Intimidate, then Diplomacy for interrogation?

[Shin Okada]

Intimidate makes a NPC temporary friendly. But it is usually not enough to draw information from that one. Some published modules mention that "this one does not reveal secrets unless one's attitude is changed to helpful." and such. As intimidate cannot make someone helpful, no matter how the check result is high, often useless as a way of interrogation.

Then, is it possible to change that same (now friendly) NPC's attitude further into helpful, by using Diplomacy skill?

In fact, carrot and stick is considered to be a good old technique of interrogation.

 

[lottrbacchus]

I'd allow it

 

[irdeggman]

Actually Intimidate does not make the character "friendly".

"If you beat your target’s check result, you may treat the target as friendly, but only for the purpose of actions taken while it remains intimidated. (That is, the target retains its normal attitude, but will chat, advise, offer limited help, or advocate on your behalf while intimidated. See the Diplomacy skill, above, for additional details.) The effect lasts as long as the target remains in your presence, and for 1d6×10 minutes afterward. After this time, the target’s default attitude toward you shifts to unfriendly (or, if normally unfriendly, to hostile)."

It acts as "friendly" as specified in the Diplomacy skill for actions, but it's actual attitude has not shifted and as a matter of fact when the effect fades it's attitude shifts to unfriendly as a result.

 

[domino]

I wouldn't allow the same person to do it, but I might let someone Imtimidate an NPC into acting friendly, then have another player Diplomance him to be helpful using the Friendly DC, as a good cop/bad cop gambit.

That'd probably be house ruled stuff though.

 

[Artoomis]

I would not allow it.

The "good cop/bad cop" routine involves two people to be successful, normally.

If you were attempting the "good cop/bad cop" routine, I'd give a +2 circumstance bonus the the person attempting diplomacy - provided the intimate was successful.

Note that the final result would be unfriendliness or hostility to the intimidator, but some shift (depending upon diplomacy score and initial attitude) towards "helpful" to the diplomat.

That's as generous as I would be. If you party is not equipped with a way to get an NPC to be "helpful," then that's the way it is - it probably means the characters made choices to be more effective in combat rather than diplomatic.