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Was playing a game tonight and we were in a hallway, we open a door and there are 3 Enemy NPC's in the room. We had a very overactive tank who immediately said he was going to stand in the doorway and fight the enemies, basically acting as a meatshield, but our DM determined that this meant that all the Enemy NPC's in the room had 1/2 cover.

What can be done in a situation like this where we have a PC in the way of our attacks and refuses to move his character? Is there any action that our characters can take to forcefully/peacefully move him?

What about casting? I don't think I can cast exact target thought him without some penalty, correct?

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    \$\begingroup\$ In 4e, he could lay down, which would eliminate cover, block the square, and add additional incentive for the NPCs to target him (Combat Advantage). I've had meat shields do that for this purpose. \$\endgroup\$
    – schroeder
    Oct 10, 2014 at 15:00
  • \$\begingroup\$ not sure I agree with your DMs call. as chooban said in his answer, you can freely move through allies spaces with no penalty. As a DM i would assume that means any projectiles coming from you would have the same ability. I just read the situation as the characters having said something to get their ally to step aside or duck, etc. \$\endgroup\$
    – MC_Hambone
    Oct 10, 2014 at 17:13
  • \$\begingroup\$ MC_Hambone, Sorry, I misspoke, he let us move through him, but we chose not to, and it left me searching for a rule I could not find, but chooban found the correct passage. \$\endgroup\$
    – Nicholas
    Oct 10, 2014 at 19:08

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On p191 of the PHB, under Moving Around Other Creatures:

You can move through a nonhostile creature's space. In contrast, you can move through a hostile creature's space only if the creature is at least two sizes larger or smaller than you. Remember that another creature's space is difficult terrain for you.

So if it's a member of your party then you can happily move past them, but if you want to make a point, then there's always the Shove action on p195! If one of the other characters is the type to never back down from a fight, then maybe they simply wouldn't stand for being held back, and would push your tank out of the way.

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  • \$\begingroup\$ Any idea on casting? I'm assuming I can't cast thought him, correct? \$\endgroup\$
    – Nicholas
    Oct 10, 2014 at 8:01
  • \$\begingroup\$ @Nicholas No reason you can't cast a spell past a creature. If there's an attack roll, targets will get +2 AC from cover. \$\endgroup\$
    – Bradd Szonye
    Oct 10, 2014 at 8:05
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    \$\begingroup\$ It's important to note that party member's spaces are considered difficult terrain though \$\endgroup\$
    – wax eagle
    Oct 10, 2014 at 10:54
  • \$\begingroup\$ Good point, @waxeagle. Looks like I stopped quoting at exactly the wrong point. \$\endgroup\$
    – chooban
    Oct 10, 2014 at 11:05
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    \$\begingroup\$ Of course you can only move through him if there's an unblocked square on the other side - if the bad guys are lined up at the other side of the door, no go. Of course, the fighter could also declare himself hostile to you... \$\endgroup\$
    – mxyzplk
    Oct 10, 2014 at 11:58
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You could always grapple him and pull him away (p. 195). I'd just shoot through him, half cover isn't that bad -- plus you might bean him a time or two which could help him get your point (pun intended)

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    \$\begingroup\$ It's not in the 5e rules to accidentally hit a creature you didn't aim at, even if they're in melee or providing your target cover \$\endgroup\$
    – Bleep
    Oct 10, 2014 at 12:12
  • \$\begingroup\$ You are absolutely correct, it's not. \$\endgroup\$
    – Perry Tarantine
    Oct 10, 2014 at 15:19
  • \$\begingroup\$ You could just purposely shoot him and say oops. \$\endgroup\$
    – Shadow Radiance
    Nov 14, 2014 at 17:46
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    \$\begingroup\$ @DougM Or you could talk your GM into letting misses from cover hit the cover. It seems entirely reasonable. This post ISN'T tagged rules-as-written, as a note, so this suggestion isn't actually unhelpful/wrong. \$\endgroup\$
    – Please stop being evil
    Nov 15, 2014 at 8:13

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