D&D 5E (2014) Firing into Combat

[Nebulous]

Are there any options in the DMG about this? I'm not 100% sure what the default rule is, but i think it's no penalty for firing ranged weapons into combat. At worse, it might be Disadvantage.

 

[Tormyr]

If there is someone between you and the target, the target gets a +2 to AC.

 

[Nebulous]

Ok, thanks. Maybe it was 3e that had the rules for hitting an ally on a miss.

 

[Tormyr]

I know that some people have proposed that if it would have hit the target before the +2 bump to AC and now misses that it hits the blocking creature.

 

[Nebulous]

I know that some people have proposed that if it would have hit the target before the +2 bump to AC and now misses that it hits the blocking creature.

That's kind of what I was looking for. I wondered if the DMG had put that out as an alternate rule.

 

[Nebulous]

But assuming there's no one in the way, there's no penalty for firing into combat, right?

 

[halfling rogue]

In my 5e game I DM'd (before we had any rulebooks) I was using the original AD&D DM screen just for kicks (never played it before actually...picked it up for cheap at a game shop). I didn't rule any disadvantage when someone fired into combat, but when they missed the question came up about how we would determine where/who it might hit. I had a 'uhh...' face and one of our old school players pointed out a handy little chart on the DM screen. He hadn't played 1e for like 30 years but he still remembered it was there:

Misses: If the “to hit” die roll indicates a miss, roll 1d6 and 1d8. The d6 indicates the distance in feet the missile was off target. (If the target was large, simply compute the distance from the appropriate portion of the target, ie. The character aims at a section of the floor which is 1’ square, and miss distance is measured from the appropriate edge as explained below.) The d8 indicates the direction in which the distance in feet of the miss is measured:

1 = long right
2 = right
3 = short right
4 = short (before)
5 = short left
6 = left
7 = long left
8 = long (over)

At short range you may optionally use d4 to determine distance off target, but then use d8 for long range distance determination. If the missile is hurled at a plane such as a wall, read long as high, short as low, measuring up the wall and then along the ceiling or down and then along the floor.

It's a bit detailed but it would at least give an indication on where the missile might land. I can definitely seeing this come in handy if you are throwing something to someone (like a sword or a potion) in combat. I don't know if the new DMG goes over anything like this but I can see how this could be beneficial for some groups

 

[Mad Zagyg]

That's kind of what I was looking for. I wondered if the DMG had put that out as an alternate rule.

Yes, this optional rule is in the DMG on page 272: Hitting Cover. Personally, I plan to implement it in my game.

 

[Astrosicebear]

But assuming there's no one in the way, there's no penalty for firing into combat, right?

Correct.

Only disadvantage if firing a ranged weapon in reach of someone.

 

[Nebulous]

Yes, this optional rule is in the DMG on page 272: Hitting Cover. Personally, I plan to implement it in my game.

And is that rule the same as the outlined above?

If it would have hit the target before the +2 bump to AC and now misses, then it hits the blocking creature.