Is that how some of the bigger example ships get their crew modifiers so much higher than their base ranks? On a quick glance I thought it was either that or another instance of NPC math not following PC rules.
Edit: I don't think the captain's encourage action would make sense if aid another was an option.
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Can a character (who is not the captain) perform Aid Another to help another character? I assume they'd have to be working the same station, but... can an Engineer just Aid Another another Engineer?
I do not believe a character can aid another in starship combat expect for the Captain by the Demand or Encourage actions.
One exception I found is the Patch action.
Multiple engineers can pool their actions in a single round to effect repairs more quickly, but each engineer must succeed at her Engineering check to contribute her action to the patch.
More than 1 engineer can provide "aid" but it is only accumulating patches to the system that has critical damage. In this way a wrecked system can be "repaired" in 1 round if 3 characters all make their individual engineering checks.
I think the Patch action is a special case. Multiple engineers supply their successful rolls so they aren't necessarily helping each other, but each doing separate patch up jobs on a badly broken complex system. Patch isn't an exception for Aid Another, as they aren't actually using that option, it's an exception for the 'one instance of a crew action per round' rule.
Which is not to say that you can use Aid Another. I'd assume you could, since it's a skill roll like any other, but if Starship Combat rules are meant to be self-contained, I could see a GM ruling you can't.
Maybe this needs a FAQ answer?
I don't think you can Aid Another on Crew Actions, but agree it isn't clear in the rules.
It appears to me that Crew Actions are a composite of several actions abstracted into a single roll. They are more than what you could normally do with a single skill roll.
Has there been an official ruling on this since the time this post was made? Would be nice to have an official clarification; one of my players is arguing the point with me.
This has happened in my games a few times. I allow it if the crew members occupy the same station. Also, I allow the mechanic's drone to Aid Another. Neither situation has broken anything.
You only get one role check per role per round, excepting gunners.
Seems to me that if you aren't the one and only captain, you can't aid another.
You only get one role check per role per round, excepting gunners.
Seems to me that if you aren't the one and only captain, you can't aid another.
I think he's saying they use their only role check as an aid another check, not in addition to.
But of course all the defined actions in starship combat are defined, and aid another isn't one of them. Nothing in the general tactical combat chapter applies to starship combat, and that's where the generic aid another rules are.
Each Player gets a single action per round. Multiple Engineers can perform different engineering actions in the same round. Any role which allows multiples within the role can each act.
You can have 1 player in the Captain and Pilot roles and multiple players in the other roles. Gunners can only have one gunner per weapon mount.
So if you have 3 gunners, each can shoot something. If you have 3 engineers, each can perform a different engineer action. If you have 3 science officers.. well.. you get the idea. Note that in the Engineer action section, it only allows you to take each action once per round.
I didn't think you could have more than 1 science officer.
Pilot and captain are the only solo roles.