Strength checks and Aid Another

[Doc_Outlands]

I'm setting up a situation where the PCs and NPCs have to work together to physically pull down a fence/cage. They are escaping from a 10'x15' cage. This has brought up two questions:

- How many people can effectively pull on a given section of fence?
The PG has rules for squeezing through an occupied square, but that appears to apply only in combat.

- How, exactly, does Aid Another work on a STR check?
My first guess is that the strongest player rolls against the target DC and adds their STR modifier, then for every assistant who makes a STR check against a DC10, the main character gets a +2 to their score to beat the DC of the cage wall.

[Robert Brambley]

Doc_Outlands wrote:

- How many people can effectively pull on a given section of fence?
The PG has rules for squeezing through an occupied square, but that appears to apply only in combat.

- How, exactly, does Aid Another work on a STR check?
My first guess is that the strongest player rolls against the target DC and adds their STR modifier, then for every assistant who makes a STR check against a DC10, the main character gets a +2 to their score to beat the DC of the cage wall.

As for aiding another on the check, that's exactly the way I've always adjudicated it.

As for two pushing on the same section:

Here's how I've always imagined it, and adjudicated:

If you take the approach of the "strongest" person being the lead, assume he/she is in the most advantageous spot and has the much leverage and fulcrum for the task. I typically allow one extra person to "squeeze" in such a square to assist the guy; but since the lead guy is already in the most appropriate spot and position, the squeezing guy can aid w/ a DC 10 str check - but has a -2 to his check to aid due to being in a less advantageous position.

EDIT I don't think theres an actual "official" way to handle this - but this seems to work well and easy. The key is to be consistent with how you handle it, and it'll all be fine.

Robert

[Bobson]

Robert Brambley wrote:

If you take the approach of the "strongest" person being the lead, assume he/she is in the most advantageous spot and has the much leverage and fulcrum for the task. I typically allow one extra person to "squeeze" in such a square to assist the guy; but since the lead guy is already in the most appropriate spot and position, the squeezing guy can aid w/ a DC 10 str check - but has a -2 to his check to aid due to being in a less advantageous position

I like that. I think I'm going to use that the next time my players want to gang up on a lock...

[Starglim]

I seem to recall earlier editions allowed two people to attempt Strength checks, such as forcing a door, from within a square without a problem, provided they're not in combat. If the object of the Strength check is larger than one square, more people can reach it to assist.