This has come up multiple times and I couldn't find it in the core rulebook.

When a character is making a skill check and another character has the same ability (say it's a medicine check), how does the extra character help out?

Our medic droid has YYGG for medicine and our explorer has YGGG, how does it get upgraded? Up until now I've just been throwing an extra boost die in there rather than stop the game and find the info, but I'd like to get it sorted out.

Also, how does a group check work? For instance, if there's someone spying on the group and you want them to make a perception or vigilance check, is there a way to roll just once based on the group's perception as a whole, or do you roll them each individually?

It's mostly for the assisted checks, for mechanics, medicine, etc.

It is in the beginning part of the book, I do not have it in front of me. Look under assisted actions, just after the Opposed skill checks.

There really are no group checks in the RAW, but you could have everyone assist a single roll.

When it's a skilled character, you basically form the pool based on the highest Characteristic and the highest skill ranks.

So, for instance, if someone has Intellect 3 and 2 ranks in Medicine, and someone else has Intellect 2 an 3 ranks in Medicine, you've got 3 and 3, so the pool would be YYY.

In your example above, since they both have Intellect 4, and one character has two Ranks, there's no numerical upgrade to be had; in this case, you add a Boost Die, which it sounds like you've been doing.

Google brought me here. EotE Core Rulebook, page 25.

I've been thinking a lot on this subject as well because it doesn't always make sense as described.

For example, let's say a character with Agility 3 and Stealth 3 is working with their Agility 2 Stealth 0 friend. It seems like this average individual should make the Stealthy characters check more difficult, not increase their chances of success.

I'm near positive that the rules do allow for multiple assistants as well (since I recall a rule allowing the GM to limit the number of people assisting). So in effect with that system this becomes a group check (unless everyone is expected to roll the same dice pool separately once created- which seems needlessly cumbersome). But my thought is that after the top skill and attribute contributors, any additional skilled person should add a boost die and any unskilled person should add a setback die.

So you could assemble a dice pool like this for a group of four using Stealth:

Character 1: Agility 4, no Stealth (grants 4 G)

Character 2: Agility 2, Stealth 3 (upgrades 3 G to Y)

Character 3: Agility 2, Stealth 1 (skilled, adds B)

Character 4: Agility 2, Stealth 0 (unskilled, adds S)

Resulting Dice Pool: YYYGBS+Difficulty dice.

The narrative description of this would be that the two skilled individuals are pointing out where and when to go and where to hide, the agile one is getting there quickly and making sure the way is clear, the unskilled mook is following along trying his best not to knock over any flower pots.

While I use Stealth as the example here there are lots of checks this could apply to Perception (groups searching a room), Survival (cooperating in the wild), Knowledge checks (discussing something and putting the pieces together), Negotiation, Charm, Deception, Coercion, Mechanics, Medicine, Computers, Athletics, etc. In many of these the unskilled parties could simply not participate (most of these really), but in cases where they have to participate to benefit from the roll (Stealth, Survival, Athletics, etc) they should have to add the Setback die to benefit. Otherwise they stay behind.

Just some thoughts.

The rules point out about the Assist Maneuver and the concept of narrative and structured play. As a general rule I don't allow skilled assistance during structured play and not in some narrative instances where it doesn't make sense, or shouldn't apply.

I also noticed that skilled assistance is not always of benefit to the assistee, RAW.

For example:

Player 1, 2 Agility, 4 Stealth

Player 2, 2 Agility, 3 Stealth

Player 2 doesn't really benefit Player 1 with skilled assistance, because Player 1 is just better. The rules go on to say that in the case of skilled assistance not being of benefit, just have player 2 give player 1 a Boost (exactly like an unskilled assist).

It can be fun to build PC groups around this mechanic. perhaps the intellectual character actually has few ranks in knowledge skills, but the dumb tough has a bunch of ranks in Underworld and Outer Rim. on their own they both have a decent dice pool, but for those narrative moments it can make for a mighty dice pool.

Another would be a character who is very Cunning, but grew up on the streets so has no survival experience. but in the party is a much less cunning character who is an experienced survivalist. Again individually they have a decent dice pool, but by their powers combined they can save the party from starvation, dehydration and heat exposure the deserts of Tatooine.

I've been thinking a lot on this subject as well because it doesn't always make sense as described.

For example, let's say a character with Agility 3 and Stealth 3 is working with their Agility 2 Stealth 0 friend. It seems like this average individual should make the Stealthy characters check more difficult, not increase their chances of success.

I'm near positive that the rules do allow for multiple assistants as well (since I recall a rule allowing the GM to limit the number of people assisting). So in effect with that system this becomes a group check (unless everyone is expected to roll the same dice pool separately once created- which seems needlessly cumbersome). But my thought is that after the top skill and attribute contributors, any additional skilled person should add a boost die and any unskilled person should add a setback die.

So you could assemble a dice pool like this for a group of four using Stealth:

Character 1: Agility 4, no Stealth (grants 4 G)

Character 2: Agility 2, Stealth 3 (upgrades 3 G to Y)

Character 3: Agility 2, Stealth 1 (skilled, adds B)

Character 4: Agility 2, Stealth 0 (unskilled, adds S)

Resulting Dice Pool: YYYGBS+Difficulty dice.

The narrative description of this would be that the two skilled individuals are pointing out where and when to go and where to hide, the agile one is getting there quickly and making sure the way is clear, the unskilled mook is following along trying his best not to knock over any flower pots.

While I use Stealth as the example here there are lots of checks this could apply to Perception (groups searching a room), Survival (cooperating in the wild), Knowledge checks (discussing something and putting the pieces together), Negotiation, Charm, Deception, Coercion, Mechanics, Medicine, Computers, Athletics, etc. In many of these the unskilled parties could simply not participate (most of these really), but in cases where they have to participate to benefit from the roll (Stealth, Survival, Athletics, etc) they should have to add the Setback die to benefit. Otherwise they stay behind.

Just some thoughts.

Well, the thing about assistance with Stealth is, there are only certain situations you can even do it. According to the book, when Stealth is required, each player has to make their own roll; however, if you get additional successes beyond the one required to succeed, you can use those successes to assist another player with their Stealth roll. So basically, have the best Stealth player go first, and use his successes to assist the terrible ones. I'm pretty sure this is the only time that's mentioned, but I think it's fair to say that other skills where everyone has to succeed like Athletics, etc, could be done the same way.