Cover in 5e: Half, Three-Quarters and Total Cover Explained
Cover in 5e protects a target hiding behind an obstacle. Half cover, such as a low wall or another creature, gives +2 to AC and Dexterity saving throws. Three-quarters cover, like an arrow slit, gives +5. Total cover means the target can't be targeted directly by an attack or spell at all. Only the best cover applies.
How does cover work in 5e?
Cover is anything solid between an attacker and a target that makes the target harder to hit: walls, trees, furniture, wagons, even other creatures. The more of the target the obstacle blocks, the bigger the bonus. Cover only helps if the attack or effect comes from the other side of the obstacle.
The rules for cover are the same in the 2014 and 2024 Player's Handbooks. There are three degrees:
| Cover | How much is blocked | Benefit | Examples |
|---|---|---|---|
| Half cover | At least half of the target | +2 to AC and Dexterity saving throws | Low wall, large table, narrow tree trunk, another creature |
| Three-quarters cover | About three-quarters of the target | +5 to AC and Dexterity saving throws | Arrow slit, portcullis, thick tree trunk |
| Total cover | Completely concealed | Can't be targeted directly by an attack or spell | Behind a solid wall or closed door |
If a target is behind more than one thing, the bonuses don't stack. It gets the single most protective degree of cover.
How much does cover change your chance to hit?
Each point of AC removes one face of the d20, or 5 percentage points. Here is an attacker with +5 to hit against a target with AC 15:
| Target's cover | Effective AC | Needs on the d20 | Chance to hit |
|---|---|---|---|
| None | 15 | 10 or higher | 55% |
| Half | 17 | 12 or higher | 45% |
| Three-quarters | 20 | 15 or higher | 30% |
| Total | – | Can't be targeted | 0% |
Three-quarters cover nearly halves the attacker's chances in this example. A natural 20 still hits through half or three-quarters cover. Cover and disadvantage can apply at the same time, which makes a shot much harder; see advantage and disadvantage.
Does cover help with saving throws?
Only Dexterity saving throws. Half cover adds +2 and three-quarters cover adds +5 to a Dex save against an effect coming from the far side of the cover. It doesn't help with Strength, Constitution, Wisdom or other saves. More on how saves work in saving throws in 5e.
Take a creature with +2 Dexterity facing a Fireball with DC 15:
- No cover: it needs a 13 on the d20, a 40% chance to halve the damage.
- Half cover: it needs an 11, a 50% chance.
- Three-quarters cover: it needs an 8, a 65% chance.
For area spells, the cover is judged from the spell's point of origin, not from the caster.
What is total cover?
A target with total cover is completely hidden behind an obstacle. You can't target it directly with an attack or with a spell that needs a target, such as Magic Missile. Area effects can still reach it if the area wraps around or extends past the obstacle, for example a Fireball whose point of origin is placed on the same side of the wall as the target. Total cover usually also means the attacker can't see the target.
Do creatures give cover in 5e?
Yes. A creature standing between the attacker and the target gives half cover, and it doesn't matter whose side that creature is on. This comes up constantly:
- Archers behind the front line: if your fighter is directly between you and the goblin, the goblin gets +2 AC against your arrows.
- Monsters in a crowd: a bugbear behind two goblins gets half cover from your ranged attacks.
- Your own allies: a wizard tucked behind the party's paladin is harder for enemy archers to hit.
Many DMs only apply creature cover when the line of fire clearly crosses another creature's space. A small step to the side often clears it. Spells that need an attack roll, like Eldritch Blast or Guiding Bolt, are affected the same way as arrows, while spells with no attack roll and no Dexterity save, such as Magic Missile, simply ignore the AC bonus.
How do you decide cover on a grid?
The DM makes the final call, but the Dungeon Master's Guide offers an optional method for battle maps:
- Pick one corner of the attacker's square (or the point of origin of an area effect).
- Draw imaginary lines from that corner to each of the four corners of one square the target occupies.
- If one or two lines are blocked by an obstacle or creature, the target has half cover.
- If three or four lines are blocked but the attack can still reach the target, it has three-quarters cover.
The attacker gets to choose the most favorable corner, so a careful player can sometimes find a clear angle.
What ignores cover?
- Sharpshooter: ranged weapon attacks ignore half and three-quarters cover (2014 and 2024).
- Spell Sniper: spell attack rolls ignore half and three-quarters cover (ranged spell attacks only in 2014).
- Sacred Flame: the target gets no benefit from cover on its save. See Sacred Flame.
- Moving: the simplest answer. Stepping around a pillar costs movement but can remove the bonus entirely.
Nothing lets a normal attack target a creature behind total cover; you have to change the angle or use an area effect.
Can you hide behind cover?
Cover also matters for Stealth. In the 2024 rules, the Hide action requires that you be heavily obscured or behind three-quarters or total cover, and out of any enemy's line of sight. Half cover is not enough to hide. The 2014 rules are looser: you can't hide from a creature that can see you clearly, and the DM decides whether your hiding spot works.
This creates a useful split. Half cover makes you harder to hit but leaves you visible. Three-quarters cover both protects you and, under the 2024 rules, lets a Rogue Hide for advantage on the next attack. Total cover blocks attacks entirely but also blocks your own line of sight, so you have to step out to strike back.
FAQ
Do creatures give cover in 5e?
Yes. Any creature between the attacker and the target, whether it is an ally or an enemy, gives the target half cover. This is why shooting past your own front line is harder.
Does cover stack in 5e?
No. If a target is behind several things, it uses only the most protective one. Two creatures in the way still give just half cover.
Does cover help against Fireball?
It can. Cover adds to Dexterity saving throws, so a creature behind a low wall from the blast point gets +2 on its save. Total cover from the point of origin keeps the area from reaching it.
What ignores cover in 5e?
The Sharpshooter feat ignores half and three-quarters cover for ranged weapon attacks, and Spell Sniper does the same for spell attack rolls. Sacred Flame says its target gets no benefit from cover.
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Contains content from the System Reference Document 5.1 and 5.2 by Wizards of the Coast LLC, used under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.