What systems have intercharacter synergy? Say some character idea (A) includes can can do X but someone (B) else does X twice as well unless it can be arranged that B is busy so A can shine then it is bit of waste of character A development but if the system includes that at least A and maybe B gains something just for having X then I think it is more fun for A & B and the whole group. Even more interesting if A's X advantages B's Y ability e.g. swimming  (when the adventure does not include water terrain) helps dodge.

5e D&D had rules where players with skills congruent to the task can assist in some way when possible.

Theres also the Bard who boosts the effectiveness of party members and the side role of a cleric is sometimes as party buffing.

As for a straight up passive boost just for having A and B in the group? You could do that with Gurps and some other builder systems to generate synergistic combos.

Some monsters in D&D and other RPGs get a bonus for having more of their kind in the group.

In Dragon Storm we did some test cards that would have granted a passive bonus to unicorns and pegasus characters for every one of each in the party since they are herd types. And one for werewolves and gargoyles too. The type of bonus depended on the race. Coodination for Unicorn and Pegasus, Strength for Werewolves, and Defense for Gargoyles.

Like how black kids learn math better just by sitting next to white kids in a classroom.

It's all just rubbish social engineering. Some players like that stuff in their game rules.

Seems an awfully complicated thing to have to track in gaming. And I am not at all sure I follow what it would add to roleplaying. It seems too mcuh playing the mechanics and not enough playing teh characters for my taste.

I do like the system in Mouse Guard where a player with a relevant ability can "lend" dice to another player taking a test, thus enlarging the dice pool and boosting the chance of success.

Beyond the Wall character generation has a portion of the character life path where the character undergoes a significant event, gaining attributes and skills from it, while another character is also involved in the event and gains an attribute point as well. This also promotes in character links between PCs.

Night's Black Agents has Tactical Fact Finding and Tag Team Tactical Benefits, where one character's investigative ability is used to help another character -- or the whole team's -- tactical efforts.  Like where one character, who's an expert at architecture, studies the temple and realizes there's a basement, so the PCs blow the floor, dropping the foes into the basement and then get tangible things like dice pool increases or free actions in combat.

Quote from: Future Villain Band;910935Night's Black Agents has Tactical Fact Finding and Tag Team Tactical Benefits, where one character's investigative ability is used to help another character -- or the whole team's -- tactical efforts.  Like where one character, who's an expert at architecture, studies the temple and realizes there's a basement, so the PCs blow the floor, dropping the foes into the basement and then get tangible things like dice pool increases or free actions in combat.

That's a pretty fantastic system. A lot of GM's probably already do that on their own, but having formalized systems really makes it a lot easier to run, balance and, most importantly, get the PCs into the flow of things.

Yeah theres a few RPGs now where you can "loan" dice to others for a skill check of you have a relavent skill to assist. Pretty much the same mechanic as just adding a bonus to someones skill check if you have a relavent or same skill that can reasonably apply.

I am though not at all fond of synergy just for synergies sake. Gimmics tend to not be fun and tend to turn into circus acts od juggling chargen to optimize some synergy. Id rather have it come about naturally or by chance.

Modiphius' 2d20 (Mutant Chronicles, Conan) system does this kind of thing as a basic function of how the game is played.  So if character A gets a crit on swimming (or any thing else, just using your example) he can use that now or he can put it in a party pool so that character B can use it to dodge or whatever.  The synergistic "I do cool stuff" economy based on passing beads goes much deeper and even includes the GM, so a player can give the GM points that he can do stuff with in exchange for great success (more dice) now.  For my needs, it is a completely craptastic excuse for an RPG... but it might be just what you are looking for.

I know I have read games where players gaining great success on their die rolls, or performing great feats of roleplaying can add bennies to a group pool for use by anyone who needs a boost.

The FFG Star Wars games also include as part of their dice mechanics rolls which give the players mechanical and narrative advantages. These can include the possibility of inter-character synergy. I roll well on my blaster attack and blow up the barrels that a bad guy was hiding behind, giving you an easier shot as he no longer has cover.  The interesting thing is tat it is even possible for me to "miss" my shot at the bad guy, but still blow up his cover.  On the flip side if I get a bad roll I might ignight the chemicals in the barrels giving the bad guy increased cover from the smoke that is now billowing forth.

Systems which have rules which make sense can naturally contain "inter-character synergy". So can games run by a GM who understands and cares about logical effects, and invents appropriate effects to appropriate cooperation.

For just one type of exampe, in a game like TFT or GURPS where there is a map with appropriate rules for cause & effect, you get natural effects where combined arms tactics can have natural benefits, such as having your front-line fighters prevent foes and/or their arrows from reaching your archers, mages, or other vulnerable types, by being in appropriate places on the field. And so on for other details of other types of weapons whose different properties can complement each other.

Quote from: Skarg;911077Systems which have rules which make sense can naturally contain "inter-character synergy". So can games run by a GM who understands and cares about logical effects, and invents appropriate effects to appropriate cooperation.

For just one type of exampe, in a game like TFT or GURPS where there is a map with appropriate rules for cause & effect, you get natural effects where combined arms tactics can have natural benefits, such as having your front-line fighters prevent foes and/or their arrows from reaching your archers, mages, or other vulnerable types, by being in appropriate places on the field. And so on for other details of other types of weapons whose different properties can complement each other.

Exactamundo!

If you have a game system where you can trip someone, and the combat modifiers take into account someone on the ground or prone, then Viola! Our characters have interfaced synergistically without a special mechanic.

Really, don't most RPGs with a skill system have some kind of mechanic for "when others help out?"

Does unintentional count?  Cuz, I'm thinking Exalted is the poster boi for that.  Little rule packets that if you mix and match them right, from different character archetypes will simply mix well and devastate the game.

Even in strictly Theatre of the Mind games combat can generate a lot of synergy. Put a rank of sword&shield fighters in front with a rank of long weapons just behind striking over/past the front rank. Spell casters have a broad arsenel of buffs that can be applied to the line fighters, as well as ranged attacks and healing.

Quote from: DavetheLost;911089Even in strictly Theatre of the Mind games combat can generate a lot of synergy. Put a rank of sword&shield fighters in front with a rank of long weapons just behind striking over/past the front rank. Spell casters have a broad arsenel of buffs that can be applied to the line fighters, as well as ranged attacks and healing.

[Clint Eastwood]Back in the day, "synergy" was called "tactics".[/Clint Eastwood]

The characters are professionals (not the same as expert) in my mind whether mercenaries, special forces or career criminals. It comes into why they even together at all- all pros knows you can't do "missions" of high value without the support of other pros- people who only seek lots of gold, stuff end up dead very quick.  Their abilities play off each unconsciously (physical presence, casual talk)  so naturally there are synergy effects that can't be simply shown by the players. Anyway the real point of the thread to have some idea of how the mechanics work. It could be that the synergy effects come into play for abilities that are hard to obtain say outside of class. Any players who just go for the synergy are going to be totally trounced by their collective lack of diversity of abilities or they end up having abilities that just are terribly useful. You could have the DM play  NPC who keeps in the background for a low number of members party who synergises with the few others (even solitary).