Intimidate Skill: Useless?

[Starspawn]

well, i think i will suggest to my DM following House Rule:

An intimidated character will get -2 on attack and saves vs. the intimidating character for ...lets say char. level rounds, and is reluctant to attack him.
On the other hand, you can use intimidate in other situations as combat. E.g. you can intimidate people to tell you the truth or to keep a promise

 

[Prism]

Just out of interest, Champion of Gwynharwyf from book of exalted deeds has an ability called fearsome fury which forces a Will save to all within 30' while he/she rages. The save DC is set by an intimidate check result which is certain to be pretty high on average. The shaken effect lasts for several rounds too

There is an epic feat which creates a fear/shaken effect in pretty much the same way

 

[Felix]

The combat use of Intimidate can be very useful if you do one of two things with it:

1) Allow a feat to use Demoralize an Opponent as a Move Equivalent Action.

2) Have two or more characters in a party keep Intimidate maxed-out. The more Charismatic of the two Intimidates first, as then the target will more likely have a -2 to checks in the following Intimidate attempt. Then you'll have a frightened target.

It's a schtick, and not overly effective, but it could work for coolness value, eh?

Maybe allow a -5 or -10 to intimidate multiple opponents?

 

[RonYon]

Arg!

I just posted on this topic over on the wotc boards, but I was excited cause I didnt notice the short duration of the effect. Since fear effects seem to stack, the FearMonger archtype seemed destined to rock, but no...
So is there a feat to make the duration longer or to make the check a move equivalent action? I would love to make a Golieth tumbling/bluffing/intimidating grappler, as a sort of profesional wrassler type.

 

[ptolemy18]

Eh? I don't get how this makes it better. Didn't you just reduce the bonuses from intimidate and do nothing else?

I got distracted from my original search (to find a way to make Intimidate better rules-wise) and started thinking of ways to make it make more sense in-character. (The idea of Intimidating someone so your friends can beat up on them while you stand there looking scary is silly.) I'm sort of thinking of the following house rules:

* Intimidate (Demoralize) becomes a move-equivalent action
* Intimidate (Demoralize) gives a target the effects of being "shaken" (-2 attack, saves, etc.), but *only* against the Intimidating character.

Jason

 

[Jacen]

... started thinking of ways to make it make more sense in-character. (The idea of Intimidating someone so your friends can beat up on them while you stand there looking scary is silly.)
Jason

Ever seen me scratching my back with a bloody spare hand while having the nastiest knife ever on other hand. And throwing that hand away while saying "hey you'll lend me a hand in case it is better". I'll bet that you are lill bit shaken and look more me while having a fight with my pals.

If intimidate works I'd find if troubling if he would get minuses only aginst me. It is my freafully presence. He try to be more certain where I am and what I do than in normal fight. Had I be shaken by meaniest, ugliest and biggest dog ever, a kitten in same fight would have bonuses (or like in this case minuses for me against both). IMHO

 

[Saeviomagy]

A real simple way to make intimidate a good skill would be to make ALL applications of it into a standard action. Then it could be used to stop a fight.

After that, you could make use of some rules I made up for it which are based on the degree of success.

You may intimidate once per round. You may intimidate an opponent that you have an unimpeded line of sight to(ie - that would gain no cover against you), and that can see you as a standard action.
You may take a -5 on the check to intimidate as a move action
You may take a -10 on the check to intimidate as a free action
You may take a -5 on the check to intimidate all opponents that you threaten

The DC is 10 + opponents hit dice + opponents will save bonuses + any bonuses vs fear

If you beat your opponent, he is shaken for 1 round plus one round for every point by which you beat his roll.

If you beat him by more than 10, he is frightened for 1 round, plus 1 round for every point that you beat him by more than 10. After that, he's shaken for 10 rounds.

If you beat him by more than 20, he is panicked for 1 round, plus 1 round for every point that you beat him by more than 20 after that he is frightened for 10 rounds and after that he is shaken for 10 rounds.

If you fail your intimidate roll by 5 points or more, you cannot intimidate that foe again until you gain a rank in intimidate.

This does mean that intimidate becomes quite powerful. Enemies will flee quite often against an intimidator.

Mind you, this is nothing compared with say turn undead.

 

[Scion]

How about just as normal but the target can use a standard action to get another check or a full round action to get another check with a bonus.

Effectively, it would make them scared until they were able to shake it off. Such as after they get away and have time to focus on not being afraid any longer.

Works much like the hold person type spells in 3.5 that way.