A Beginner’s Guide to Cover in D&D 5e

PDF download Download Article
Escape your enemies’ wrath using the cover mechanic in D&D 5e
PDF download Download Article

In a D&D battle, armor isn’t the only way your player character (PC) can protect themselves from enemy attacks. They can also hide behind cover! Taking cover in D&D means using an object or terrain feature to shield your character from damage, giving you the chance to gain the upper hand in battle. Read on for a complete overview of cover in D&D 5e, including tips on how to use it for both players and DMs.

Things You Should Know

  • Cover is a mechanic in D&D 5e that lets you move your PC behind an obstruction to stop them from getting hit with attacks.
  • Half cover means your PC gets a +2 to their armor class and Dexterity saving throws, while three-quarters cover grants a +5 to both.
  • Total cover means your PC’s entire body is obscured and can’t be targeted by any attack rolls, although area-of-effect spells may still do damage.
Section 1 of 5:

How does cover work in D&D 5e?

PDF download Download Article
  1. Taking cover means shielding your player character (PC) from an incoming attack, and depending on how much cover you have, your PC will get a mechanical bonus to their armor class (AC) and Dexterity (DEX) saving throws.
    • Your PC (or any creature that takes cover) only benefits when an attack comes from the opposite side of the cover. If the attack comes from a direction where your PC isn’t covered, they don’t gain the benefits of cover. [1]
  2. There are 3 degrees of cover total (half cover, three-quarters cover, and total cover). While it’s possible to hide your PC behind multiple sources of cover, you’ll only gain the benefits of the most protective source. [2]
    • Say your PC has half cover from crouching next to a creature and three-quarters cover from sheltering behind a large rock.
    • In that case, your PC would simply have the benefits of three-quarters cover.
    Advertisement
  3. When you make attack rolls, any covered enemy is harder to hit. Ranged attacks include all distance weapons (like bows and slings), while melee attacks include all close-combat weapons—even those with the reach property, like glaives and polearms. [3]
    • If you’re casting a spell that requires an attack roll, you’ll also have a harder time hitting an enemy with cover.
  4. Get creative while finding cover because you can hide behind anything from trees, walls, and furniture to other people! If the party’s barbarian attacks an enemy in close combat, for example, they might inadvertently give the enemy partial cover from ranged attacks. [4]
    • All objects, furniture, and terrain landmarks can be cover, too.
    • For example, you could duck behind a cart in the street, a market stall, or the corner of a hallway.
  5. If you’re a ranged fighter, consider using the Sharpshooter feat, which lets you ignore half and three-quarters cover. If you’re a spellcaster, consider the Spell Sniper feat (which offers the same benefits as Sharpshooter for spells). [5]
    • Playing an Arcane Archer fighter grants the Seeking Arrow ability, which ignores all cover (even total cover).
    • Spellcaster PCs can use area-of-effect spells that ignore cover (like Cone of Cold).
    • They also get cantrips that specify when targets can’t benefit from cover (like Sacred Flame).
    6. Advertisement
Section 2 of 5:

Types of Cover

PDF download Download Article
  1. “Half cover” means that an obstacle must be blocking at least half of a creature’s body. Targets with half cover gain a +2 bonus to their armor class and DEX saving throws (since armor class determines how easy it is to hit a creature, and DEX saves determine how well a creature can dodge incoming damage). [6]
    • Examples of half cover: Hiding behind low walls, narrow trees, large pieces of furniture, or creatures (regardless of whether they’re an enemy or friend).
    • When using a creature, the Dungeon Master (DM) has the final say on what qualifies as cover.
  2. “Three-quarters cover” means that an obstacle is blocking roughly three-quarters of the target creature, making them harder to hit. Targets with three-quarters coverage get a +5 bonus to their AC and DEX saving throws, which is substantial in battle. [7]
    • Examples of three-quarters cover: Hiding behind thick trees, large rocks, arrow slits, or a portcullis.
    • If a small portion of your PC’s body is still unguarded while in cover, they likely have three-quarters cover.
  3. “Total cover” means that a target’s body is completely shielded by an obstacle. As a result, they can’t be targeted directly by an attack or spells. While attack rolls won’t work, area-of-effect spells and abilities can still deal damage to creatures with total cover. [8]
    • Examples of total cover: Hiding behind buildings, huge boulders, and tall walls, or closing a door.
    • Breaking an enemy’s line of sight to your PC is key. If they can’t see you, they can’t attack, giving you total cover!
    4. Advertisement
Section 3 of 5:

When to Use Cover

PDF download Download Article
  1. Ranged characters can easily attack from cover, giving them a solid vantage point to strike enemies and protection against retaliation. Spellcasters are easy to hit and don’t have as many hit points, so cover can help them survive even the most intense battles.
    • Ranged spellcasters that could benefit from cover include sorcerers, wizards, and warlocks.
    • Martial ranged classes (like rangers and some fighters and rogues) are a little sturdier, but could still use cover when necessary.
  2. If you’re playing a big, beefy character who specializes in hitting enemies up close, you might not need to take cover often, but you could become cover for a more vulnerable party member. When you take cover yourself, try attacking from behind it (especially if you have a reach weapon like a glaive).
    • You could even trick an enemy melee attacker into becoming cover by navigating until they’re between you and an enemy ranged attacker.
  3. Regardless of your character’s fighting style, sometimes cover just makes sense—especially when too many arrows are raining down on the party. Get to cover when you need time to cast Cure Wounds , drink a potion, or regroup with the party before continuing the fight. [9]
    4. Advertisement
Section 4 of 5:

Does cover interact with other mechanics?

