Torchlyte said:
Yes, I think it would be premature... but 3.x sets a dangerous, dumbed-down precedent for Intimidate.
Hmm... what we have with 3.*e Intimidate is an overpowered skill that has been nerfed. No, seriously. Intimidate (on a generally easy DC) = Friendly! Oh dear, that's too much to be permanent, let's make it last only a short time...
Indeed, Diplomacy also suffers from a related problem. Either the DC is impossible, or it's too easy, especially with the way you could stack synergy bonuses until even your fiercest foes were friendly puppies in your hands.
"I'm sorry, Tiamat is your friend now? How did that happen?" "Oh, +50 Diplomacy check. All the Gods love me."
...and Diplomacy was permanent. Oh, goody.
The simple fact is that the interaction skills in 3.*e really don't quite work, in addition to being too binary. I rather expect we'll see in 4e a system where both Diplomacy and Intimidate
work, but not in the same way, and not always together.
Cheers!