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<blockquote data-quote="Lonely Tylenol" data-source="post: 3133957" data-attributes="member: 18549">Funny, I interpret the skill as including reputation.&nbsp; The more ranks you have, the more well known you are for being a scary guy.&nbsp; However, there's no indication that a show of force is required for Intimidate to work.&nbsp; Quite the opposite.&nbsp; The skill is Cha-based and does not automatically increase with your ability to wreak havoc.&nbsp; A 14th level barbarian with no ranks in Intimidate will simply fail to scare people.&nbsp; They may live to regret it, but they're just not going to take him seriously because he'll lack the ability to communicate a threat adequately.On the other hand, a 20th level halfling rogue with the skill maxed out can probably just raise an eyebrow suggestively and make a demand, and the target will simply know that the worst thing he can possibly do is refuse to comply.&nbsp; The barbarian can tie horseshoes into knots, but the halfling carries the threat of &quot;the worst thing you can imagine happening to you&quot; after years of cultivating the skill.Interestingly, IRL, I'm kind of a scrawny guy but I'm actually pretty good at intimidating people, and have done so on several occasions to help avoid conflict with drunk barhoppers, aggressive homeless people, and other &quot;city encounters&quot;.&nbsp; I don't look like I can break your arms, but I can look like I really believe I can, which is enough to make people think twice about starting something.&nbsp; If I'm that damn sure I'm scary enough to make demands of people, I must have something to back it up with, right?&nbsp; As long as they believe that for the duration of the interaction, I can pretty reliably shake them off.Intimidation is acting.&nbsp; It's telling a story about the possibility of future pain and suffering, while providing an alternate future in which the target gives up whatever it is the Intimidator wants and he goes away.&nbsp; If you're not an actor, you'll fail to convey that story.</blockquote>

[QUOTE="Lonely Tylenol, post: 3133957, member: 18549"] Funny, I interpret the skill as including reputation. The more ranks you have, the more well known you are for being a scary guy. However, there's no indication that a show of force is required for Intimidate to work. Quite the opposite. The skill is Cha-based and does not automatically increase with your ability to wreak havoc. A 14th level barbarian with no ranks in Intimidate will simply fail to scare people. They may live to regret it, but they're just not going to take him seriously because he'll lack the ability to communicate a threat adequately. On the other hand, a 20th level halfling rogue with the skill maxed out can probably just raise an eyebrow suggestively and make a demand, and the target will simply [i]know[/i] that the worst thing he can possibly do is refuse to comply. The barbarian can tie horseshoes into knots, but the halfling carries the threat of "the worst thing you can imagine happening to you" after years of cultivating the skill. Interestingly, IRL, I'm kind of a scrawny guy but I'm actually pretty good at intimidating people, and have done so on several occasions to help avoid conflict with drunk barhoppers, aggressive homeless people, and other "city encounters". I don't look like I can break your arms, but I can look like I really believe I can, which is enough to make people think twice about starting something. If I'm that damn sure I'm scary enough to make demands of people, I must have something to back it up with, right? As long as they believe that for the duration of the interaction, I can pretty reliably shake them off. Intimidation is acting. It's telling a story about the possibility of future pain and suffering, while providing an alternate future in which the target gives up whatever it is the Intimidator wants and he goes away. If you're not an actor, you'll fail to convey that story. [/QUOTE]

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