Outside assistance

Outside assistance is a Acorn mechanic featured in Unstable, Unsanctioned and Unfinity that has the player interacting with a person from outside the game to get input of some kind.

Description

Cards with outside assistance require you to find a person not playing in your current game and ask them to do something, usually making a choice or choices about something that will impact your game.

Rulings

• A "person outside the game" is any person anywhere except the people who are currently in your game.
• Players who started in your game but are currently out of it are also outside the game.
• It doesn't have to be a person who plays or knows Magic.
• If there's no one else around, you may use your phone if you need to. Texting and calling are allowed, although, if you need the person outside the game to perform a physical action (such as high-fiving, becoming your teammate, that kind of thing), you may be out of luck.

Non-acorn tournament rules

From the Tournament Rules (December 4, 2023—The Lost Caverns of Ixalan)

• 5.6 Outside Assistance
  During matches, players may not seek play advice from spectators and spectators may not give play advice to players.
  
  During deck construction, players and spectators may not provide any advice or commentary to a player until that player’s decklist has been handed in.
  
  Players and spectators will refrain from providing any information about draft selections or strategies between pod announcement and the end of the draft. At Competitive and Professional Rules Enforcement Level, players and spectators are expected to remain silent during the draft.
  
  Some of these restrictions may be waived due to official press or coverage; in these situations, the player will be informed of the revised expectations. Teammates in certain team tournaments are also excepted from these restrictions (see section 4.5).