How do LG characters intimidate

[roguerouge]

Okay. I have five ranks in intimidate. I'm looking to use the skill in social situations, not to impose a combat penalty. Let's say we've got a captive/potential criminal into confessing their crimes. How do I have my LG character get the confession?

 

[Raloc]

Torture! (That works, you didn't say, "While remaining LG." )

 

[Nifft]

"You will die, and then you will rot in Hell for all eternity. Shall I describe the sorts of torture you will endure in Hell? No? Well, perhaps I should leave you to the tender mercies of my friends here, and let you find out for yourself.

"I could protect you. If you tell me what I want to know, and you tell me now."

Cheers, -- N

 

[Cthulhudrew]

Well, for starters, IMO just because you're LG doesn't necessarily mean you can't be a mean angry cuss from time to time. I'd pretty much consider myself to be LG and I like to think that I can give some pretty menacing looks now and then.

Intimidation doesn't have to be about overt threats, or suggestions of physical harm. The Intimidation could just represent the intensity of the character- his ability to get a sense of urgency across to others.

Alternatively, as a LG character, you could have your Intimidation represent telling the criminal what sort of punishments are in store for him for breaking the law. No malice or viciousness behind informing him, but letting him know that he's going to the stocks for his crime, or will be subject to flogging or something if he doesn't come clean.

Basically, a good cop approach. "Look- I'm on your side here. If you cooperate with us, I'll make sure to put in a good word for you, get your sentence reduced."

 

[Felix]

Enumerate all the ways the law can work against him.

"You're up against the hangman's noose if you don't cooperate."
"Once you're convicted and behind bars, it's even money that your sister will have to turn tricks to support your mother. And you know how dangerous that is, don't you?"
"Did you know prison guards get their jollies by polishing their nightsticks on inmates?"

Meanwhile the guy using Diplomacy can play Good Cop to your Bad.

"If you help us find out who's behind this, the hangman won't have to come into the picture."
"You'll want to be thrown in jail for the appearances' sake, but we can make sure your family is helped out. If you help us."
"You'll get a nice quiet cell with the merchant-usurer crowd; no need to worry about guards with nightsticks."

---

As a LG guy, you may have a hard time following through with any of those threats, but you sure can threaten to do so.

 

[Dykstrav]

I don't think the use of Intimidate is something that a lawful good character would necessarily have any qualms about using (although they probably wouldn't make such measures their first resort). After all, which is worse? The theat of violence or the use of violence? Something you could debate with your DM when it came time to start breaking some legs.

In a more practical sense, check out the Intimidate skill, it specifically says that it combines physical threats with body language. I guess a lawful good character would probably lean more on the body language end.

If I were in your situation, I'd get a friend to start laying out knives, nails, other unpleasant things. Then I'd tell the friend to hold his horses, maybe the prisoner will cooperate. The questioning would start, and I'd start acting more and more impateint but be firmly polite with every wrong asnwer that I got. I think it'd make a pretty effective Intimidate check if I started eyeing the torture devices after a few wrong answers.

 

[jgbrowning]

To quote/translate Rainer Maria Rilke...

Who, if I cried out, would hear me among the angels'
hierarchies? And even if one of them suddenly
pressed me against his heart, I would perish
in the embrace of his stronger existence.
For beauty is nothing but the beginning of terror
which we are barely able to endure and are awed
because it serenely disdains to annihilate us.

That's intimidating.

joe "So it doesn't answer your question, but it's one bad-ass quote" b.

 

[Thunt]

"You have commited evil acts for most of your life, monster." Draws weapon "I forgive you."

This would scare the crap out of me if done just right.

 

[bodhi]

See "to the pain". Drop. Your. Sword.

Edit: Some other things came to mind.

Also, what are your character's strengths? That could suggest possibilities.

Bend a crowbar into a pretzel. Then straighten it.

Stuff a big pinch of tobacco into your mouth, chew, then swallow (without turning green).

There's a scene in The Freshman where Brando (basically parodying Don Corleone) says "This is not a yes.", then cracks some walnuts in his fist, "I want to hear a yes.".

 

[Harm]

Torture! (That works, you didn't say, "While remaining LG." )

Torture can be both lawful and good. Personally, I'd recommend starting with a spoon.