D&D 5E Firing Into A Melee

[Ilbranteloth]

Sidebar: All this does make me wonder if this was part of the reason "cover" as a rule is so unusually complex compared to anything else (not that it is particularly complex, but the fact that it isn't blindingly simple makes it, by comparison to everything else, complex). Handling it via adv/disadvantage would be SO much easier and follow their normal rule systems much better, but if every time two enemies were next to each other this gave archers disadvantage I wouldn't ever play one, either. It also auto-cancels the rogue's sneak attack advantage when firing at range, since the rogue needs someone standing next to the target to get advantage but if someone is next to the target it would have given disadvantage.

I think the main reason they didn't stick with just advantage/disadvantage with cover is because it only provides for one level of cover. Since advantage/disadvantage is roughly the equivalent of +/-5, that would work for 3/4 cover. But it appears they wanted to allow for 1/2 cover too.

If you wanted to simplify you could just go with no cover, partial cover, and total cover, where partial cover imposes disadvantage on the attacker.

If so, then in my current rule the Sharpshooter feat would eliminate the disadvantage (the cover penalty).

I'd be good with that too. In fact, I'll probably run it by my group tonight, since I don't think they'd really care if there are one or two levels of partial cover.

Randy