Adjucating ranged attacks in forests

[Laharal]

Hello, I'm currently starting a new 3.5 game and a situation in which I was always unsure how to judge is the following example:

PC has line of sight on a monster let's say 100 feet away. Between them are some trees (statues, graves, billboards , any kind of cover or partial cover, name it). Normally one has to stand directly behind on in a square to get cover bonuses.

However, if I imagine shooting at a target in a clearing but with trees/stuff between us, it is obvious and important to me that this LOS clutter is taken into account.

I'd give a penalty to the shooter (be it a ray or an arrow) equal to each object cover bonus in the trajectory (so each small tree would give a -2 penalty, -4 for each object providing standard cover, and the like).

Thus, shooting through a small patch of forest would result in a important penalty.

What to you guys think?
As Wotc ever stated on this kind of situation

Many thanks ina dvance

[Lord Vukodlak]

Normally one has to stand directly behind on in a square to get cover bonuses.

No that is completely and totally untrue. For low obstacles and cover the target needs to be within 30ft of the obstacle to benefit from cover.(and if your closer then the target you can ignore it). However if you using bow and targeting an orc 1,000ft away and there is a big tree directly between the two of you at the half way point The Orc has cover.

To determine whether your target has cover from your ranged attack, choose a corner of your square. If any line from this corner to any corner of the target’s square passes through a square or border that blocks line of effect or provides cover, or through a square occupied by a creature, the target has cover (+4 to AC).

For a shooting through a forest don't start stacking cover bonuses, Remember an Arrow slit is considered Improved Cover +8 AC. So just have the cover bonus be between +2 and +8 depending on how many trees are between the two. If the forest is dense enough to provide more then that then line of effect is broken.

[Slipperychicken]

In Pathfinder, any square with undergrowth provides Concealment (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/skills/stealth). Not sure if it's the case in 3.5, but it seems a reasonable rule regardless.