First Aid

[Mad_Saulot]

Ok imagine this scenerio

The Stinge (mountain dwarf totem barbarian5/rogue1) and his comrade Dag Vulfar (human variant battlemaster5/wizard1) have infiltrated the domain of the Ice Pirate Captain Spit assassinated his 'mother' (a green hag) and dealt a fatal but not killing blow to captain spit, as spit bleeds out on the floor his personal guards rush into the room, 10 ice pirates (bandits) 8 attack stinge and dag, 2 attend to spit.

Can the 2 ice pirates attempt to stabalise spit even though neither of them have the medicine skill? And can the second ice pirate assist the first for an advantage on a first aid roll?

[Desamir]

Can the 2 ice pirates attempt to stabalise spit even though neither of them have the medicine skill? And can the second ice pirate assist the first for an advantage on a first aid roll?

Yes and yes. The first ice pirate makes a Medicine check with advantage, and has to beat a DC 10.

[Mad_Saulot]

Yes and yes. The first ice pirate makes a Medicine check with advantage, and has to beat a DC 10.

Am I correct in assuming if he doesnt have medicine skill it is just a d20+wis modifier?

[Joe the Rat]

Yep.

Remember that there are no skill checks. There are ability checks, for which skills may apply. Wisdom (Medicine), DC10.

[Mad_Saulot]

OK cheers for the confirmation.

Still trying to get my head out of 3.5e

[JellyPooga]

Yep.

Remember that there are no skill checks. There are ability checks, for which skills may apply. Wisdom (Medicine), DC10.

It's probably worth noting that there are certain checks that have some kind of requirement. You can't, as a very basic example, use Acrobatics to swing from a chandelier if there's no chandelier to swing from!

More seriously and more relevantly, and it's entirely the GM's call, certain Medicine checks might call for a Healers Kit or proficiency in order to make a check at all; successfully treating an amputation, for example, might fall into this category.

Likewise, identifying a particularly rare species of plant might require proficiency in Nature.

I'll note that this is not supported by any rules, to my knowledge, but it seems reasonable that there are certain things that someone untrained simply will not be able to do, no matter how high you roll (for instance, you can't miraculously know a language by a lucky happenstance; it's something you have to learn through training).

[Mad_Saulot]

It's probably worth noting that there are certain checks that have some kind of requirement. You can't, as a very basic example, use Acrobatics to swing from a chandelier if there's no chandelier to swing from!

More seriously and more relevantly, and it's entirely the GM's call, certain Medicine checks might call for a Healers Kit or proficiency in order to make a check at all; successfully treating an amputation, for example, might fall into this category.

Likewise, identifying a particularly rare species of plant might require proficiency in Nature.

I'll note that this is not supported by any rules, to my knowledge, but it seems reasonable that there are certain things that someone untrained simply will not be able to do, no matter how high you roll (for instance, you can't miraculously know a language by a lucky happenstance; it's something you have to learn through training).

Yes I agree.

I'd say if you dont have the skill you can do these: Bind a wound, remove an arrow, cauterize a wound, suck out venom, anything you might be able to do irl on the street without any gear.

I'd say these ones though would require tools + the medicine skill: Cure a persistent infection, perform amputation, perform cesarean section, any kind of major surgery, treat critical burns, cure poisoning, anything you'd have to go to hospital for irl.

You could argue that anyone could perform an amputation, and I would certainly allow this but your patient will in all probability lose all his hitpoints and die in the process, but maybe he wont, either way, if you have the option a physician is an obviously better choice.

[Safety Sword]

I also agree that even though there are skill checks in the game, there should be tasks or knowledge in the world that only trained people can have any chance to succeed at.

An example that come to mind is that no one should have a chance to know what is in the long lost book of "Blaaaaarg" unless one has read the book of Blaaaaarg. It doesn't matter how good at Arcana, History or Religion you are, you just can't possibly know.

[djreynolds]

It used to be some skills, in 3.5, required some training to have proficiency in. Sleight of Hand, you had to be taught, no matter how high your dexterity.

First aid, I mean placing cloth over a wound and applying pressure may seem common place, but its really not.

I would say a bard's jack of trade and a champion's remarkable athlete resembles training.

I say in this instance, I would allow these guys to attempt to stem the bleeding and stabilize the victim, based on the skill in medicine which is really just a wisdom ability check, why it is not intelligence, and I would allow advantage for help.

You could say since you have no training in medicine, you are at disadvantage. And since you are being helped the advantage squashes the disadvantage. Fair. Now beat a DC of 10 to stabilize.