Cooperation

[shootingwomprats]

I have always thought the rules for cooperation were always lacking. They are passable, though clunky, for combat situations and don't really make sense when a single character is trying to help another character. Cooperation works best when trying to get a small to medium-sized group working towards a common goal.

I have been reading a lot of Starfinder because it was requested by my group. While reading through the core rule book cooperation works like this:

Aid Another (d20)
The GM might rule that you can help someone succeed at a skill check by performing the same action and attempting a skill check as part of a cooperative effort. To do so, you must attempt your skill check before the creature you want to help, and if you succeed at a DC 10 check, that creature gains a +2 bonus to his check ... At the GM’s discretion, only a limited number of creatures might be able to aid another.

This sounds easy and quick, so I got to wondering how this would work in d6 mechanics.

Aid Another (d6)
1. GM decides if others can help with the task and if so, how many.
2. The character(s) attempting to help make same skill check vs. an Easy (10) difficulty.
3. If successful, the character performing the skill check receives a +2 modifier.

Example: Tbitz is helping Mott repair a speeder. Tbitz does not have repulsorlift repair, but he does have Technical 3D. He rolls 3 + 5 + 2 = 5. When Mott rolls he will do so with a +2 modifier.

Another option:

3a. Subtract the skill roll from the Easy (9) task difficulty, the difference is the modifier the character performing the skill check receives.

Example: Tbitz is helping Mott repair a speeder. Tbitz does not have repulsorlift repair, but he does have Technical 3D. He rolls [3] + 5 + 2 = 5. When Mott rolls he will do so with a +1 modifier. If Tbitz's wild die had exploded and he rolls, [6 + 3] + 5 + 2 = 15, Mott would roll his skill check with a +5.

Not sure this works yet, but I think there is something here.

In my games, I handle cooperation this way:

Cooperation (Ollie's Version)
1. GM decides if others can help with the task and if so, how many.
2. The character attempting to help gives a +1 modifier for each D they have in the skill they are attempting to help with.

Example: Tbitz is helping Mott repair a speeder. Tbitz does not have repulsorlift repair, but he does have Technical 3D. When Mott rolls he will do so with a +3 modifier.
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[cheshire]

I've always found the cooperation to be pretty clunky. I've experimented with my group by having a cooperation chart (mostly for co-piloting), where I ask them to make a skill roll, and depending on how high they rolled, they could add up to a +5. However, I never found a result I was quite happy with, so I'm still playing with it.
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Before we take any of this too seriously, just remember that in the middle episode a little rubber puppet moves a spaceship with his mind.

[garhkal]

Well, cooperating is usually just two folk working together (such as pilot/co-pilot).. Not really having more than that.. That's more on the lines of coordination..
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Confucious sayeth, don't wash cat while drunk!

[cheshire]

Do you often use coordination between two or three PCs by RAW?
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Before we take any of this too seriously, just remember that in the middle episode a little rubber puppet moves a spaceship with his mind.

[shootingwomprats]

[garhkal]

[Whill]

I'm not satisfied with the RAW combined actions rules either.

[shootingwomprats]

[Whill]

[cheshire]

Same here. I just haven't found the right math that seems proportionate in testing other ideas.
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Before we take any of this too seriously, just remember that in the middle episode a little rubber puppet moves a spaceship with his mind.

[garhkal]

[CRMcNeill]

Generally, for all but the simplest tasks, there’s going to be some form of Command involved, if only to convey the most basic instructions. One possible solution in this scenario would be to treat the Command roll similarly to a Free Action, as in, require the skill roll, but don’t have it count for MAP purposes.
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"No set of rules can cover every situation. It's expected that you will make up new rules to suit the needs of your game." - The Star Wars Roleplaying Game, 2R&E, pg. 69, WEG, 1996.

The CRMcNeill Stat/Rule Index

[CRMcNeill]

As an aside, I’ve always thought the 2R&E Command rules are excessively restrictive (specifically, the “can only Command one character for every D in Command Skill). 2E Command and Coordination is better suited to commanding large groups (like the crews of starships). What I’m thinking, in combination with my previous post, is to use the 2E rules as a baseline, but allow characters to Command, as a free action, the number of characters </= their number of D in Command. Got 6D in Command? You can use Command on groups of 6 or less without incurring a MAP for the Command skill use.
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"No set of rules can cover every situation. It's expected that you will make up new rules to suit the needs of your game." - The Star Wars Roleplaying Game, 2R&E, pg. 69, WEG, 1996.

The CRMcNeill Stat/Rule Index

[garhkal]