PDF download Download Article
  1. The prone condition means your PC is flat on the ground. It forces ranged attacks against you to be made with disadvantage and it works alongside cover. If your PC is prone and has half-cover, they’ll get a +2 to their AC and ranged enemies will have a harder time hitting them. [10]
    • Disadvantage means rolling a d20 twice and taking the lower result, making attacks less likely to hit.
    • Melee attacks within 5 feet get advantage on prone targets, so a prone PC is extra vulnerable to melee enemies.
    • Advantage means rolling a d20 twice and taking the higher result (so attacks are more likely to hit).
  2. The hide action lets your PC try to conceal themselves from enemies, but they must be outside of an enemy’s vision to do it. Cover uses the same criteria, so finding places to take cover may also help you use the hide action. [11]
    • Rogues, in particular, can use hide as a bonus action and have the Unseen Attacker property, granting them Sneak Attack damage.
    • That makes taking cover (and hiding) especially important for rogues looking to deal extra damage to enemies.
  3. “Dashing” means using an action to move instead of attacking, casting a spell, or doing something else. When an enemy is using one of your allies to get partial cover, your ally can opt to ready a dash action for the moment you attack.
    • When your ally takes the dash action, they drop prone while you attack, then stand back up when you’re done, letting you take a full turn of attacks without being hindered by cover.
    • While this isn’t a very common scenario, your party might be able to use a readied dash this way in confined spaces (where it’s harder to maneuver). [12]
    4. Advertisement
Section 5 of 5:

Dungeon Master Advice

PDF download Download Article
  1. Something that provides half-cover for a large creature might give three-quarters cover to a medium-sized creature (or total cover to a small creature). If there are any objects or terrain landmarks that could be used as cover, be sure you have their sizes, too. [13]
    • Similarly, fighting a huge creature might actually give medium-sized PCs total cover from other enemies.
    • The more aware you are, the easier it’ll be to keep track of battles.
  2. Combat in D&D 5e can become static if your enemies aren’t strategizing or interacting with the terrain. To make fights more interesting, have enemies take cover from PCs and attack them from behind cover. [14]
    • You can also use this to characterize your villains in D&D campaigns. For example, could an evil villain selfishly take cover while their henchmen attack?
  3. The rule for “hitting cover” is optional and found in the Dungeon Master’s Guide . If an attack roll misses a creature behind cover (but would have hit without it), the attack is blocked. If an attack roll beats the armor class of the cover, it hits the cover.
    • Say you have a gnome PC who hides behind a goliath PC. The gnome's AC is 21, and the goliath’s AC is 17. If an enemy rolls a 17 on an attack, it wouldn’t hit your gnome, but it can hit the goliath. They’d take damage in your PC’s place.
    • This rule encourages players to think strategically and protect each other from harm.
    • However, tell players about this rule before using it (since it’s not part of the standard rulebook). [15]
    4. Advertisement

Expert Q&A

Ask a Question
200 characters left
Include your email address to get a message when this question is answered.
Submit
      Advertisement

      Tips

      Submit a Tip
      All tip submissions are carefully reviewed before being published
      Name
      Please provide your name and last initial
      Submit
      Thanks for submitting a tip for review!

      You Might Also Like

      3 Easy Ways to Link Your Console to Your Fortnite Account
      How to
      Connect Switch to a PC: The Ultimate Guide
      The Fastest & Easiest Way to Unlock Full Body Haki in Blox Fruits
      BitLife Model Career Guide: Steps, Elite Gigs, Auditions, & More
      How to
      Do 2-Player Split Screen Mode in Fortnite
      Simple Ways to Get God Human in Blox Fruits
      The Best Fruits in Blox Fruit Ranked
      How to
      Contact PlayStation
      How to
      Do the Saber Expert Puzzle & Get the Saber in Blox Fruits
      Your Comprehensive Guide to Getting Tushita in Blox Fruits
      What Is the Best Race in Blox Fruits & How to Change It?
      Simple Ways to Get Dragon Talon in Blox Fruits
      How to
      Beat Granny
      How to
      Become President in BitLife: Everything You Need To Know
      Advertisement

      References

      1. ↑ https://media.wizards.com/2018/dnd/downloads/DnD_BasicRules_2018.pdf
      2. ↑ https://dndtoolkit.com/rules_clarification/cover/
      3. ↑ https://dndtoolkit.com/rules_clarification/cover/
      4. ↑ https://dndtoolkit.com/rules_clarification/cover/
      5. ↑ https://dndtoolkit.com/rules_clarification/cover/
      6. ↑ https://media.wizards.com/2018/dnd/downloads/DnD_BasicRules_2018.pdf
      7. ↑ https://media.wizards.com/2018/dnd/downloads/DnD_BasicRules_2018.pdf
      8. ↑ https://media.wizards.com/2018/dnd/downloads/DnD_BasicRules_2018.pdf
      9. ↑ https://dndtoolkit.com/rules_clarification/cover/
      1. ↑ https://media.wizards.com/2018/dnd/downloads/DnD_BasicRules_2018.pdf
      2. ↑ https://media.wizards.com/2018/dnd/downloads/DnD_BasicRules_2018.pdf
      3. ↑ https://media.wizards.com/2018/dnd/downloads/DnD_BasicRules_2018.pdf
      4. ↑ https://dumpstatadventures.com/a-players-perspective/lets-talk-tactics-utilizing-cover
      5. ↑ https://dumpstatadventures.com/a-players-perspective/lets-talk-tactics-utilizing-cover
      6. ↑ https://dumpstatadventures.com/a-players-perspective/lets-talk-tactics-utilizing-cover

      About This Article

      Thanks to all authors for creating a page that has been read 8,537 times.

      Did this article help you?

      Advertisement