Is it reasonable to say, if you have a party in combat with the enemy, but in a situation where its technically separate combats (EG: In a warehouse, where the enemies are in two sides, one PC in melee on one side, and another in melee on the other).. for one to spend advantage to give a boost to the other?

I ruled it as a no... how can your actions benefit someone 20 feet away fighting someone else?

Equally.. can you spend Advantage to gain a boost on your own roll, if you are in such a situation? When the advantage available grants a boost to "the next or allied player"

(Like in the above situation, your actions cannot effect your friends fight as logically, your melee attacks cannot affect your friends), can you spend that advantage to boost YOURSELF?

So if I shoot at someone and splinter the wall near them making them look where the shot came from and they take their eye off the guy with the sword, why is that unreasonable?

Passing a boost or setback can come from something like a vocal distraction too, so taunting or encouraging could be the source.

Then there's com links; "The Storm Trooper hears his buddie suffering through the com link and is distracted enough to offer a possible opening"

Also seeing a comrade place a decisive hit on an opponent could inspire greater things.

Don't overthink it, worrying about that kind of minutia makes the game bog down. It's not a tactical simulator.

I like to encourage my players to find a narrative reason for the boost, because it's more visual and fun, IMHO. But sometimes they can't, and that can also bog the game down, so just allow it and move on.

Well, it's up to the players to narrate how they are giving the other a boost in the narrative. So, as long as their reasoning isn't just "Oh, look, 2 Advantage. Here, have a Boost against the guy you're fighting." there's nothing wrong with allowing it.

I'd allow the boost even if the player can't think of a good narrative. At that point I just consider it a general morale boost that happens because the other character saw how well his comrades in arms was doing.

Also I'm pretty sure allowing the boost is just another way of representing the Force being with the heroes. Sometimes good things just happen for no real reason other than the Force is on their side.

(recipient of Boost): "Pash is doing well. I'm not going to let that drunken wastrel show me up..."

As others have said, if there's a reasonable possibility of the actions in one situation affecting the other (or even if the actions in one situation can be perceived by the other), then I think there's enough there to allow the boost.

Now if you have one PC in the warehouse in a firefight, and another is a continent away having a fistfight in a bar, with no contact, then obviously no, there's not really any way for one to affect the other. In your case, though, there's plenty of both mental and physical reasons why one might affect the other, from missed shots to power surges from damage to the building, to noises, sudden flashes, competition, inspiring moves, or even seeing an ally in a dangerous plight (you don't think Obi-wan fought with a bit more oomph after watching Qui-gon cut down while he stood helpless behind the shield wall?).

OK, thanks for the input...

What about the second point?

Using Advantage to give YOURSELF a boost, if you are in a situation where your Advantage cannot give your comrades a boost instead?

I'm away from my books at the moment, but unless it's strictly spelled out one way or another, I don't see why not.

Perhaps a failed roll with advantage might be taking potshots at a dodging enemy, but that last near miss was close enough to sort of herd him back out into the open. Likewise, in melee, a few advantage from your last attack might leave your opponent off-balance or a bit dazed, or over-cautious, making your next move against him somewhat more likely to connect.

That being said, though, you may want to consider some bit of GM balance (perhaps asking the player to specifically explain how they're planning to explain using their own advantage and reserving the right to veto) when they're using it for themselves. You may also want to add a conditional that to use it in this way, there must not be another more reasonable ally to help out (or not...that's just thinking out loud) just to prevent a bunch of self-centered gameplay.

What about the second point?

Using Advantage to give YOURSELF a boost, if you are in a situation where your Advantage cannot give your comrades a boost instead?

You can give yourself a boost for 2A (p206). Since it's specifically called out in the 2A section that this is "including the active character", I think you can't technically do it for 1A.

Not every advantage has to be accounted for. Strain is the "catch-basin" for unspent Advantage and Threat, and if even that doesn't apply, and the player can't think of a viable use scaled to the value of 1A, then I usually wave it away and move on.

What about the second point?

Using Advantage to give YOURSELF a boost, if you are in a situation where your Advantage cannot give your comrades a boost instead?

You can give yourself a boost for 2A (p206). Since it's specifically called out in the 2A section that this is "including the active character", I think you can't technically do it for 1A.

Not every advantage has to be accounted for. Strain is the "catch-basin" for unspent Advantage and Threat, and if even that doesn't apply, and the player can't think of a viable use scaled to the value of 1A, then I usually wave it away and move on.

There is no situation where you can't use the 1A to help allies. I think this is too rigid a view, or a direct cause/effect interpretation and it should be viewed more openly and narratively.

The use of 1A to boost an ally 20 feet away in their combat when you are in melee is explained simply that when you hit your target they scream, or their teeth go flying past another adversary who is dumbfounded by the sight of it, or you hit your target so hard and it makes such a sickening noise like a coconut against a wall that other people glance over shocked and are distracted giving your teammates a boost.

You can give yourself a boost for 2A (p206). Since it's specifically called out in the 2A section that this is "including the active character", I think you can't technically do it for 1A.

Not every advantage has to be accounted for. Strain is the "catch-basin" for unspent Advantage and Threat, and if even that doesn't apply, and the player can't think of a viable use scaled to the value of 1A, then I usually wave it away and move on.

There is no situation where you can't use the 1A to help allies.

True. What was in the back of my mind that I didn't state was "what if you're running a game with a single player". Not sure what I'd allow for 1A...Strain of course, but probably not a self-boost. So if there's no strain to recover and the player can't think of anything, forget it and move on.

You can give yourself a boost for 2A (p206). Since it's specifically called out in the 2A section that this is "including the active character", I think you can't technically do it for 1A.

Not every advantage has to be accounted for. Strain is the "catch-basin" for unspent Advantage and Threat, and if even that doesn't apply, and the player can't think of a viable use scaled to the value of 1A, then I usually wave it away and move on.

There is no situation where you can't use the 1A to help allies.

True. What was in the back of my mind that I didn't state was "what if you're running a game with a single player". Not sure what I'd allow for 1A...Strain of course, but probably not a self-boost. So if there's no strain to recover and the player can't think of anything, forget it and move on.

That quote was clunky, shoulda just erased your stuff W, meant there is always a way to explain helping an ally, except of course when there isn't one...

OK, thanks for the input...

What about the second point?

Using Advantage to give YOURSELF a boost, if you are in a situation where your Advantage cannot give your comrades a boost instead?

Why not?

Imagine during a duel a character thinking to themselves, "I think I see a pattern in his attack."