Sir Brennen
Legend
So, during our last game, the characters were doing some activities out of combat involving a number of skill checks. Someone (player B) asked about helping another player (A) on a check. Looking at the rules ("Working Together", page 59 of the Basic PDF), it seems that all that needs to happen is player B says "I help do X", and player A's roll for skill X automatically has Advantage.
So, it seems that, with occasional exceptions that involve tool proficiency (lockpicking), using the rules as described, characters can have Advantage on certain skill checks All. The. Time.
There's some skills where helping out almost always makes sense (STR check to open a door), some where it never makes sense (STR check to jump a chasm). But Survival to track someone? Arcana to recognize what spell the components you found might be used for? ("No, chicken soup is not one of the magic components, despite what your mother told you.") Don't those seem like you need a fellow adventurer proficient with said skills if they're going to help?
Does this seem okay to everyone? Would you place any limits, like only characters with Proficiency in skill X can give advantage? Or go by 3E's rule, where the aiding character has to make a lower DC roll on the same skill before they can give advantage to the other?
Another question: what skill do you use to find something hidden? It's actually described under Intelligence (Investigation) on page 61 of the Basic PDF, but then there's a sidebar on the same page which only talks about Wisdom (Perception) for finding a hidden object. Under the actual Wisdom (Perception) description on the next page, it doesn't mention finding hidden objects at all. I have a feeling I should just pretend the sidebar refers to Investigation. I already feel like 50% of all skill checks I call for are Perception.
Related to the questions above: are the options to have checks made by multiple characters all interchangeable? For instance, when searching a room, are having each character make individual rolls, have the best "searcher" character make the roll with advantage because the others are helping, or treating all the rolls as a group roll all equally valid approaches? Since this edition lets anyone try almost any skill, proficient or not, do "Working Together" or "Group Rolls" make more sense as an option for the DM rather than having all individual results?
So, it seems that, with occasional exceptions that involve tool proficiency (lockpicking), using the rules as described, characters can have Advantage on certain skill checks All. The. Time.
There's some skills where helping out almost always makes sense (STR check to open a door), some where it never makes sense (STR check to jump a chasm). But Survival to track someone? Arcana to recognize what spell the components you found might be used for? ("No, chicken soup is not one of the magic components, despite what your mother told you.") Don't those seem like you need a fellow adventurer proficient with said skills if they're going to help?
Does this seem okay to everyone? Would you place any limits, like only characters with Proficiency in skill X can give advantage? Or go by 3E's rule, where the aiding character has to make a lower DC roll on the same skill before they can give advantage to the other?
Another question: what skill do you use to find something hidden? It's actually described under Intelligence (Investigation) on page 61 of the Basic PDF, but then there's a sidebar on the same page which only talks about Wisdom (Perception) for finding a hidden object. Under the actual Wisdom (Perception) description on the next page, it doesn't mention finding hidden objects at all. I have a feeling I should just pretend the sidebar refers to Investigation. I already feel like 50% of all skill checks I call for are Perception.
Related to the questions above: are the options to have checks made by multiple characters all interchangeable? For instance, when searching a room, are having each character make individual rolls, have the best "searcher" character make the roll with advantage because the others are helping, or treating all the rolls as a group roll all equally valid approaches? Since this edition lets anyone try almost any skill, proficient or not, do "Working Together" or "Group Rolls" make more sense as an option for the DM rather than having all individual results?
