NOW LIVE! Today's the day you meet your new best friend. You don’t have to leave Wolfy behind... In 'Pets & Sidekicks' your companions level up with you!

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Message: <blockquote data-quote="doctorbadwolf" data-source="post: 7552251" data-attributes="member: 6704184">I'd say that there are many times where a non proficient person can easily help, because helping someone with a task doesn't necessarily mean doing the same thing they're doing. For instance, when my sailor character is navigating a river in a small craft that normally requires two people, my wife's unskilled goliath ranger used her Athletics to help me, negating the disadvantage I'd have had from piloting a two person boat solo. Another time, we had a small crew on a vessel, my wife was scouting ahead of us for obstacles, and my superior knowledge of the river let me help her in her Perception checks, which in turn gave the the oarsmen and pilot avoid dangers and get us there quickly and safely on the swift moving springtime river. Other times, providing physical leverage, performing feats of strength, playing music, getting a bar crowd singing a loud song, various knowledge skills, even cooking a filling but light meal to provide day-long energy without sluggishness, and all kinds of other things, have allowed teamwork to provide Advantage, or negate Disadvantage, out of combat. Some stuff just can't be done without teamwork, as well. I don't think it necessary to be proficient in the same skill being used, is the point. I'd add to this that it is often better to simply ask, "What are you doing to help?". Because sometimes what will meaningfully contribute isn't covered by a specific skill. IMO 1 is a bad rule, though in the right spirit. I don't need someone to be able to enchant weapons to help me make a magic sword, I just need them to be able to help me make the process more efficient and make up for my shortcomings, like my gnome's lowish (12) strength and size (4ft), and lack of swordsmithing experience. He can do the alchemy of preparing the additives to the steel, prepare the tools to carve the runes into the still hot fuller and do the carving, and channel the magical energies, but it is going to take a lot longer and be harder if he has to rely on magic to shape the physical weapon, and so a sword smith, and a strong person with good timing and ability to follow directions (smith's apprentice or another party member) can reasonably help him, as can anyone who can grind herbs and other ingredients, following detailed instructions, boils liquids, etc, someone who knows their dyes, etc. The more I can delegate to competent people within their competency, the easier my task is. Of course, in this example, we're using a houserule that puts ability checks into the magic item crafting process. Also, we like to use a variant where whenever you help someone with a task, you both roll a d20, and apply the "point" person's modifiers to the higher roll. Just a fun houserule that makes the helper feel more involved.</blockquote>

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