Assistance

While a samurai must face some tasks alone, allies can frequently offer critical assistance during major challenges. When one character dedicates significant effort to helping another (rather than accomplishing a separate goal), use the rules for assistance.

Using Assistance

During Step 3: Assemble and Roll Dice Pool, if a character making a check receives assistance from one or more others, the character making the check rolls one additional per assisting character who has 1 or more ranks of the skill in use, and one additional per assisting character who has 0 ranks in the skill in use. Each player whose character assists must describe how they are helping, and the GM decides if they can contribute.

At the GM’s discretion, during Step 4: Modify Rolled Dice, up to one advantage from one assisting character can be applied.

Then, during Step 5: Choose Kept Dice, a character making a check with assistance may keep up to 1 additional die per assisting character.

Finally, during Step 6: Resolve Symbols on Kept Dice, each assisting character may choose to suffer 1 strife to negate 1 symbol on the check.

Limits on Assistance

The GM is the final arbiter of whether a character’s attempt to help is actually useful enough to grant this benefit, as well as whether there is a maximum number of characters who can feasibly assist. Given the logistical challenges it can have (physical space, proximity, relevant expertise, etc.) and the mechanical potency of assistance, GMs should feel free to allow only one character to assist in many circumstances.