Aiding anther for a skill check?

[Sebastian1992]

How exactly does aiding someone on a skill check work? Do they just roll for a 10 or higher? Thanks for the help.
BTW, no books on me now so I can't check

 

[chitzk0i]

Check page 287 when you get back to your books. It's a DC 10 skill check that gives +2 to your ally's roll.

 

[Syrsuro]

That said - many people dislike the RAW because it means that past 5th level or so aiding others is an automatic success.

A common house rule is to scale the aid another DC to be something like the pre-errata Easy DC on page 42 of the DMG. This makes it a DC of 10 at 1st to 3rd level, increasing from there as the challenge goes up in level.

But as written the DC remains 10 throughout.

Carl

 

[lukelightning]

I'd also limit the number of people who can attempt to aid.

Have to move a heavy boulder? As many people as can get around it can help (more if you have ropes, etc.).

But trying to treat a wound? I think 8 people clustered around the patient all "helping" would do more harm than help, unless they all had the healing skill. In this case I would allow ONE untrained person to attempt to aid another (or more if the players can give a good justification... "I'm directing, Vexxor is keeping the bandages clean, and Darlona is feedint the patient the herbal medicine...).

Diplomacy and other social interactions are one of those sticky areas where I really want to limit aid another. I'm used to seeing it like this:
Player 1: "I bluff the guard to let us through."
Player 2: "I aid another!"
Player 3: "Me too!"
Player 4: "Me three!"

All these people leaping in all of a sudden with actions would not help. Had they planned beforehand, I'd let them help ("Let's bluff the guard with the old "Stormtroopers and captured wookie" routine; Vexxor and I will disguise ourselves as guards, you two can be our prisoners...")

 

[Stalker0]

That said - many people dislike the RAW because it means that past 5th level or so aiding others is an automatic success.

A common house rule is to scale the aid another DC to be something like the pre-errata Easy DC on page 42 of the DMG. This makes it a DC of 10 at 1st to 3rd level, increasing from there as the challenge goes up in level.
Carl

I wouldn't say many or a common rule necessarily. In fact I quite like the concept of the rule. 4e is about teamwork afterall, and especially in combat if I'm giving up my action to help my buddy, its nice to know its going to do something.

The only place this breaks down is in skill challenges, and that is mainly due to the variability inherent to the system. But other than that, I think aid another works just fine.

 

[Syrsuro]

I wouldn't say many or a common rule necessarily. In fact I quite like the concept of the rule. 4e is about teamwork afterall, and especially in combat if I'm giving up my action to help my buddy, its nice to know its going to do something.

The only place this breaks down is in skill challenges, and that is mainly due to the variability inherent to the system. But other than that, I think aid another works just fine.

Why bother with the roll then?

Carl

 

[ValhallaGH]

Why bother with the roll then?

Carl

Because circumstances can make it possible for a character to fail to provide assistance. This is desirable from both plot and narrative directions, so it's good to have the ability to fail built into the system.
Sure, some characters are so amazingly heroic that they can walk a tightrope during a blizard, while fighting ice-spider demons and stabilizing the rope to make it a bit easier for their friends. I don't find this to be a bad thing.


Aside: I simply don't allow Aid Another unless the player describes how the character is participating (or has participated some during social skill checks). Fortunately, most of my players feel the same way, so I don't even have to remind them about it.

 

[Syrsuro]

Because circumstances can make it possible for a character to fail to provide assistance. This is desirable from both plot and narrative directions, so it's good to have the ability to fail built into the system.
Sure, some characters are so amazingly heroic that they can walk a tightrope during a blizard, while fighting ice-spider demons and stabilizing the rope to make it a bit easier for their friends. I don't find this to be a bad thing.

I simply don't allow Aid Another unless the player describes how the character is participating (or has participated some during social skill checks). Fortunately, most of my players feel the same way, so I don't even have to remind them about it.

This doesn't explain "why roll" - it merely places restrictions on who can or cannot aid another. In fact, it may even been seen as providing support for not rolling aid another checks - you determine success or failure based on the circumstances and what the player is trying to do, not random chance.

We aren't talking about characters that are 'so amazingly heroic', we are talking about the fact that it is highly unlikely for a character to fail an aid another check at relatively low level and that it eventually becomes impossible to fail (at a DC 10).

Carl

 

[Runestar]

I wouldn't say many or a common rule necessarily. In fact I quite like the concept of the rule. 4e is about teamwork afterall, and especially in combat if I'm giving up my action to help my buddy, its nice to know its going to do something.

The only place this breaks down is in skill challenges, and that is mainly due to the variability inherent to the system. But other than that, I think aid another works just fine.

Problem is - this just tends to degenerate into the PC with the highest skill check making the roll, and the other PCs using the aid-another option to grant anywhere from +2 to +8 bonus.

In the end, it does not seem any different from the PC making the same roll with the DC that much lower.

 

[James McMurray]

Just thought I'd add that Aid Another isn't always available in Skill Challenges, and when it is it probably won't be the straight DC 10.