3.0 Cover - Question

[Melkor]

On P.151 of the 3.5 PHB it states the following:
"When making a melee attack against an adjacent target, your target has cover if any line from your square to the target's square goes through a wall (including a low wall)."

Under the "Soft Cover" heading it says:
"Creatures, even your enemies, can provide you with cover against melee attacks, giving you a +4 bonus to AC."

Being the clever fellow I like to think I am, I noticed that a "creature, even your enemies" does not mean a "wall (including a low wall)". That makes me wonder, how does a creature provide cover against melee attacks ? Does this mean that if my character is standing in the square below a monster, and my buddy is standing in the square above me to the right (Diagonally up from my square), that he can provide "Soft Cover" because a line from my square to the target's square goes through my friend ?

If not, when would soft cover apply to melee attacks ?

Thanks.

 

[Felix]

E=Enemy
Y=You
B=Buddy

EY
B

No line from any part of your square passes through your buddy's square on the way to your enemy's square. No cover is provided.

If not, when would soft cover apply to melee attacks ?

For example:

T=Troll
O=Orc
Y=You

TT
TT
O
Y

You are within the 10' reach of the Troll, so he may make a melee attack on you. Also, a line from the left part of the Troll's occupied area passes through the orc's square on its way to your square; the orc gets in the way of the troll's attack, and provides you with a +4 bonus to your AC.

Note: this situation

TT
TT
YO

also provides you with a +4 bonus to AC on attacks from the troll, but not the orc. A line beginning in the bottom right hand corner of the troll's area passes through the orc's square on its way to the lower right hand corner of your square. The troll also enjoys a +4 bonus to his AC against attacks from you due to the orc.

The line drawn is from attacker to target (or vice versa), not from attacker to ally, to determine soft cover. All lines drawn from any part of the attacker's square to any part of the target's square must be clear for there to be no cover bonus to the target's AC.

That help?

 

[Melkor]

That does it. Thanks for the clear and concise illustration. Much appreciated.

 

[Felix]

No worries.

I dig your Avatar.