"Aid Another" on Heal Checks for Disease?

[Alvoros]

Any reasoning behind why you would or would not allow other party characters to aid a healer in performing a heal check to help a character healing from a disease?

From the "Aid Another" section, it states it must be an adjacent ally and ends "if not used by the end of the ally's next turn", which seems to imply some limitiations as to WHEN you can do this - i.e. timing, ineractivity, momentary help etc.

Look now to the heal check for disease where it states:

You must attend the character periodically throughout the extended rest, and you make your Heal check when the rest ends.

Now, this seems to imply the machanics for the Aid Another and the heal check for healing disease don't seem to jive....what would you do?

Basically, I am finding that with most skill checks, if the party has time to Aid Another....checks are virtually always made - i.e. too easy and always seem to be getting a +6 or +8. The balance must be maintained, no?

Alvo

 

[lukelightning]

For something like this I'd allow ONE other character to attempt to aid another. More "doctors", especially untrained ones, would probably hinder the attempt.

 

[Paul Strack]

I agree with Luke. Also, I am considering creating a house rule that Aid Another for skill checks goes against the same DC as the skill check rather than DC 10. That should help keep Aid Another from being over powering.

 

[lukelightning]

I agree with Luke. Also, I am considering creating a house rule that Aid Another for skill checks goes against the same DC as the skill check rather than DC 10. That should help keep Aid Another from being over powering.

That would mean that untrained people have no real chance of succeeding, and if you do succeed in making the DC, you've succeeded in the skill so aiding another is useless.

How about aiding another is the DC minus 5? After all, you aren't, for example, mixing the herbs for the healing poultice, you're just following the healer's instructions.

I was also thinking of some complicated rule about the number of assistants being related to the skill of the prime skill user (because an experienced healer might be able to delegate more assistants better), but quickly realized that is just adding needless complication.

 

[amysrevenge]

I agree with Luke. Also, I am considering creating a house rule that Aid Another for skill checks goes against the same DC as the skill check rather than DC 10. That should help keep Aid Another from being over powering.

Then nobody would EVER aid another - anyone who successfully aids would have succeeded on their own, and been better off making the actual check themselves.

DC - 5 is a good one, if you're worried and want Aid Another to scale with level.

 

[Paul Strack]

How about aiding another is the DC minus 5? After all, you aren't, for example, mixing the herbs for the healing poultice, you're just following the healer's instructions.

Yeah, DC-5 is better. Aid Another should be a bit easier than the base check, but DC-5 would still scale by level.

 

[Alvoros]

Thanks for the suggestions...I will run it by the group and see what they think. I have just been finding that for the most part, if the party has time to "aid", skill checks are virutally always made...almost a given, as each party member has their specialties of course, so the others aiding end up with a base typically in the +15 to +17 range (at 3rd level). Of course, just raising the primary DC would work as well...but I like the -5 option on each aider....

Alvo

 

[Jhaelen]

I've been considering using DC 10 + 1/2 your level.
I.e. your chance of successfully aiding another stays about the same from level 1 to 30. Alternatively, use the Easy column from the table on DMG p.42 (without applying the +5 from the footnote).

The difference to the flat -5 modifier is that the difficulty of the task you're aiding doesn't matter. It's a matter of choice if you consider this a good thing or not.

I'd also like to mention that I originally thought of this house-rule because of the discussion on skill challenges. Under the normal rules it's always the best option if everyone uses aid another. With this change it's still a good option for everyone and pretty much a no-brainer if you're trained in the skill in question.

No matter how you decide to change Aid Another, you should be aware that it will significantly affect the chances of making skill challenges.

 

[Starfox]

10 +1/2 half your level was what I was going to use too, until I realized that this works out to +5 at Paragon Tier, +10 at epic tier. As this is a standard modifier that applies to many parts of the rules, thats what I will use instead.

So, Aid Other DCs:

Heroic Tier: 10
Paragon Tier: 15
Epic Tier: 20