Rule Question: Striking the Cover Instead of a Missed Target

[Shin Okada]

PHB P.133 "Striking the Cover Instead of a Missed Target:", 2nd paragraph.
"If the covering creature has a Dexterity bonus to AC or a Dodge bonus, and this bonus keeps the creature from being hit, then the original target is hit instead. The covering creature has dodged out of the way and didn't provide cover after all."

What does this sentence mean?

1. If the covering creature can avoid the hit only with his Dex bonus and Dodge bonus, he has dodged out of the way and didn't provide cover after all.

2. If the covering creature's AC is not enough to avoid hit without Dex/Dodge bonus, and enough with Dex/Dodge bonus, he has dodged out of the way and didn't provide cover after all.

Say, Bolg the Big Barbarian (AC 16, +4 Armor, +2 Dex) is providing 3/4 cover to his mall friend Albert (Originally, AC 11, +7 from Bolg's cover).

Albert will never be hit if the attack roll is 10-. And will be surely hit if the attack roll is 18+. At 11 to 17, the cover (Bolg) may be hit.

Now, If interpretation 1 is correct,4
10- ......... No hit at all.
11 .......... Usually, the cover may be hit. But Bolg dodges out of the way and does not provide cover to Albert. So Albert is hit.
12 to 15 ... Bolg provides cover to Albert. So Bolg may be hit. But the attack roll is not enough to harm Bolg.
16 to 17 ... Bolg provides cover. And Bolg is hit by the attack.
18+ ........ Albert is hit.

If interpretation 2 is correct,
10- ......... No hit at all.
11 to 13 .... Bolg provides cover to Albert. And, the cover may be hit. But the attack roll is not enough to harm Bolg.
14 to 15 .... Usually, the cover may be hit. But Bolg dodges out of the way and does not provide cover to Albert. So Albert is hit.
16 to 17 .... Bolg provides cover to Albert. And Bolg is hit.
18+ ......... Albert is hit.


Hmmm. it is so complex and I am totally confused. Would someone please clarify this rule?

 

[Felix]

Interpretation 2

If the Dodge bonus is removed from the covering creature's AC, and the resulting AC would have been hit by the attack roll, it means that the covering creature was able to avoid the hit by moving out of the way. Because Bolg moved, his friend has no cover, and no cover bonus to AC.

In this case, an attack roll of 14 to 17 will hit Albert if Bolg decides to move out of the way. I do believe that the covering creature has the option of not moving out of the way so as to continue to provide cover. Arrow races at Bolg, Bolg stands still, arrow hits Bolg and not Albert.

Naturally, I don't have my books, but that's the way I remember it.

 

[the Jester]

Look at it this way:

10-: No hit at all.
11-13: Usually, the cover may be hit, but Bolg's AC is 14 not counting his dex bonus, so this doesn't penetrate.
14-15: Bolg dodges, providing no cover to Albert, and Albert is hit. Alternately, I suppose he could forfeit his dex bonus for the round- and still take the hit, but cover Albert.
16-17: Bolg provides cover for Albert but takes the shot himself.
18+: Albert is hit.

It is complex, complex enough that I had to type it out to look at it myself (counting up possible attacks results), but you had it right in situation 2 there (imho, though others may disagree).