Helping dice

[Aaron]

Is it possible to aid another character with a helping dice and use they same dice yourself in the current contest?

Example
The character come to a raging river and the antagonsit call for a contest of might.  One of the character's call on an oath owed by another "carry me across this river!"  Can the character use might to swim himself and then lend his might dice?

or would he have to lend a different dice?  Maybe in this case athletics.  Is the request for aid to specific?  Should he jsut be asking for help to cross the river?

If he can lend the dice and use the dice himself  at which stage would it be impaired?

Aaron.

[Mel White]

Interesting question.  I don't know the official answer.  I would say that the general rule is that the Hero can use a specific skill once in a specific contest.  So that means the Hero cannot use his own Might to cross the river and then loan the Might die to someone else.  Crossing the river is a single contest, even if the Heroes cross at different times.
In any case, when a Hero calls in an oath for aid, the choice of what kind of aid is made by the helper.  Certainly, the player is free to suggest what kind of aid (based on the die size)--that should incur another oath!

Mel   

[Aaron]

Thanks Mel,
It would seem strange to me if they could use the dice twice in a given conflict.  But I could also see some situations were it would be quite difficult for a character to be involved in a conflct and help in that same conflict.

[John Harper]

Yep, Mel has it right. Or that's how I run it, anyway. The book doesn't specify, so however your group agrees to do it is technically correct. :-)

[Ben Robbins]

I play the other way -- use the same helping die for as many different people as you want (i.e. once for yourself, and potentially once for each other person in the conflict). Just grab those oaths and suck up that impairment after each use. After all, if a Mighty hero is climbing a mountain can't he reach down and help up his less manly companion? Oath away!

If you think this makes things easier on the players, it's quite the opposite -- it's a lovely temptation to drain the best abilities, use more oaths, etc. If someone has a +2, it is particularly tempting for other heroes to try to tap that die even if it's already been impaired a bunch... which just means that poor hero with the +2 is getting really crippled and will demand an Interlude. It's an awesome vicious circle.

[John Harper]

I'm John Harper, and I endorse Ben's message.

(paid for by the committee to elect ben robbins as john's agon gm)

[Mel White]

I play the other way -- use the same helping die for as many different people as you want (i.e. once for yourself, and potentially once for each other person in the conflict). Just grab those oaths and suck up that impairment after each use. After all, if a Mighty hero is climbing a mountain can't he reach down and help up his less manly companion? Oath away!

I like this, too!  I think I'll start playing this way.  And it's not just enough to get help from the Mighty Hero, but how many Oaths is it worth to get helped first--before Might is impaired?!  Let the bidding begin! 
Mel