Curse that charisma!

[MadBlue]

Off the board - IMHO, anyone can threaten/intimidate in two ways - by demonstrating just how your head is going to be smashed into the brick wall, repeatedly (the brawny way ) or alternatively by insinuating just what horrors will befall you, your family, friends, associates etc. etc. etc. if you mess with the wrong guy (the suave, more brainy approach - aka, the 'family' way)), aka the character using the skill. You need a lot of persuasiveness and confidence for the second.

I agree with you up until you mentioned the target character's family, friends and associates. Someone who has the power to visit horrors on a target character's family and friends is going to have the target character's cooperation for much longer than the time they're in the target character's presence and 1d6x10 minutes afterwards. That really can't be handled with an Intimidate check because you can't roll dice to see if a threat to visit horrors on a character's loved ones is enough to get them to do what you want. The Intimidate check is made to see if a threat to visit horrors on the character, in your immediate presence, is enough to get them to do what you want. Basically, some situations that are intimidating in real life can't be covered with the Intimidate skill.

I agree that Intimidate could be based on Strength as well as Charisma, depending on the circumstances, though.

MadBlue

 

[Parlan]

So if the intimidate check is to get into the queen's audience chamber, when she already left orders you were to be admitted, its -5 to the dc. There is still a chance of failure because no one likes to be bullied into something, and the guard might find an excuse of protocol to delay your entrance. If its to just stay still, be quiet or give the character access to a seemingly unimportant room, and the target is not aware of any untoward circumstances (his buddy's dead body for instance) its a straight check. Assigning the specific modifiers beyond that is obviously something of a judgement call, but I'd say the captain of the gaurd example falls between +10 and +20 depending on the DM's assignment of loyalty (is this a very important job, or the point of his existance?) For the serving girl its likely to be 0 to +5, on the lower side if he just asks for directions rather than her participation. On the other hand, other circumstance modifiers and level differences are going to be playing heavily into his favor on the serving girl.Kahuna Burger

That seems like a good set of modifiers. I feel like a +20 to the DC is very high, but I suppose that with the right magic items and an Intimidate focused character it s possible but extremely difficult to achieve, which I think is about right for forcing someone to contradict their deepest held beliefs.

I’m straying into house rules here, but what do people feel about reducing the duration of the effect? Again, 1d6 X 10 minutes seems like a LONG time to me, unless the Intimidator made the check by 10 points or so.

Alternatively, what about giving the Intimidated the option to resist using an opposed Intimidate roll?

 

[ThoughtBubble]

That seems like a good set of modifiers. I feel like a +20 to the DC is very high, but I suppose that with the right magic items and an Intimidate focused character it s possible but extremely difficult to achieve, which I think is about right for forcing someone to contradict their deepest held beliefs.

I’m straying into house rules here, but what do people feel about reducing the duration of the effect? Again, 1d6 X 10 minutes seems like a LONG time to me, unless the Intimidator made the check by 10 points or so.

Alternatively, what about giving the Intimidated the option to resist using an opposed Intimidate roll?

As far as making an opposed roll, that's pretty much covered in the 10 part of the 10+HD+fear modifiers. Alternately, you could take the base 10 out, and replace it with a 1D20. But the more that I can just assume an NPC takes 10, the happier I am.

I'd be very risistant to making the roll based off of an opposing skill, as it becomes easier to threaten anyone who doesn't have the skill.

I can't comment on the time duration, for some things, it's just right, for some, it seems a little short, and for some, it seems way too long. It would be neat to see the value of the intimidate roll's success come into play though.

edit: And I just thought I should put in that I agree wholeheartedly with Kahuna's check values and all of them are swiped for future use. Thanks!

 

[Parlan]

I'd be very risistant to making the roll based off of an opposing skill, as it becomes easier to threaten anyone who doesn't have the skill.

That s why I suggested making it a choice for the person BEING threatened, they can choose whatever is more favorable.