrax]

In 1E and 3E, we used a rule where if you missed a target by the difference provided by cover (so within 2 or 4 depending on circumstance) and the roll was enough to hit the AC of the individual providing cover, you hit that character.

We used to that, but just going of naturals ones is easier to track. Also you don't end up with the counter intuitive situation that rolling a 9 is much worse than rolling an 8.

 

[the Jester]

Edit: Oh, by the book is all creatures cause cover. Okay, that's new. I guess I'll roll with it.

For the record, the only edition in which friends don't provide cover is 4e.

 

[Agamon]

For the record, the only edition in which friends don't provide cover is 4e.

I meant the playtest, wasn't it that way? I might actually be mixing it up with 4e....

 

[MJS]

This seems exactly the sort of thing the disadvantage mechanic is for.

 

[Nebulous]

Depends on who you play with. There's plenty of rules for fumbles in D&D, just none in Basic.

Happy gaming!

Rolling double ones on Disadvantage is going to be some wonderful F-up in my campaign

 

[MerricB]

This seems exactly the sort of thing the disadvantage mechanic is for.

You might think so, but it's notable that this is actually one area where it doesn't apply. Cover to creatures increases their Armour Class. (Other creatures typically provide a +2 AC).

Looking back through the public playtest documents, it seems that this has been the case for a very long time. I thought cover was handled by disadvantage at one point, but I may be mistaken.

Cheers!

 

[GMMichael]

For the record, the only edition in which friends don't provide cover is 4e.

You might think so, but it's notable that this is actually one area where it doesn't apply. Cover to creatures increases their Armour Class. (Other creatures typically provide a +2 AC).

Rules as Written. Just looking at OP's diagram though, I have to say: D&D isn't football. You're not going to get three wide receivers lined up on the right side against one orc. This is war, people.

So does a +2 to AC really simulate what's going on here? A better question: do you, the DM, want simulation?

If you don't want simulation, add the +2, and move the game along!

If you do want simulation, do this: the attacker makes two rolls. This isn't Ad-In or Ad-Out, this is 1) roll to MISS your buddy. If you can pull that off, 2) roll to HIT your opponent. Let's note that the odds of missing your buddy aren't bad, and the odds of hitting your opponent aren't that bad either. It's doing BOTH that gets tricky.