@Metalclayman, I am glad it helped! 
About the projectile forcing the character to move problem, you are definitely thinking in the right direction. Off the top of my head, I think that upon spawning, the projectile collides with the character and applies an impulse to it, thus pushing it.
Also recommend having a look at this: How to prevent a projectile being blocked by the instigator - Development / World Creation - Epic Developer Community Forums (unrealengine.com)