[RPG] Do I choose the target or the ally when using the Help action in combat

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One of the uses of the Help action is to grant advantage on an ally's attack against another creature:

[…] you can aid a friendly creature in attacking a creature within 5 feet of you. You feint, distract the target, or in some other way team up to make your ally’s attack more effective. If your ally attacks the target before your next turn, the first attack roll is made with advantage.

When I use the Help action:

  • Do I choose the enemy to distract (and then the next ally to attack
    gets advantage)?
  • Or do I choose the ally and the enemy (so that only his attack
    against that target gets advantage)?
  • Or something else?

Best Answer

For ability checks, target ally. In combat, distract enemy instead of targeting ally.

According to the 5e Dungeon Master's Screen Reincarnated, it's both.

You help one creature with a task, giving that creature advantage on the next ability check it makes for that task. Or you distract one creature within 5 feet of you, and the next attack roll that an ally of yours makes against that creature has advantage.

Whichever option you choose, the advantage goes away once used or when your next turn starts.

So basically out of combat you help your ally (target: ally), in combat distract enemy (target: enemy)

After the help is used by one player, the nobody else gets advantage from it (from the updated DM's Screen).

Rules as written, you don't get to choose a player to help during combat, but my DM homebrews that you can choose to help a specific player instead of distracting a specific enemy.