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The Success line of Aid Another reads:

The target gains a +2 bonus to the next check using the same skill or ability before the end of the assisting creature’s next turn.

Since you must use the same skill check as the person you're aiding, could someone else use Aid Another to assist your Aid Another check? Are there any rules that support or forbid this?

Some may find this useful when there's more than 5 in the group, since the Aid Another benefits are limited to 4 aides. This way, with stackable Aid Anothers, the extra individuals can have a hand in boosting the success of the direct aides.

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It seems like an odd choice. Why would that second person use their Aid Another action to boost the third person's Aid Another check, rather than boost the first person's skill check or ability check? Doing so would mean two potential Aid Another actions — out of a potential four — leading to a +4 bonus. – Jadasc Nov 10 '10 at 1:05
@Jadasc Adding reasoning for this to my OP. – Iszi Nov 10 '10 at 1:13
@Iszi I can see where you're coming from, although I think that, once you've gotten five or more people helping on one skill check, you might be dealing with a group check or a skill challenge instead. – Jadasc Nov 10 '10 at 1:19
@Jadasc I don't disagree, but this question is more targeted at RAW, not RAI. – Iszi Nov 10 '10 at 1:21
@Iszi Absolutely. That's why I'm glad to have this exchange in the comments; my response is RAW, and can be judged as such. – Jadasc Nov 10 '10 at 1:22
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The Rules Compendium supports this interpretation. The Aid Another action is a skill or ability check (p.128), which means that it's a viable target for an Aid itself.

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Errata: "However, up to four creatures can use aid another to affect a single check, for a maximum bonus of +8 or a maximum penalty of –4." One could argue that these extra Aid Anothers are affecting a single check, albeit indirectly. – okeefe Nov 10 '10 at 1:57
I think that's a valid point to argue, but I think that would fall into DM interpretation, as with my comments on the OP. As the text is written, even with the erratum, the skill check to Aid Another is a different check than the one being Aided, so it's available for its own AA. – Jadasc Nov 10 '10 at 2:21
I mean, the extra Aid certainly affects another check, otherwise what would be the point, mechanically? – okeefe Nov 10 '10 at 2:37
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Yes, but it affects it by proxy — Player Six gives Player Five an additional +2 on her chance to give Player One an additional +2. (Players Two through Five are presumably aiding Player One.) I think that distinction is important. Actually, this may be the main point of contention — for this to be relevant, you need a player group of six or more, which is bigger than the "standard" party of four or five. – Jadasc Nov 10 '10 at 2:43
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@okeefe That point could be argued, but at the same time the "single check" still is not affected by more than the specified +8 or -4. – Iszi Nov 10 '10 at 6:26
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