Quote:
Originally Posted by Jack Tar
A quick query about the Cooperative skill rolls on pg.173.
The benefit of having someone help you is that it adds 10% to your roll (or 15/20% for special/critical success).
However, that means somone with a very low skill level, let's say 5%, who is aiding you could be adding 10% or even 20% to a score.
This seems wrong to me. Intuitively, I'd argue that someone with virtually no skill is probably a hinderance to someone with skill. "Will you stop trying to help me?! You're just getting in the way!"
Would it not be wiser to say that only someone with a reasonable amount of skill (say minimum of 10%) can potentially aid in a cooperative skill roll. If they get a critical success and add 20%, that's just a fluke that should be allowed as it will rarely happen.
|
The assumption is that the higher-skilled character is essentially saying to the relatively unskilled character "Okay... you don't have much skill... but here's exactly what you need to do if you want to help me."
It could also be regarded as offloading "busywork", enabling the higher-skilled character to focus on execution of the primary task at hand.
For example, a master chef might ask for unskilled assistance chopping or performing some routine task while he or she works on the stuff requiring a high degree of expertise.
The low chance of a character with a skill of 10% or under successfully being able to contribute to a cooperative task is the balancing factor.
If the GM feels it's not plausible, then he or she is free to rule that a character without an appreciable skill cannot aid in a cooperative task, as is stated in the first sentence of that section.