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Message: <blockquote data-quote="coyote6" data-source="post: 5079855" data-attributes="member: 1225">I try to think of Intimidate not as being just the ability to scare someone, but being the ability to scare someone usefully -- so that you accomplish something. Thus, people with frightening miens, massive muscles and more massive swords, incandescent arcane might, and otherwise clear signs of "I can destroy you" power -- but no real Intimidate bonus -- can scare people. They just don't do it to useful effect some (many) times.In the shot-off-his-leg situation, I'd have Peasantus Merchantus be terrified of Johnny -- but not usefully terrified. I'd have him be scared out of his wits, more-or-less literally; helpless on the floor, sobbing in fear and pain, begging Johnny to stop, don't kill me, please, oh Zilchus/Pelor/insert-divinity-here. Congratulations, Johnny -- you successfully frightened him -- but not into doing what you want.In the pre-leg shooting, the failed roll might lead to Peasantus shouting for help, and guards/neighbors/etc showing up. IIRC, I played it about that way once when the big strong no-ranks warrior used Intimidate to scare someone into talking -- he flexed, smashed something to bits, rolled, and failed. The would-be targets didn't talk, they just ran away. They didn't gain the frightened or panicked condition, or suffer any other kind of mechanical effect; they just decided to leave.If Mr. Scary had been trying to scare them into leaving, then they might have gotten scared that he was about to kill them, and drawn weapons to defend themselves. Or maybe they'd have talked, and lied.</blockquote>

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