Maximum lifting capacity for multiple lifters?

To all DM's out there...

If you had someone (a creature, player, or monster) making an ability check, and other creatures (or players or monsters etc) wanted to help that someone perform that ability check would you use the standard "Aid Another" rules as applicable to ability checks?

"AID ANOTHER FOR ABILITY CHECKS
You can help an ally achieve success on an ability check
by using aid another, taking the same amount of time that
the ability check normally requires. To do so, you make the
same kind of ability check, simulating a cooperative effort.
You must roll for the check—you can't take 10 or 20. If the
result of your check is 10 or higher, the ally you're helping
receives a +2 bonus on the ability check. You're essentially
providing favorable conditions."

For example, if Player A wants to lift an extremely heavy block of stone. Players B, C, and D, want to aid him. Would you have Player A make a Strength check, and then have Players B-D make "Aid Another" checks to see if they are able to provide lifting assistance, OR, would you simply have all players combine their Strengths, and use that number for determining how much they can lift?

If yes, why? and if not, why?

As I see it it comes down to one of two real options:

1) Use standard "Aid Another for Ability Checks" rules for determining how much they can lift.

-OR-

2) All players/creatures combine their Strengths, and use that number for determining how much they can lift. In other words, PC #1 has a 13 Strength, PC #2 has a 14 Str, PC #3 has a 16 Str. Add what each of those PC's can lift together to get a total lifting capacity of 550 pounds.

I am leaning towards using standard Aid Another rules for this but want to see if anyone has a strong argument the other way before I make a ruling for my campaign.

3) Do it like it's done in real life. Divide the weight among the lifters.

ainatan said:

3) Do it like it's done in real life. Divide the weight among the lifters.

Click to expand...

How is my #2 not the same as your #3? I probably worded it poorly by saying "combine their strength" when I meant, add up the combined total of what they all can lift. With that said, how is that different from what you said?

I think there is a significant difference, jreyst. And it is a difference which once understood makes me desire your #2 to the proposed #3. Let's take 2 people. One can lift 150 lbs. while the other can lift only a meager 50 lbs. It is reasonable to assume that so long as they do not need to share the weight equally they should be able to lift a 200 lb object. And, they should.

However, using method #3 implies that each person has to try to lift 100 lbs. Sure, that is easily done by the one who can lift 150 lbs. But it is impossible for the one who can only lift 50 lbs. So using this method implies that the 200 lb object remains unlifted. In my book, this would be the wrong decision so long as the two lifters do not need to share the burden equally.

DISCLAIMER: #3 in its original does not say divide theweight equally. But if you are dividing the weightany way but equally, why wouldn't you do a sum as suggested in #2. Because, after all, most people can add far more quickly and accurately than they can subtract.

I'd add up the total carrying capacity of each individual person lifting the object.

In the case of uneven Strength values, I'd just gloss over it. Yes it's perhaps unrealistic. It's also pointless detail in 99% of situations.

jreyst said:

. With that said, how is that different from what you said?

Click to expand...

Now that you made it clearer, it's pretty much the same thing.

If they're trying to lift something of a certain weight, each character adds their maximum lifting capacity to the total. A bench presser whose strength has given out can easily lift the bar back up to the rack with the tiniest tug from the spotter (I've spotted for people who bench press 300+ lbs., and I can barely do 100 myself, including the bar). As said above, as long as the weight doesn't need to be evenly distributed for some reason (a very heavy bowl of acid would need to be kept level)... Note however that lifting a couch up a flight of stairs can be awkward if one person is particularly weak for lifting that sort of object.

If, on the other hand, the target effort is in the form of a Strength DC (such as forcing a stone door), have all participating characters roll Strength checks, with the highest result being the leader and all other checks of 10 or higher adding +2 to the leader's result.

Easy way: each extra person adds the standard +2.

More complex way: If you want to model real-world physics, each extra person would reduce the weight of the item by 1/4 (present weight, not total). So, for instance, you're trying to haul a 200-pound comrade off the battlefield. You alone would have to bear all 200 pounds; an extra person would reduce the weight to 150; a third would reduce it to 110, etc. This means that the second person could help ONLY if he can carry 150 pounds (not 200); likewise, a third could help ONLY if he could carry 110. This is what I use for my variant encumbrance system regarding containers (check down a few threads - I posted it last week, though I didn't post that part of it).