D&D 5E Movement and the Help Action

[Paraxis]

I think rules as written you no longer need to be adjacent to the enemy you are helping your ally hit, or even alive. Same goes for in aiding with ability checks, like in the example of climbing the tree.

I think it depends on the narrative of how you say you are helping, if you describe that you are cupping your hands and going to give your ally a boost up the tree, you are readying your action to help them. If you shouting encouraging words like "You can do it!" from across the room for him to climb the tree than readying the action doesn't matter. Same could be said for the action in combat most of the time it is just you distracting the enemy, I could see the distraction coming from someone who was adjacent a moment ago but is now lying dead on the ground a few yards away.

But, saying all of that, I think it would be not unreasonable to house rule that the Help action must be readied with the trigger of the character you are choosing to Help turns starting.

 

[Henry]

From a RAW perspective, nothing prevents him from doing the action, providing the advantage, and moving away.
From a RAI perspective, I can't see anything unbalancing to it, especially since it can be nagated by doing something to gibe the attacker disadvantage.
From a RAF perspective, I can easily visualize it as a sword thrust to put an opponent on their guard, or a taunt that distracts slightly, or even barrelling through the area just enough to tempt someone into a free swing that misses (dont want to say op attack as opposed to free swing because that has mechanical connotations.)

Then, a second later comes a sword strike or arrow from the Goblin that just lined up his shot while the enemy was distracted.

Keep in mind this is an excellent tactic for a Rogue and Archer Fighter to coordinate on, too, especially if the Rogue can't line up a sneak attack that round.

 

[MarkB]

Just to expand the example, how would you rule if Goblin A approached, used the Help action, stayed there, and was killed by Character Y before Goblin B's turn? Does Goblin B still gain advantage?

 

[Malbet]

For added bonus, let's see what the devs themselves said about this:
http://www.sageadvice.eu/2014/11/03/help-action-2/

The developer's concept it's exactly what I was looking for, so I accept your explanation (and Zedda's) as such.

My aim was to understand what was meant in the beginning, if something is too stretched I can always judge case by case, obviously. I'll try it in the next sessions to see if it sticks to me and my players.

Having played a bit in my way, though, I think it's a good variant if a DM likes it and I didn't find it unbalanced. Anyway it's clearly a minor change.

(By the way, there is no such thing as not interpreting text. We are always interpreting text.)

I totally agree, what I meant was "I'm going for the most plain interpretation, not trying to stretch it"

 

[Sage Genesis]

I totally agree, what I meant was "I'm going for the most plain interpretation, not trying to stretch it"

I understand and I don't think your interpretation is a strange one. Interpreting text can be notoriously treacherous. I also think "natural language" lends itself to misinterpretations more easily. Jargon is invented precisely because it's more precise, but I suppose this isn't the thread for that particular discussion.

 

[Tormyr]

Just to expand the example, how would you rule if Goblin A approached, used the Help action, stayed there, and was killed by Character Y before Goblin B's turn? Does Goblin B still gain advantage?

Absolutely, Goblin A helped by distracting the PC and getting killed while Goblin B stabs the PC in the back. Although I think a goblin would normally run away.

 

[BoldItalic]

My reading of RAW is that you can't move away.

The object of your aid is "a friendly creature attacking a creature within 5 feet of you." If you aren't there, within 5 feet of the target, then your friend isn't doing that. He isn't attacking a creature within 5 feet of you, he's attacking a creature that is not within 5 feet of you and that doesn't qualify.

This agrees with common sense. If you are going to "team up to make your ally's attack more effective", you have to be there on the spot, in a position to "distract the target". Not somewhere in the next room posing no possible threat to the target.

If you move away, the target is entitled to ignore you and concentrate entirely on defending against your friend's attacks on it.

Now, that isn't the dev's intention, as expressed by Jeremy Crawford, so it seems to me that the wording needs to be errata'd.

 

[Sunseeker]

I would rule that you do NOT have to remain within 5 feet/1 square. The help action simply needs to be performed within 5 feet. Though I might house-rule it to be closer or farther depending on what help action you're trying to do.

 

[KarinsDad]

Absolutely, Goblin A helped by distracting the PC and getting killed while Goblin B stabs the PC in the back. Although I think a goblin would normally run away.

Technically from a rules perspective, one could rule the opposite.

The goblin dies. He does not have another turn. So the helped attack did not occur before the dead goblin's next turn, hence, it does not get advantage.

 

[KarinsDad]

This is also why the "flanking" house rule in the DMG is so bad. It combines the Help action with the Attack action. Two actions for the price of one.