Plaguescarred
Hero
This rule is based on positioning, so it has to be determined wether you use Theater of the Mind or Grid Play.
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I'm a fan of some sort of penalty for firing into melee. How many times has a movie had a moment where an innocent is used as a shield, or a sniper is trying to take out a specific individual while friendlies are in the way?
On the other hand, these are the heros and perform amazing feats of combat.
So for my campaign, I'm sticking with 1/2 cover for all combatants. I'm also imposing disadvantage on the attack roll, and if they miss, the higher roll is used as the attack roll against a random combatant. Mostly to save an extra die roll later.
The Sharpshooter feat eliminates the cover penalty.
Even when using miniatures (we use a mix), I've never liked the strict miniature approach to 'move into a position where nobody is in the way.' Combatants are always in motion, circling, dodging, parrying and attacking. The miniatures on the board give the illusion that while you're moving that everybody else is absolutely stationary. I disagree with that, and use the figures as a more general (yet more specific than TotM).
The disadvantage that's imposed won't matter much once the characters are higher level, and the characters attempting to fire into melee are the ones that are really good archers anyway. Which is the way I think it should be. It also helps build tension and increase the drama of combat.
Randy
Please if you do this warn your players of your house rules before they make characters, I would never run an archer or other ranged based character in a campaign that used that house rule. I wouldn't want to be in melee either so, I guess a save only based caster.
Please if you do this warn your players of your house rules before they make characters, I would never run an archer or other ranged based character in a campaign that used that house rule. I wouldn't want to be in melee either so, I guess a save only based caster.
Technically, it isn't a house rule. We already know that there's a module in the DMG to put penalties in for firing into melee. We just don't know the exact rule yet. In a few weeks he'll likely be using the module.
So all he's really doing is fudging something together while we wait for the real rule.
The real rule is already in the game, if you don't have an unobstructed view of the target due to other creatures being in the way the target gets a +2 bonus to AC.
I highly doubt the DMG will add or expand on this.
So sure for your game adjust to taste and all but let us be honest about calling a house rule a house rule.