D&D 5E HELP action automatic? Clarification and thoughts...

[acorn_stasis]

I am wondering if the Help action, taken as an action in combat, is automatic?

To clarify, if a PC or player controlled entity, like a familiar for example, can take the Help action then there is no DM ruling or consideration required on whether you can in fact "help" in these particular circumstances?

I bring this up because of considerations like the following. Ok, I Help him with his sneaking {dex (Stealth) check}. Possible DM response: Yeah how, exactly, do you do that? Ok, I move my invisible familiar here (within 5 feet of the attacked creature) and Help Goosh (the Fighter). Possible DM response: Yeah how, exactly, does your invisible familiar do that?

The PHB RAW are on p. 192:

When you take your action on your turn, you can take one of the actions presented here...

When you describe an action not detailed elsewhere in the rules, the DM tells you whether that action is possible...

Help is in fact presented and detailed in the rules so I would assume that even if it sounds odd or implausible that my expenditure of an action can in some way help, the fact that I can mechanically expend the Help action is enough to grant advantage.

If you could please educate me with your thoughts and experiences of using/adjudicating Help in game so I understand better or more fully I would be grateful. Thanks.

 

[Li Shenron]

If you could please educate me with your thoughts and experiences of using/adjudicating Help in game so I understand better or more fully I would be grateful. Thanks.

Working Together

Sometimes two or more characters team up to attempt a task. The character who's leading the effort--or the one with the highest ability modifier--can make an ability check with advantage, reflecting the help provided by the other characters. In combat, this requires the Help action.
A character can only provide help if the task is one that he or she could attempt alone. For example, trying to open a lock requires proficiency with thieves' tools, so a character who lacks that proficiency can't help another character in that task. Moreover, a character can help only when two or more individuals working together would actually be productive. Some tasks, such as threading a needle, are no easier with help.

Help

You can lend your aid to another creature in the completion of a task. When you take the Help action, the creature you aid gains advantage on the next ability check it makes to perform the task you are helping with, provided that it makes the check before the start of your next turn.
Alternatively, you can aid a friendly creature in attacking a creature within 5 feet of you. You feint, distract the target, or in some other way team up to make your ally's attack more effective. If your ally attacks the target before your next turn, the first attack roll is made with advantage.

Since it's up to the DM to decide if you can attempt the task alone in the first place AND if working together would be productive, then the answer is no, you cannot assume you can always grant advantage with the Help action.

 

[5ekyu]

As pointed out by Li Shenron the working together gives a wide latitude for the Gm to be reasonable about these things.

Additionally a Gm can require any given task to require proficiency so that is another level of filtering for say things like deep research help and such.

But for the combat benefit itself, i am pretty liberal with it being able to be done... after all it can be as simple as a distraction. Given the loss of an action that could have been combat, its something i like to encourage for PCs instead of discourage.

As for a familiar, they are acting independently and i generally treat the obey commands a not the same as specific direction of maneuvers in combat (unless a bonus action is spent like it works with many summons/pet type effects..)

So for combat, i see it as a good option for tactical play to be encourage. For out of combat when it makes sense it works well to involve others and encourage teamwork but has enough openings for sensible restrictions to keep it in line.

It also is a great way to resolve "gang rolls."

 

[acorn_stasis]

Working Together... thanks. That makes things way clearer. It also makes Help a lot more specific and restricted than a reading of the PHB suggested to me.

Does this mean I would lose an action in combat, if say I Help but my Help does nothing according to the DM...? Ouch that would hurt!

 

[5ekyu]

Working Together... thanks. That makes things way clearer. It also makes Help a lot more specific and restricted than a reading of the PHB suggested to me.

Does this mean I would lose an action in combat, if say I Help but my Help does nothing according to the DM...? Ouch that would hurt!

You and your gm should be on same page on what can be helped before you try. Its not a mystery you have to guess at, right?

Sent from my VS995 using EN World mobile app

 

[Ganymede81]

Yeah, just say, "Would I be able to help my companion in this particular situation?"

