Aid

In traditional medicine, the Aid Skill represents everything from competently applied First-Aid (+1) or stabilizing EMT treatment (+2) to computer-assisted microsurgery and genetic therapies (+6 and above). It can also represent applied herbal knowledge, psychiatric medicine, chi healing, and of course breakthrough-power applied healing.   Aid comes into play in two ways. First, Recovery from Consequences (p.133, Wearing the Cape) requires an Overcome against the Consequence. Characters with the Aid Skill can aid with that Overcome Action. Second, in a “high-realism” campaign, some Moderate Consequences and many Severe Consequences (+6) may be life-threatening (box, p.133). Extreme Consequences (+8!) will almost always be life-threatening, and the GM can Compel the Moderate, Severe, or Extreme Consequence to elevate the injury from a simple Aspect to something the aid provider must win a serious Contest against (p.126) before it kills the patient. When non-player characters are involved then the GM may simply rule that failure to Overcome their life-threatening Consequences results in death.  

Overcome

Sometimes before Recovery is attempted the character must first not die; this may involve a Contest in which the aid-provider attempts to keep the Consequence from creating a full-blown Hazard (p.155). Diagnostic and Forensic efforts, as well as attempts to counteract drugs, poisons, curses, psychic pressure…anything placing adverse mental, physical, or even magical Aspects on the character, will also require an Overcome Action. See Using Aid (p.134) for an example.

Create an Advantage

Aid can be used to Create an Advantage, passing the Free Invoke to patients to help with their Recovery rolls. It can also be used to create “masking” Aspects that allow the patient to function while injured, using permissions and invokes. See Using Aid (p.134) for an example.

Attack

Aid is not used to Attack.

Defend

Aid is not normally used to Defend, although some powers may allow you to give aid that acts to Counter or Defend the subject from the harm as it is being attempted.