Beginner question about character interaction

[gwatson]

I'm about to move away from solo play and into a multilayer game. The rules say that generally, unless a card says otherwise, it can be played at any time. However, from what I've seen so far, pretty much only the blessings can be played by other characters when it's not their turn, you and you alone make the check and deal with the encounter. So if you come across a chest, which needs someone with high dexterity (I know you can use melee but this is just an example), they can't really help you, other than with blessings, which isn't really leveraging their dexterity skills. So, I'm guessing you have to use skills that show what the top card is, then move the right character there if you can?

It seems odd that the only way you can help each other is with blessings? It's like each character giving each other moral support but not actually working together? :)

[Fenris235]

You can play spells like Glibness, Strength or Aid too.
And there are the powers of certian chars that help other.
But other than that, Blessings, certain spells and certain powers, there isn´t anything a char can do when it´s not their turn.

[Hawkmoon269]

Also, some of the weapons (longbows and crossbows) can be used to add to combat of other characters.

And as Fenris235 said, some of the powers help. Valeros automatically adds 1d4 to another character's combat check in the same location. Lem can recharge a card to add 1d4 to any check in his location. Harsk can recharge a card to add 1d4 to combat at another location.

Some of the items can also be played on other characters too. But so far its mostly the potions, which I think most people try their best not to have to keep in their deck between scenarios. (At least until Sajan becomes drunken master!) Tome of Knowledge's first power can help another character, but its second power has been covered in the FAQ to clarify you can NOT use it on another character. So you can give another character the bonus 1d6, but not the automatically succeed.

[Roman Peselev]

can you use the thieves tool on another character
the text says :

Reveal this card to add 1 die to your disable check .

Discard this card to defeat a barrier whose highest difficulty is 11 or lower.

the first is defenetly only on your checks , but how about the second part?

EDIT: just found the answer

http://paizo.com/threads/rzs2q51g&page=2?Question-about-Thieves-Tools#6 0

[Hawkmoon269]

Roman Peselev wrote:

can you use the thieves tool on another character

the text says :

Reveal this card to add 1 die to your disable check .

Discard this card to defeat a barrier whose highest difficulty is 11 or lower.

the first is defenetly only on your checks , but how about the second part?

You can not. You can't defeat a card you didn't encounter. You can help with an encounter that has two checks to defeat, but the person that encounter has to do part of the check to defeat it.

http://paizo.com/threads/rzs2q51g?Question-about-Thieves-Tools#1

[Calthaer]

Viewing characters "helping" each other solely through accomplishing checks is a rather limited way of looking at the game. Some level the criticism at this game that it's simply a "roll the dice to hit a target number" game, and I disagree. Characters really do need to coordinate their actions together in order to accomplish the party's goals.

This can happen by...

• Coordinating where you go to keep a villain from fleeing, ensure characters have the best chance at getting loot, etc.
  
• Giving cards to other players (e.g., if you have over your hand size, it may make sense to give this to another player whose turn hasn't yet come up)
  
• Using a power, spell, blessing, ally, weapon ability, etc. to add to one another's checks, reduce damage, reduce the difficulty of a check for someone, reorganize cards in a deck (e.g., Augury, Spyglass, Scrying), and possibly other things
  

I've noticed in the third adventure pack that the ways of interacting with other characters has been slowly expanding through the cards that are offered. It seems, at least from what I've seen, as if the limiting keywords "your check" and "your location" are being used a bit less, allowing characters broader options for assisting others. The last game I played with Hawkmoon269, there was quite a bit of discussion among the group about who was going to go where, what possibilities that opened up or closed for other players, and the like. I have a suspicion that the people who see this game as boring and with little interaction are doing more solo play.

[Hawkmoon269]

Calthaer wrote:

The last game I played with Hawkmoon269, there was quite a bit of discussion among the group about who was going to go where, what possibilities that opened up or closed for other players, and the like.

Indeed, I think we spent about 10 minutes discussing the last 5 turns against Black Fang for our group of 4. We were all a bit low on decks. But we knew what location he was in and that he was the top card there thanks to a combo of Merisiel evading him and Augury. Calthaer's Lem also handed my Valeros a blessing since he had two, which I took with me to black fang's location. Valeros waited there for Harsk to join me, since Harsk could most easily succeed at the constitution check required before encountering black fang and I had an armor to protect me. Harsk succeed at the con check. Valeros failed, but rolled a 1 on the 1d4-1 acid damage. Harsk then unloaded his throwing axe on Black Fang with Valeros adding his 1d4 power and a blessing. Lem (who had temp closed the other location that was still open) chipped in his blessing too and Black Fang was smote. We strategized how to use our characters together calculated how to maximize our damage to nearly guarantee that Black Fang would no longer threaten the people of Sand Point.