Rystil Arden said:
It's still not clear to me that Aid Another is supposed to be usable in a Skill Challenge. At least, if it is allowable, then they've put in some redundantly pointless options, since as you said, Aid Another is quickly an auto-success (and the options they include for + or - 2 are Easy Checks, which can usually still fail at least some of the time).
Exactly. I don't think it is allowed. It goes against the stated goal of having multiple players participate. If we're just seeing how high the main skill guy can roll, why are we even engaged in an initiative situation. I don't think most people are parsing the words carefully. It's as clear as it can get without specifically stating that Aid Another isn't allowed.
DMG p74 said:
In a skill challenge encounter, every player character must make skill checks to contribute to the success or failure of the encounter. Characters must make a check on their turn using one of the identified primary skills (usually with a moderate DC) or they must use a different skill, if they can come up with a way to use it to contribute to the challenge (with a hard DC).
DMG p76 said:
Skill challenges require the players to make rolls at specific times. Call for these checks according to the pace of the narrative and the nature of the challenge. This might be each round on their turns, during each short or extended rest, or some other time frame as determined by the challenge in question. Skill checks usually count as successes or failures for the challenge, but sometimes a specific use of a certain skill in a challenge just provides a minor benefit or penalty.
This says to players are required to make skill checks. Aid Another is a standard action on p.287 in the PHB that allows you to aid another character's skill check. Aid another is not a skill check, it's another type of action. Depending on how the DM is running the encounter, he may allow you to Aid Another in ADDITION to the required skill check, but I would think that would be mentioned if it were an option, and it would require the other actions in the challenge to be considered the equivalent of a move action.
Not only that, but even if Aid Another were considered to be a skill check, then it would automatically also have consequences for failure. True, it's dirt easy with a DC 10, but I don't think that's being accounted for.
The only skills that don't have consequences for failure are the ones specifically listed in the skill challenge, and those provide a -2 on a failed roll (and not with a DC 10, mind you). Why would that option be present if Aid Another were allowed, when it's automatically superior?
It seems clear to me that if you're involved in a skill challenge, you have no choice but to roll and risk failure. That's not to say that everyone in the party must be involved in the skill challenge. If the Ranger is running a good 50 feet ahead of the party tracking, he's the only one making checks. If other people are making checks too, they run the risk of stomping over important clues, and ruining things, unless the DM wants there to be a specific option for them to aid him.If you talk at the Duke's dinner, you run the risk of ticking him off - simple. If you're running the Urban Chase challenge, you're either chasing or you're not.
Finally, it's obvious that Aid Another has a significant effect on the numbers if allowed, with its easy DC 10. If it's allowed in a skill challenge, why isn't there even one mention of it as a valid tactic in the text? It should be noted that, in the example, Kathra's +2 granted to an ally seems to be a bonus granted by a DM who liked her response, as her success is still tallied as one of the group's successes, thus it isn't an Aid Another action. Also, it would have had to be a Bluff check, rather than a History check to work as an Aid Another.
I think it's clear that you can't Aid Another to skip out on your skill check. If a skill is specifically listed as having not counting as a failure and granting bonuses, such as Perception in the Urban Chase challenge, that's the only option.