Cover in D&D 5e (Explained): Half Cover, Three-Quarters, and Total Cover

1 April 2026

You can feel the table wake up the first time someone says, “I step behind the statue, does that help?” Cover is fifth edition’s inexpensive answer: a small defensive bonus for ranged combatants and many Dexterity saves, or a hard stop when line of sight truly breaks.

Players learning the player-side framing can still read this. Then loop to how combat works and advantage/disadvantage for the rest of the puzzle.

The three categories (core bonuses)

Half cover

A target with half cover has a +2 bonus to AC and Dexterity saving throws.

Think half the body obscured, low wall, furniture, a narrow ally in exactly the right awkward spot (GM discretion on allies-as-cover).

Three-quarters cover

Three-quarters cover grants +5 to AC and Dexterity saving throws.

Think most of the body hidden, arrow slits, thick tree trunks, doorjambs used meanly.

Total cover

A target behind total cover can’t be targeted directly by attacks or by many spells that require a clear path / to see the target, fully behind a wall, beyond a closed obstruction that blocks sight and effect lines per your ruling.

Fast adjudication beats geometry debates

At the table, resolve quickly:

• About half hidden → half cover (+2).
• Mostly hidden → three-quarters (+5).
• Can’t reasonably draw line of effect → total cover (no direct targeting).

Consistency within a scene matters more than millimeter simulation.

Why casters quietly love cover too

Fewer clean hits means fewer concentration saves. The defensive line that keeps a banishment or hypnotic pattern honest:

• Concentration explained

If you want faster fights while still using space, pair cover habits with how to run combat faster.