Can a creature take 1/2 (or even 3/4) cover inside a bag of holding?

[Damon_Tor]

Consider: one member of your party is carrying a bag of holding. You sit inside it: not all the way inside it, just with your arms and head poking out of it so you can swing your weapons or cast spells.

A large portion of your body would be safe inside the bag, untargetable by enemies, effectively giving you as much as +5 to your AC and dex saves.

Someone tell me why this wouldn't work?

Scenario 2: a spellcaster casts "fly" on himself, then he steps into the bag of holding and pulls it up to his armpits, then straps it over his shoulders. He can fly around as he pleases with the vast majority of his body safe from attack.

Scenario 3: A gnome battlesmith artificer has a bipedal steel defender he's been using as a "mech" mount anyway when he gets this idea. He uses one of his infusions to make a bag of holding and he builds it into the mech where he normally sits, putting most of his torso safe inside a pocket dimension and massively boosting his AC.

I have to assume someone has already thought of this because it seems obvious in retrospect. Someone please tell me why it shouldn't work so I can get on with my life. Thank you.

[JNAProductions]

A Bag Of Holding isn’t superbly durable.

Normally, PC gear isn’t targeted-no one wants to track how much pants you lose to a fire spell.
When you’re using it as cover, it’s going to get targeted, and destroyed in short order.

[Damon_Tor]

A Bag Of Holding isn’t superbly durable.

Normally, PC gear isn’t targeted-no one wants to track how much pants you lose to a fire spell.
When you’re using it as cover, it’s going to get targeted, and destroyed in short order.

Still seems like it might be worth it for an artificer infusion, which can just be recreated the next day.

[kingcheesepants]

Still seems like it might be worth it for an artificer infusion, which can just be recreated the next day.

The problem isn't that you're losing the bag, it's that everything in the bag is scattered randomly throughout the astral plane when it's pierced. Unless you've got some really easy access to plane shift that makes the hide halfway inside a bag of holding plan a no go if you want to continue adventuring with everyone.

[JellyPooga]

The notion of my nethers being scattered to the astral is a new nightmare that will plague my dreams. I, for one, would not be taking that risk.

Tactically, it's also not great. Unless you have someone carrying the sack around for you, you've made yourself stationary. At least is we assume getting in or out of the bag requires more than movement. As GM, I would rule that it's at least an object interaction, but more probably a bonus action or action, depending on the size of the character attempting it. Being stationary (AKA restrained) is not the end of the world, but it is a significant limitation.

I'm not sure I would let scenario 2 fly (pun intended) the way you intend. If nothing else, because it looks too spoofy for the style of games I enjoy. Scenario 3 I'd let pass to skirt the immobile problem, but would very much make getting out of your "tank" an issue in cases where you want to do it in a hurry.

[JonBeowulf]

2 feet in diameter isn't very big. A sizable percentage of adults wouldn't be able to squeeze in there naked much less with adventuring gear on. Since character height and weight is whatever you want it to be, you could make a barbarian with the physique of a runway model if you want and wear a BoH as a skirt.

[JellyPooga]

2 feet in diameter isn't very big. A sizable percentage of adults wouldn't be able to squeeze in there naked much less with adventuring gear on. Since character height and weight is whatever you want it to be, you could make a barbarian with the physique of a runway model if you want and wear a BoH as a skirt.

If we're talking waistlines, a 2' diameter is equal to a 6.28' belt size (which is approximately 72"). Roughly, that's more than twice the male (human) average. Even in full harness, a large majority of humans or races of human-like proportion, would be able to fit in that. They're not jumping in an out freely; it's a flexible circumference and that makes getting in and out a bit harder, but a 2x4' sack is a standard "sack race" potato sack; more than big enough to fit a person in, at least up to the waist.

If we're talking shoulders, again, the average male shoulder breadth is about 17", which should fit inside a 24" diameter fairly easily.

By the rules, a creature can squeeze through a space large enough for a creature one size smaller, which means a medium creature still requires a 5ft gap (which is that required for a small creature), so they'd have to "wear" a bag of holding, which would imply using the rules for donning/doffing armour rather than movement, but they could certainly fit the space by physical dimension.

addendum: I have to wonder; if you're standing in a BoH, what are you standing on? Your legs and perhaps lower torso are suspended in the extradimensional space, but are they in contact with anything? I might rule that you count as prone. In addition, what's stopping you from either falling further into the extradimensional space or from "falling" out of it? Keeping the bag around your waist or chest without a belt or girdle might require a free hand.

[JonBeowulf]

If we're talking waistlines, a 2' diameter is equal to a 6.28' belt size (which is approximately 72"). Roughly, that's more than twice the male (human) average. Even in full harness, a large majority of humans or races of human-like proportion, would be able to fit in that. They're not jumping in an out freely; it's a flexible circumference and that makes getting in and out a bit harder, but a 2x4' sack is a standard "sack race" potato sack; more than big enough to fit a person in, at least up to the waist.

If we're talking shoulders, again, the average male shoulder breadth is about 17", which should fit inside a 24" diameter fairly easily.
<snip>

I gotta stop posting so early in the morning. I took the 2' diameter line and then mentally pulled it into a circle... making a 2' circumference.

Doing the math on that gives you ~7.5" diameter which is WAY too small (even for a runway model).

[Slipjig]

The problem isn't that you're losing the bag, it's that everything in the bag is scattered randomly throughout the astral plane when it's pierced. Unless you've got some really easy access to plane shift that makes the hide halfway inside a bag of holding plan a no go if you want to continue adventuring with everyone.

"Everything in the bag" in this case including the character's legs. Sure, go ahead and do that. [Evil DM grin]

I might let #1 or #3 happen, but I'd probably also allow the artificer to just build a waist-high well turret into his mount. But I'd definitely say anybody taking advantage of this gets no Dex modifier to their AC. For riding another player, I'd probably also say no melee attacks with any weapons bigger than a dagger, and no ranged weapons bigger than a hand crossbow. Your FOV would also be limited to whatever is BEHIND the character you are riding (unless the bag is in front, Baby Bjorn style), so you'll have some serious LOS issues.

[P. G. Macer]

Do you want to become the Bagman from VRGR? Because that's how you get the Bagman from VRGR.

[Damon_Tor]

Unless you've got some really easy access to plane shift that makes the hide halfway inside a bag of holding plan a no go if you want to continue adventuring with everyone.

Assuming you're native to the material plane, the banishment spell is the better choice for easy returns from being lost in strange planes.

[JackPhoenix]

Assuming you're native to the material plane, the banishment spell is the better choice for easy returns from being lost in strange planes.

Banishment, unlike Plane Shift, doesn't let you pick where will you end up when you get kicked back to your home plane. There are no safeguards against appearing mid-air, in the middle of an ocean, or on the opposite end of the world from where you were before.

[Damon_Tor]

Banishment, unlike Plane Shift, doesn't let you pick where will you end up when you get kicked back to your home plane. There are no safeguards against appearing mid-air, in the middle of an ocean, or on the opposite end of the world from where you were before.

Interesting. So what happens if you ready Banishment, cast Blink, then banish yourself once blink takes you to the ethereal plane? There are plenty of "anywhere but here" situations where a totally random teleport would be just the thing.

[JNAProductions]

Interesting. So what happens if you ready Banishment, cast Blink, then banish yourself once blink takes you to the ethereal plane? There are plenty of "anywhere but here" situations where a totally random teleport would be just the thing.

A 3rd and 4th level spell combo that's tough to pull off with anything approaching reliability in combat that just serves as an "Anywhere but here" thing...
Seems fine to me. I'd allow that combo to work.