Since Aid is generally a single action, plus a reaction, is it therefore possible for me to do a short task (one or two actions) while using my remaining action (and reaction) to Aid someone who is Aiding me in my short task?
To spell it out with an example, let's say I am a master in my chosen skill, auto-crit succeed against DC 15, and thus can grant my Aider a +3 bonus on their check to Aid me. Because they too are a master of the skill, they (with the +3 bonus from me) auto-crit succeed to give me a +3 bonus on my skill check to perform the short task. Would that work?
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Since Aid is generally a single action, plus a reaction, is it therefore possible for me to do a short task (one or two actions) while using my remaining action (and reaction) to Aid someone who is Aiding me in my short task?
To spell it out with an example, let's say I am a master in my chosen skill, auto-crit succeed against DC 15, and thus can grant my Aider a +3 bonus on their check to Aid me. Because they too are a master of the skill, they (with the +3 bonus from me) auto-crit succeed to give me a +3 bonus on my skill check to perform the short task. Would that work?
I mean, a key part of the aid action is "You must explain to the GM exactly how you’re trying to help, and they determine whether you can Aid your ally."
So if you can... I guess... but that will be a hard sell.
Maybe for something like bomb diffusing, where you would need to use diplomacy to make sure you can communicate the situation and what you are doing extremely clearly for the person trying to help you. (Anyone who has played keep talking and nobody explodes or overcooked will know what I am talking about)
How is it an "auto-crit" if you aren't using Assurance? Because if it isn't, there is still a 5 percent chance it is merely a success, and if it is, then Aiding the Aid doesn't do anything since it disregards that bonus.
I personally would say no, since it reeks of attempted cheese, but since it doesn't actually accomplish anything (auto-crit only comes from Assurance, since you can always roll a 1), it's ultimately wasting actions for the sake of wasting actions.
I'm with errenor on this one. At least in encounter type action counting mode. There is nothing in the rules explicitly preventing you from aiding someone in their attempt to aid you. It may be a hard sell to describe that in a way that makes sense and is allowed by the GM.
It wouldn't work as well in exploration mode. You can generally only choose one exploration activity. It might work to try to create a custom activity involving doing something and aiding an ally, but that is two actions. You are either going to have to alternate them - at which point the GM is within bounds to say that the time limits of Aid preparation expire before the reaction and bonus happens - or you are doing an exhausting activity.
Also, as errenor mentioned, this all seems a bit convoluted for a rather miniscule benefit. The ally can just do aid unaided and will probably be fine.
A scenario that I could see:
Two characters are running from the guards and turn down a dead end alley. Character A gets to the end first and Aids another to boost their friend over the wall. Character B still running, gets to the wall and starts to scramble over it (reaction triggers). When Character B gets to the top, they pivot and reach down to offer their friend a hand up.
One character aided another and was aided on the same task, but they both independently had to complete it.
That doesn't match the scenario of OP.
That is mutual Aid. Where one character aids another on that character's task, and that character aids the first one on their task. That makes sense in a lot of situations.
The OP scenario is that one of the characters isn't doing anything other than aid. The first character is trying to accomplish something and getting aid from the other. And the first character is using aid to boost the roll of the second character in their aid attempt.
So a crafting character wants to repair a shield. They have an ally that is going to aid them in the process. The crafter then also uses Aid to improve the roll of the ally in their Aid attempt to aid the crafter themselves.
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Can someone layout an example where that would be feasible?
Other than a double bounce on a trampoline (and even that's not quite there) I am having trouble picturing a scenario where I set you up to help me, and my reaction to help you help me doesn't distract me from the task at hand.
Someone is disarming a trap. An ally is pooling their knowledge on how to disarm traps (aiding them). The person disarming the trap is taking extra effort to be clear and descriptive of what they see and what they are doing to try and help the person who is sharing their knowledge be able to share said knowledge (aiding the person who is aiding them).
Which as a gm i would break down into
Aid the aid (very hard dc adjustment)
Aid
Thievery check
But yeah most scenarios would not allow for this sort of aiding the aider, just wanted to present one where it can work without breaking verisimilitude.
Can someone layout an example where that would be feasible?
Other than a double bounce on a trampoline (and even that's not quite there) I am having trouble picturing a scenario where I set you up to help me, and my reaction to help you help me doesn't distract me from the task at hand.
Someone is disarming a trap. An ally is pooling their knowledge on how to disarm traps (aiding them). The person disarming the trap is taking extra effort to be clear and descriptive of what they see and what they are doing to try and help the person who is sharing their knowledge be able to share said knowledge (aiding the person who is aiding them).
Which as a gm i would break down into
Aid the aid (very hard dc adjustment)
Aid
Thievery checkBut yeah most scenarios would not allow for this sort of aiding the aider, just wanted to present one where it can work without breaking verisimilitude.
LOL. Reminds me of the hilariously fun VR party game, KEEP TALKING AND NOBODY EXPLODES.