Cooperative Actions
There are many ways multiple characters can work together. However, you can't use more than one of these at the same time.
Help: If you use your action to help someone with a task, you give them an asset on the task. If you're trained, specialized, or expert in that task, you give them an additional asset (for a total of two assets). If you have an inability in a task, your help has no effect.
Helping someone with their defenses gives them an asset on all their defense tasks (not just one defense roll) until your next turn.
Sometimes you can help by performing a task that complements what another person is attempting. If your complementary action succeeds, you give the other person an asset on their task. For example, if your friend is trying to persuade a ship captain to let your group on board, you could try to supplement their words with a flattering lie about the captain (a deception action), a display of knowledge about the region where the ship is headed (a geography action), or a direct threat to the captain (an intimidation action). If your roll is a success, your friend's persuasion task gets an asset.
Distraction: When you use your turn to distract a foe, that foe's attacks are hindered for one round. A distraction might be yelling a challenge, firing a warning shot, or a similar activity that doesn't harm the foe. This can't hinder a foe by more than one step, no matter how many people are trying to distract them.
Draw the Attack: When an NPC attacks another character, you can try to get the NPC to attack you instead (usually by prominently presenting yourself, shouting taunts, and so on). In most cases, this succeeds without a roll—the opponent attacks you instead of the other character. Against an intelligent or determined foe, you may have to succeed at an Intellect action to draw their attack; if you succeed, the foe attacks you, and (because you had to make yourself a bit vulnerable to get them to attack you) your defense is hindered by two steps. Two characters attempting to draw an attack at the same time cancel each other out.
Take the Attack: If an NPC's attack would hit another character (usually by the other character failing their defense task), you can throw yourself in front of the successful attack to save them. The attack automatically succeeds against you and it inflicts an additional minor wound. Once you take an attack this way, you can't do so again until the start of your next turn.