I'm currently playing a character who is more effective aiding another than actually attacking.
In reading through the rules again, I just noticed two aspects that I was doing wrong.
1) Aid Another cannot be used with Fighting Defensively (both are standard actions and therefore mutually exclusive).
2) Aid Another only applies to the first attack in a full attack (either the player's or the opponent's).
If you succeed, your friend gains either a +2 bonus on his next attack roll against that opponent or a +2 bonus to AC against that opponent's next attack ...
Is that how others read/play the Aid Another action? If so, it's less useful than I thought.
Bob, kinda. There are ways around both of those limitations, at least when it comes to boosting AC.
Bodyguard is a good example: You trade attacks of opportunity for aid-another checks to improve an ally's AC.
Swift Aid is a feat that allows you to make a (weaker) aid-another check as a swift action.
I know I've read about something that allows your aid another bonus to persist throughout the entire turn, though I can't recall it at the moment. I'm fairly sure it's a class feature, though.
In general though, you're correct in both of those. Full-attack, standard attack, fighting defensively, and total defense all conflict with standard aid another checks since they use up the same action slot.
Halflings in particular can make utterly amazing aid another specialists (since they can gain a race trait that sets their base aid another bonus to +4 instead of +2) and it's especially helpful for keeping a VIP but lower-level individual alive.
First point is correct.
On the second point, you could ready an action for after their first attack to Aid Another. That would then make their next attack the second one.
Assuming you are using a standard action to Aid Another, this works.
The teamwork feat HARRYING PARTNERS lets your aid-another bonuses last until next turn... I'll post more in a bit, something just came up =P
The teamwork feat HARRYING PARTNERS lets your aid-another bonuses last until next turn... I'll post more in a bit, something just came up =P
Sorry for the delay. If you can get your team-mates to take this feat, it'll be great (for them and you). If you can't get them to do that, even a single level in the CAVALIER class will let you share it with them (they don't even need to meet the prerequisites).
For more advice: THIS PAGE has some pretty good tips (don't feel like you have to do everything they say, but some of it will probably stick).
The only other advice I can give you is to play a character who thematically suits your needs without necessarily doing exactly what you want (like BARD).
One last thing:
Bodyguard: The Bodyguard feat says that I can spend one of my attacks of opportunity to aid another the AC of an adjacent ally, but it doesn’t say one way or the other whether this removes other restrictions on aid another? Particularly, do I need to threaten the attacking enemy? Also, has that enemy provoked an attack of opportunity from me?
You still need to fulfill all requirements of aid another, including threatening the attacking enemy. Bodyguard uses up one of your attacks of opportunity for the round, but the enemy hasn’t provoked an attack of opportunity from you, nor are you making one (which is relevant for abilities like Paired Opportunist).
This means that things like a reach weapon (or ENLARGE PERSON or LONG ARM are really worth having.
(also since it's been referenced a lot but not linked yet, here's BODYGUARD)
Thanks for all of the useful advice, and good to know I had it down right. For a little context, I am currently playing a bard, and our group is better served by having the bard boost the sneak attacking TWF rogue instead of trying to do a measly single attack himself.
I hadn't considered readying an action to aid an attack after the first. I'll keep that trick in mind.
May look into carrying a whip, just to aid from 15 feet away, although it wouldn't help with flanking/AoOs.
Look into a dip in fighter level and get yourself a longspear and get a Banner of the Ancient Kings. It is amazing for bards who wan to buff their party. Plus the longspear will make your aiding another much easier.
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Yeah, Aid Another isn't useful in and of itself, but when you boost the provided bonus (to +4 or higher via traits & items) and find ways to activate it not on your turn or reduced action economy (Bodyguard & Swift Aid), it becomes really potent.
Oh, and for what it's worth, the Holy Tactician Paladin gets the ability to just have a teamwork feat active on all allies within range. Makes a Bodyguard/Harrying Partners combo REALLY effective.