The rulebook seems very vague about “Assistance” pg 150. Choose a Skill & Drive and roll just 1d20 (can’t buy extra dice) - that bit is clear. Successes generated add to the main Skill Test so long as the main actor makes at least one success of their own - seems moderately clear, but left me wondering about Skill Focuses and whether the Assistant can use Traits/Assets to give more Successes (as there doesn’t seem to be a “Difficulty” for an Assistance Roll for Traits and Assets to modify) or use a Talent to reroll it (does the Assistance Roll count as a “Test”), or use Determination to reroll or get auto-crit.
It then adds “any complications from anyone involved in the Skill Test apply to everyone” and that seems particularly confusing.
On the Assistance Roll…
Should the Assistant’s Skill Focus count?
If the Assistant has an “injury” Trait that narratively applies, does that affect the Assistance roll?
If the Assistant has a Complication that simulates some hindrance does it affect the Assistance Roll? Or does the “apply to everyone” mean that they make the Assistance Roll without it, but the main Actor is affected by the Assistant’s Complication? Or is the Assistant’s Roll affected by any and all Complications of anyone else (including the main Actor)?
My initial reading of the bit about Complications (probably wildly wrong) was that it was just a mistake and meant that if the Assistance Roll or the main Roll generate any Complications, they are suffered by both the Assistant and the main Actor.
After much cogitating, I’ve decided on this interpretation…
- The GM should inform the players how many people can meaningfully assist (usually just 1).
- Assistance Rolls are very simplified so not everything that applies to a Skill Test applies to the Assistance Roll.
- A player attempting to make an Assistance Roll should describe which Skill and Drive they think best applies.
- Skill Focus can apply so Assistance can give 1 or 2 successes even if only 1 dice.
- Talents may affect the Assistance typically providing re-roll options (it’s not clear from the rulebook if Assistance Rolls count as “Tests”)
- Traits and Assets might allow an Assistance Roll but not reduce the Difficulty. Complications or “injury” Traits might disallow an Assistance Roll but not increase the Difficulty - as Assistance Rolls don’t have a Difficulty .
- The character making the Assistance Test, will only be rolling 1 d20 ( not 2 ) and may not spend Momentum to buy extra dice
- Determination could be spent or earned on an Assistance Roll, so the Drive Statement should be considered . If it firmly supports or opposes the activity, follow the procedure for Comply or Challenge.
- Successes are added to the number of successes of the actual Test .
- For an Assistance Roll, no Momentum is gained by over-succeeding .
- Complications gained from either the Assistance Roll or the actual Test, affect all participants.
- Assistance is covered on page 150
Basically, consider an assistance roll as a test in all the same ways as if they were making the test themselves, but one where the player can’t get any extra dice but their single one.
I’m not clear how that would work as there doesn’t seem to be a “Difficulty” for Assistance (all Successes are added to the Skill Test) and most things that Assets and Traits and Complications do is nudge the Difficulty up and down.
Any chance of a clear example with the edge-cases thrown in? That’s what I was trying to do in my step-by-step explanation above.
There isn’t a Difficulty for the assistance, any successes the assisting person gets are added to the result of the primary skill roll maker.
Check out p150 for more detail on assisting. 
Thanks Andy. I mustn’t have made myself clear enough, THAT was exactly my point number 6. Assistance Rolls don’t have a Difficulty. My only uncertainty in my step-by-step explanation was about whether they officially count as a “Test” and so trigger the behaviour of various Talents.
Nb. Most Talents wouldn’t apply anyway as they affect the Difficulty or need a trigger of buying extra dice, but a few (only about 3 Talents) would appear to be “legal” during an Assistance Roll, such as those that allow “buying successes for Determination” or “Re-rolls” or “swapping the Skill” - I guess it’s just GM’s discretion.
I found this revue helpful. I’ve been messing-up allowing as-many-PC to assist as wanted to, as could explain how their character was assisting. It’s turned into several scenes of 3-people Assisting. From now on I’m going to follow recommendation 1, that the GM declares how many PC can usefully Assist.
Oops I’ve also been misplaying #9 and #10. I’ll begin using MickH method immediately, for tomorrow’s game I’ll tell the Players.
Instead of #9, I’d been letting the Assist to drop the Difficulty of the actual Test by -1. You’re saying instead to add the Assist as Successes on the Test. Similar-same math result??
In #10, I would have let any “2” successes on the assist, to bank +1 Momentum. Let us now strike the use of Momentum (spending or banking it) from Assists.
Thanks again. Play on.
It’s also worth adding that “Successes are added to the number of successes of the actual Test only if the main actor gets at least one success “ I think this prevents too many auto-successes on tasks and helps maintain some jeopardy.