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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Vegepygmy" data-source="post: 5707854" data-attributes="member: 40109">No, no, no...you've completely misunderstood. The rule is that if you miss the Orc because of the +4 soft cover bonus to AC and the attack roll beats Frank's AC, you hit Frank and deal damage to him. If you miss the orc because of the +4 soft cover bonus to AC and the attack doesn't beat Frank's AC, Frank blocks your shot but you don't deal any damage to him. (Except then you're supposed to also check to see if the reason you missed Frank was because of his dodge or Dexterity bonus to AC, and if so, then you actually did hit the Orc, because Frank moved out of the way and thus didn't actually block the shot.) "Realistic" and fair, but not at all simple. So, for example, you throw your javelin at the Orc (normally AC 12, currently 16 because of the +4 soft cover bonus to AC). Your total attack roll is 14. You would have hit the Orc except for the +4 soft cover bonus to AC, so you miss the Orc. If Frank's AC is 14 or less, you hit and deal damage to Frank instead of the Orc. But if Frank's AC is 15 or higher because he has a Dexterity bonus to AC, then he dodged out of the way of the javelin and thus didn't provide cover to the Orc, so it gets hit anyway. (Also note that the DMG rule addresses cover, but not the -4 penalty for shooting or throwing into melee. I guess the same reasoning would apply, though.) Then the Orc gains a +4 soft cover bonus to AC, bringing its AC to 18. If your total attack roll is 18 or better, you hit the Orc. If your total attack roll is 13 or less, you miss completely. If your total attack roll is 14-17, however, you miss the Orc due to the soft cover bonus to AC, and if your total attack roll is 15-17, you hit and deal damage to Frank instead. If your total attack roll is 14, you hit Frank but don't deal damage to him, unless Frank has a dodge or Dexterity bonus to AC, in which case he dodged the javelin and didn't provide the Orc with a soft cover bonus to AC, so the Orc was hit after all.</blockquote>

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