 

[ad_hoc]

Working Together... thanks. That makes things way clearer. It also makes Help a lot more specific and restricted than a reading of the PHB suggested to me.

Does this mean I would lose an action in combat, if say I Help but my Help does nothing according to the DM...? Ouch that would hurt!

If a DM doesn't have you choose another action instead, find a new DM.

Also the part about requiring that the creature helping can do it on its own is in conflict with Jeremy Crawford's ruling on it:

https://www.sageadvice.eu/2015/12/21/can-a-familiar-use-the-help-action/

Daniel Cherry [MENTION=51037]cher[/MENTION]idanTGS

[MENTION=4036]Jeremy[/MENTION]ECrawford Can a familiar use the Help action to grant advantage on an attack?

Jeremy Crawford [MENTION=4036]Jeremy[/MENTION]ECrawford

[MENTION=51037]cher[/MENTION]idanTGS It can!
2:17 PM - Nov 12, 2015


I think that is rubbish so I don't allow it (unless it is the Warlock's improved familiar).

 

[5ekyu]

If a DM doesn't have you choose another action instead, find a new DM.

Also the part about requiring that the creature helping can do it on its own is in conflict with Jeremy Crawford's ruling on it:

https://www.sageadvice.eu/2015/12/21/can-a-familiar-use-the-help-action/

Daniel Cherry [MENTION=51037]cher[/MENTION]idanTGS

[MENTION=4036]Jeremy[/MENTION]ECrawford Can a familiar use the Help action to grant advantage on an attack?

Jeremy Crawford [MENTION=4036]Jeremy[/MENTION]ECrawford

[MENTION=51037]cher[/MENTION]idanTGS It can!
2:17 PM - Nov 12, 2015


I think that is rubbish so I don't allow it (unless it is the Warlock's improved familiar).

The familar is not allowed to attack but can "take other actions as normal".

The help action divides its use between its skill check use and its alternative combat use.

The help action is another action, not an attack and describes it as "feint, distract or otherwise team up".

so i do not see that ruling by Jeremy as a direct conflict with the rules in Working Together, Help and Familiar at all.

The snake could not help with say arcana or healing checks but might be able to help with tracking.

Distraction... Yeah that seems right up a snake's alley.

Sent from my VS995 using EN World mobile app

 

[Cap'n Kobold]

Working Together... thanks. That makes things way clearer. It also makes Help a lot more specific and restricted than a reading of the PHB suggested to me.

Does this mean I would lose an action in combat, if say I Help but my Help does nothing according to the DM...? Ouch that would hurt!

If a DM doesn't have you choose another action instead, find a new DM.

Also the part about requiring that the creature helping can do it on its own is in conflict with Jeremy Crawford's ruling on it:

https://www.sageadvice.eu/2015/12/21/can-a-familiar-use-the-help-action/

Daniel Cherry [MENTION=51037]cher[/MENTION]idanTGS

[MENTION=4036]Jeremy[/MENTION]ECrawford Can a familiar use the Help action to grant advantage on an attack?

Jeremy Crawford [MENTION=4036]Jeremy[/MENTION]ECrawford

[MENTION=51037]cher[/MENTION]idanTGS It can!
2:17 PM - Nov 12, 2015


I think that is rubbish so I don't allow it (unless it is the Warlock's improved familiar).

They're not technically in conflict: The Working Together option is in the skills section, whereas the combat Help action is a different option, in the combat section. Hence why Jeremy clarified that you don't need to be able to attack yourself in order to take the help action to aid another's attack.

I'd personally probably houserule it the same as you though.

 

[Charlaquin]

Working Together... thanks. That makes things way clearer. It also makes Help a lot more specific and restricted than a reading of the PHB suggested to me.

Does this mean I would lose an action in combat, if say I Help but my Help does nothing according to the DM...? Ouch that would hurt!

Theoretically yes, but it would be pretty poor DM etiquette to say “Ok, you try to help but it does nothing” instead of “In this situation your help won’t be of any use, would you like to take a different action instead?”