Taking 20 & Cooperation/Combining Skill Attempts

[Dax Doomslayer]

Hi Folks,
I was just wondering what your take on Taking 20 and having someone "aid" or "cooperate" with that person to give them a +2. Is this allowed when anyone is Taking 20? Would it be the person makes his roll and despite the outcome has to take the same amount of time trying to help? Any comments / feedback is appreciated. Thanks.

 

[Elder-Basilisk]

Yes, it is allowed. Taking twenty is just shorthand for rolling a bunch of times anyway. So if you can do it once and you can try again you can take twenty.

Of course, the assister will generally need to spend the same amount of time as the guy taking 20 in order to assist. If you're assisting someone who's bashing in a door for instance, you're going to have to stay and swing the battering ram for as long as the first guy does. . . .

 

[gtJormungand]

The simpler way is for the assiter to Take 10, which (unless they have a negative modifier) will guarentee the assistance for the person actually taking 20.

 

[Dax Doomslayer]

Unfortunately, one can not take 10 when trying to aid / cooperate with a skill check. If you look on page 66 of the PHB (first full sentence on that page) it specifically states you can not do that. Otherwise, it would be almost automatic!

Anyways, thanks for the responses . . .It was kind of what I figured but wasn't definitely sure.