Mental Scan aid - what is used for the aid check?

[Alex319]

What roll is used for the Aid check that Mental Scan gives you? A spell attack roll? A normal attack roll? A Perception check? Something else?

[TheGentlemanDM]

I think it's a spellcasting check since it's a spell?

[Exocist]

It aids an attack roll, so it could be

A) A weapon attack roll

B) A spell attack roll

or C) Unicore mentioned it might be a perception check, given it happens off a seek action

[rayous brightblade]

I am pretty sure its gm's decision from the base aid rules

"When you use your Aid reaction, attempt a skill check or attack roll of a type decided by the GM. The typical DC is 20, but the GM might adjust this DC for particularly hard or easy tasks. The GM can add any relevant traits to your preparatory action or to your Aid reaction depending on the situation, or even allow you to Aid checks other than skill checks and attack rolls."

[Unicore]

The main narrative text of the power is: "You quickly view your surroundings from a variety of angles, your senses constructing a complex mental picture."
That coupled with this being the unique ability of the Infinite Eye mind both make me feel like the default aid here would be a perception check, although a player could change that based upon what they decide to do to assist. But the spell has a 30ft cone area so requiring that they be able to make an attack with a weapon feels a little off to me.

[SuperBidi]

Mental Scan is badly written. First, you gain a circumstance bonus when amping it, that's nowhere to be seen: spells give status bonuses. As it gives a circumstance bonus, it doesn't stack with the bonus from Aid. So you roll Aid only for the +1 to damage.
And of course they don't say what you use to aid. I agree that it should be a "spell roll" (same than counteract check or spell attack roll) as you are casting a spell after all and also because you're bad at both Perception and weapon attacks.

[Unicore]

I love that it is a circumstance bonus. The bonus for both the attack and the damage go up to 2 if you succeed on the aid check, but the attack bonus would go up even higher if you critically succeed on the aid check and are a master or better in the proficiency.

Spell attack roll is fine with me, but that can probably be clarified better with the descriptive text and make it more clear that the seek action is not really a part of the ability to aid your ally.

[Poit]

SuperBidi wrote:

Mental Scan is badly written. First, you gain a circumstance bonus when amping it, that's nowhere to be seen: spells give status bonuses.

Most spells that grant bonuses grant status bonuses, but there are some that grant circumstance bonuses.

circumstance bonus to AC granted by shield and protect companion

circumstance bonus to Fortitude saves vs. grapple granted by grease

circumstance bonus to some Medicine checks granted by organsight

circumstance bonus to AC vs. ranged attacks granted by wild winds stance

circumstance bonus to Athletics checks to grapple granted by clinging shadows stance

circumstance bonus to AC vs. large ranged attacks granted by prismatic shield

circumstance bonus to Diplomacy vs. dragons granted by roar of the wyrm