Firing at someone engaged in melee question.?!

[palin]

My character and an npc are engaged in melee combat (i.e. we are within 5 feet of each other and trying to hit each other with melee weapons).

Another party member is somewhere behind my character, although slightly off to on side and about 30' feet away and is going to shoot an arrow (or a gun in d20 modern).

Assuming no feats come into play what is the other party member's modifier to their attack roll?

Is it just -4 (firing at a target engaged in melee) or is it more (the -4 just mentioned plus some cover modifier because my character is at least partially in between the target and the person shooting, hence providing cover)?

I'm sure this has been answered before. If it was could someone provide a link/pointers?

If you answer please explain your reasons.

Thanks!

 

[iwatt]

To be nitpicky, the attack modifier for firing into melee is -4, barring the precise shot feat that nullifies this modifier. The target does get a cover bonus to his AC whicha can range from:

1/4 cover (small creature in fron of medium target)
1/2 cover (medium in front of medium target)
3/4 cover (medium in front of small target)
9/10 cover (large in front of small)

Of course the above are my interpretation and represent the following situation, the shooter (S) has an ally (A) directly in front of his target (T). When the target and allie ar equal sized:

1/2 cover

T
A

^
|
|

S

If the shooter does not have an ally in between, he only is affected by the -4 shooting into melee penalty.

No cover

T <------- S
A

If he's off in angle you should adjust these covers using judgement. I'd reduce the degree of cover in one for every 45 degrees for equal sized allies and taget's:

1/4 cover

T
A


|\
\
\
S

The above are judgement calls, you could keep it simple and say that unless A is completely out of the way the atreget gains the benefit of cover. Don't forget that if the Shooter misses the atarget beacause of the cover bonus, but would have hit without it, the shhoter actually manages to hit A.

 

[Maitre Du Donjon]

The diagram on page 123 of the PHB representing Lidda shooting at orcs should enlighten you.

Maitre D