Often times forcing every member of the PC's to make a check almost guarantees failure for the group. If everyone needs to sneak through a base or lie to get past a bouncer, there is often at least one person who is going to be weak with the applicable skill. But the best can be a guide, or speak for everyone. How would/do you handle this mechanically. Allow the best to make the roll, but add setback for each person they are helping? Or maybe upgrade for each person they are helping? Have them do a leadership check to distribute boost dice?

There is probably a specific rule for this that I am just unaware of.

I tend to have the group make a group check with both positive and negative effects. For instance, you've got to make that group stealth check with a couple of fighters wearing chainmail. Your rogue and scout have pretty good skill in stealth. So, do a combined skill check for the group. Say take the 4 Agility from the Rogue and the 2 ranks in stealth from the Scout. Then, toss a couple of setback dice for each of the chainmail wearing fighters (pg 96 of Realms of Terrinoth). And then apply any talents ... boost dice to Stealth checks or maybe a Knack For it! in stealth to remove those setback from the fighters.

Just a thought. Good question, man!

Z

When it's a social check, outside of a full social encounter, I just let the team face handle a single check. I think it makes perfect sense that one person can speak for an entourage, especially when it's to get into a club. "Don't worry, they're with me!"

When it's a Stealth check, I have the entire party roll, then pool the results. I got the idea from SWRPG, though there it's only extra successes can cover a failure. I like to keep it simple and just pool the total results, including advantages/threats. The sneakier PCs help cover for the mistakes of the less sneaky ones. "Shhhsh! Keep your head down!" Here's a clip from my most recent game using this method.

I also use this for Investigation checks (I never purchased No Disintegrations , so I don't use that method). I allow the group to spread out, montage-style, and choose one skill they're good at, roll and roleplay the results, then pool everything at the end. Bad rolls represent false leads and unsubstantiated rumors, but since they're leveraging their best skills, it's generally weighted in their favor even with a Hard difficulty. For the two groups I ran through my adventure last weekend, both came out with net successes and solid leads in the case.

I think of it like a group check. When making a Stealth roll, take the best one to make the roll and then add in boosts for the others. It has worked for me. I never thought of adding in Setbacks for those who are not the stealthiest due to equipment or due to being injured and the like.

For Stealth, I have allowed them to aid each other by sharing successes. I have also used this for something like Athletics if they're climbing a cliff as a group. I use this anytime they are in a situation where if one of them fails, all of them fail.

They all make the check against the difficulty and then they can share successes. So as long as there is one success left for each player at the end, they pass the check.

For example, using Stealth. If the sneak rolls 3 successes, the intellectual rolls 1 failure, and the average guy gets 1 success, the group succeeds at the Stealth check. This is because the sneak can give two successes to the Intellectual, cancel their failure, and leave them with 1 success (while retaining one success for himself). In some cases, if appropriate I allow them to use skilled assistance for these checks as well (so maybe the sneak shares his two skill ranks with the Intellectual to shore up their weakest link).

This allows you to apply setback and boost dice normally to each person (and account for talents that remove setbacks for those who have them). They can also use advantage etc to boost each other on the checks and so on, but threat can also penalize their allies.

I've used it for Athletics and Stealth for sure, I can envision using it for Coordination in some cases (they all have to walk a narrow ledge). In harsh environments I could see doing Survival to forage for food this way (if they don't succeed enough for everyone then they don't have enough to eat).

Thanks everyone. This is very helpful.

I do Group Checks (where the majority of the party must pass). But depending on the check or challenge I may create a "Skill Challenge."

If the PCs are trying to sneak into an Imperial Facility for instance I may go around the table (normally from left to right--not worrying about initiative) and say--"Okay how do you help the party get through the facility?"

Players think of creative uses for skills.

"I am going to sneak!"--Use Stealth

"Can I try and keep an eye out for patrols?"--Use Perception or Vigilance.

"Can I try to blend in? Act like I work there using Cool?" Sure--but you are a Xeno and stand out so you take a setback die.

"I want to slice a computer terminal!" Use Computers skill.

"Can I make a Leadership check to keep the party working well together?" Sure why not.

These kinds of scenario can range from the above to trekking across a mountain. Let players use skills and talents, or even items (did they bring torches or glow rods? Give them Blues--or Blacks if they didn't!). Look at Skill Challenges from 4th Edition dnd or Star Wars Saga Edition as inspiration. Below is a link to a document I made for an entirely different system (Low Fantasy Gaming) but one that could easily be ported over to any system. Just change up the skills. Let skill challenges be good times to role play too. Give boost dice to good descriptions "I am going to bob and weave among the merchant stalls and try to lose the people following me!" is better than "I want to roll stealth." Good roleplay should be encouraged, from boost dice to simply flipping a story point.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1miryvFI_6lXZWV9Q1TjYFZq45lOyYIOS/view

I expand on RAW a bit and treat it as an assisted check. The best skilled person rolls. He may get skilled assistance if there is anyone who can provide it. Plus, he can get unskilled assistance in the form of Bonus die. Or, he can get "hindered" assistance in the form of Setback if that is more appropriate (a.i. a skilled woodsman leading a group of bumbling fools trying to sneak past some guards).

On 3/3/2019 at 3:53 AM, Sturn said:

I expand on RAW a bit and treat it as an assisted check. The best skilled person rolls. He may get skilled assistance if there is anyone who can provide it. Plus, he can get unskilled assistance in the form of Bonus die. Or, he can get "hindered" assistance in the form of Setback if that is more appropriate (a.i. a skilled woodsman leading a group of bumbling fools trying to sneak past some guards).

Using the Best skilled person to roll on a group check may be giving too much of an advantage. I realize that is how it works in social checks when there is a normal "face" character but it could lean towards each player focusing on a single group skill. In the past, I've done individual checks but I do like FinarinPanjoro's suggestion of combining success and failures into one check.