I know this sounds a bit silly for most skills but I was more curious about social skills. For instance say I make an intimidate check, and my buddy knows me quite well and knows I friggin mean it, could he use diplomacy to back me up instead? My friend just so happened to want to run a pally as I'm starting my tiefling inquisitor's PFS career and I'd love the good cop bad cop dynamic. Also people might roll their eyes less at him knowing he has an inquisitor of the same faith backing him.
PS: I know Tiefling's are illegal now but I've recovered some old chronicles and among them were two tieflings and an aasimar so he'll be grandfathered in. Just to avoid that being brought up.
I don't think there's any precedent in the RAW about this, but I've often allowed Intimidate as an assist on a Diplomacy check whenever the players describe that they want to pull a "good cop-bad cop" interrogation.
AID ANOTHER
You can help someone achieve success on a skill check by making the same kind of skill check in a cooperative effort.
By RAW it does have to be the same skill, and since your post makes it sound like this is PFS unfortunately that's what you're stuck with.
Greetings, fellow traveller.
That's what the Aid Another action is for.
There it's spelled out that your buddy needs to pass a DC 10 skill check (same skill you're going to use) for you to get a +2 bonus on your roll.
Ruyan.
Edit: Ninja'ed.
You can help someone achieve success on a skill check by making the same kind of skill check in a cooperative effort.
No, it has to be the same skill. Well, without a very generous interpretation of "kind" I guess.
That said, I can see situations where it would work, so I would be more flexible.
Hmm, just wanting to help him get on board with the pretty good social skills I have with the least amount of skill points cuz well, paladin. :/
Do you think Acrobatics should help with Swim?
Do you think Acrobatics should help with Swim?
I can't off hand think of a case where it could but I'd be willing to consider an argument.
Its NOT RAW but I certainly allow different skills to aid each other where reasonable. Good cop/bad cop is the classic example but many other examples exist.
I will rephrase my question.
Should Appraise help with Climb?
Different skills.
Assisting someone requires you helping them with same skill.
If you wanna deviate from RAW, that's your call, but as it is:
"You can help someone achieve success on a skill check by making the same kind of skill check in a cooperative effort."
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If you wanna deviate from RAW, that's your call, but as it is:
"You can help someone achieve success on a skill check by making the same kind of skill check in a cooperative effort."
Same kind, is that same skill, or same kind, like social skill, physical skill, mental skill?
And, yes, actually, I have seen a fairly good reason given in a thread somewhere on how a good Appraise or Perception check could provide a circumstance bonus to someone's Climb check. Of course, that wasn't a true Aid Another....
If you wanna deviate from RAW, that's your call, but as it is:
"You can help someone achieve success on a skill check by making the same kind of skill check in a cooperative effort."
Same kind, is that same skill, or same kind, like social skill, physical skill, mental skill?
And, yes, actually, I have seen a fairly good reason given in a thread somewhere on how a good Appraise or Perception check could provide a circumstance bonus to someone's Climb check. Of course, that wasn't a true Aid Another....
As there exists no categorization system like you imply (social/physical/mental), it has to mean the same skill.
Unless you have a source that splits the skills up into those categories you listed.
RPG Superstar 2011 Top 32
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Eh, I've occasionally allowed different skills if the player can justify a link - Knowledge(nobility) to help with Diplomacy used on a noble, that sort of thing. It's certainly a house rule, and it's very situational. The players have to explain to me exactly how the alternate skill is helping.
Shouldn't a successful skillcheck in a related skill provide a +2 circumstance bonus?
GM permitting of course.
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Same kind, is that same skill, or same kind, like social skill, physical skill, mental skill?
"kind" is not a game term. It is an English word. That means every GM ultimately must determine how strictly or liberally he will apply that term to any given use in the rules.
In this case, I think it's probably safe to assume that each skill with a different name is a separate "kind" of skill. So Climb is a different "kind" than Appraise, ergo, by RAW, no Aid Another. However, Perform(sing) and Perform(flute) are the same "kind" - they're both the Perform "kind", which means a flautist can Aid Another on a singer's Perform check. Craft(blacksmith) and Craft(jeweler) are both the same "kind" since they're both Craft skills, so a jeweler could Aid Another when a blacksmith crafts a masterwork sword with gems set into the pommel and crossguard.
Etc.
That said, I can certainly see excellent arguments for allowing certain different "kinds" to still Aid Another. It's not RAW, so this ventures into House Rules territory.
For example, the OP's question about using Diplomacy to Aid someone else using Intimidate sounds EXACTLY like a classic good cop/bad cop scenario. I would totally allow that.
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If you wanna deviate from RAW, that's your call, but as it is:
"You can help someone achieve success on a skill check by making the same kind of skill check in a cooperative effort."
Well, if you want to stick with RAW, having a successful intimidate check provide a circumstance bonus to a diplomacy check is legal. Its TOTALLY coincidental that I set the DC of the intimidate check at 10 and the bonus at +2.
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Just use common sense. A Strength check (giving someone a hoist up) could help with a Climb check, as might Climb, Knowledge (Dungeoneering), Perception, Fly or Acrobatics, but only if the helper is in a position to apply that skill.
Likewise Sense Motive, Diplomacy, Bluff or Profession (Lawyer) could help with Intimidate.
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Shouldn't a successful skillcheck in a related skill provide a +2 circumstance bonus?
GM permitting of course.
That's pretty much how I'd rule it. If the player can come up with a viable reason to be helpful using a different skill, then they can give a circumstance bonus. That's not aiding another, but it's the same result, usually. Unless they have something like the Helpful halfling trait, in which case aiding another gives more than +2, and this circ bonus isn't as good.
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Your rigidness in a game of imagination where the interpretation makes plenty of sense and sets no bad precedents, and can simply constitute a circumstance bonus again is baffling.
I acknowledge you are 100% right linguistically, but your reticents to permit the synergy or related skill types (or your strawman examples on unrelated skill types) are unavailing. I will never understand that level of rigidness.
I can't speak for Alex, but as for me, I don't like to make house rules until I fully understand the real rule. Here, in the Rules Questions forum, it seems to me that the primary goal is to establish WHAT the exact rule is. We have other forums to discuss Advice or House Rules, so here, we discuss exact rules as written.
At least, that's what I try to do.
When I see someone misread a rule, I try to clear that up for them. When I see someone misinterpret a rule, I try to help with their interpretation. When I see people debating an ambiguous rule, I try to join that conversation to see if the group can resolve it one way or the other, or find justification to request a FAQ for it.
But first and foremost, I try to make sure the rule is understood by the people posting here and for the people searching/reading here to learn the rules themselves.