Aid Another

[OldAzzDM]

Aid Another: Using aid another (page 154 of the Player's Handbook) is the next best thing to flanking, and combining it with flanking makes for an even greater bonus. Even better, more than one ally can use aid another, and the bonuses stack. If two of the fighter's allies both successfully aid his attack, he gains a +2 bonus from each of them, for a total of +4. If one of those allies also sets up a flanking position, the bonus increases to +6. If a Medium target is completely surrounded by the melee attacker and seven of his allies, and those seven allies aid the attacker's attack, he could enjoy a +16 bonus on his attack roll. Aiding another isn't a guarantee, since each ally still needs to hit AC 10 to successfully contribute, but it becomes fairly consistent at higher levels. Even at lower levels, having a better than 50% chance to add a +2 on an attack roll is still better than no bonus at all.

ok my question is in order for this to work does all the players make the aid rolls at the time the aided player makes his attack or on each individual turn.

 

[shilsen]

ok my question is in order for this to work does all the players make the aid rolls at the time the aided player makes his attack or on each individual turn.

They make the aid rolls on their own turns as a standard action.

 

[Chorn]

All the characters aiding their ally make their attempts on their own turn. So let's say Moe, Larry, and Curly are fighting an orc with the initiative order as follows: Moe, Larry, Curly, orc. Moe and Curly decide to assist Larry in his attack and make their rolls on their respective turns. Assuming Moe succeeds, Larry gets a +2 bonus on his first attack against the orc. He doesn't get another +2 from Curly yet since he hasn't had a chance to make his move.

 

[Demoquin]

Curly will aid Larry on the next round if the orc still lives. (If he wants to aid at all at that point)

 

[Lord Pendragon]

If a Medium target is completely surrounded by the melee attacker and seven of his allies, and those seven allies aid the attacker's attack, he could enjoy a +16 bonus on his attack roll. Aiding another isn't a guarantee, since each ally still needs to hit AC 10 to successfully contribute, but it becomes fairly consistent at higher levels.

At higher levels, those seven allies should have a plethora of options that are more effective than providing a +2 bonus to the fighter. Seriously. Aid Another is nice, but efficient only under a narrow range of circumstances. If you too are a melee fighter whose weapon has been sundered and don't have a spare (shame on you for not having a spare!) If you're a DM's low-level baddie, a goblin, per se, and have no chance of hitting a PC, but have the strength of numbers (surround the PC with goblins, have all but one Aid Another, and they actually become a threat.)

But at mid- to high-levels...Aid Another should be one of your last options, not one of your first.