D&D 5E Is Intimidate the worse skill in the game?

[Derren]

As a good example what Intimidation can do to you watch the first minute of the Doom Ethernal Phobos gameplay reveal (I won't link it because its PG 18).

Although its again just Intimidation against weaker people (not enemies).

 

[Thorrn]

The way I see persuasion versus intimidation is good cop versus bad cop. It does not have to be evil… and does not always lead to someone ‘hating you.’ There is an amazing interrogation scene from a show called Firefly where a character named Jayne intimidates in a non evil way that is wonderful to watch. His brawn… just holding the knife and subtle conversation is amazing. Teachers and can also use intimidating speech to get people moving. Not evil, but just raises the anxiety to make one move.

 

[EzekielRaiden]

Looks like someone cast Animate Thread. Such net-cromancy is a dark art, of questionable provenance!

Is it the worst? Nah. I'd argue Animal Handling is the worst. It's simply not useful in the vast majority of cases, and when it is useful, it might as well be Persuasion, just targeted at animals rather than people. It's a very flavorful concept, and a skill that makes narrative sense to exist, but it is simply not a good skill in the vast majority of cases. Intimidate is more useful than Animal Handling.

 

[Crimson Longinus]

Well. I guess we might as well continue this thread.

One advantage of intimidation over persuasion is that you can potentially get people to do things they never could be persuaded to do.

And of course getting enemies to surrender is big, though I think here it would help if 5e actually had some sort of formalised morale system with which this could interact.

I don't think it is a terrible skill at all, but of course how well it works largely depends on the GM, so people's experiences will vary. There could and should be better guidelines for this though.

 

[Swarmkeeper]

In 5e, the mechanical "value" of skills depends on two things:

1. The declarations of actions by players that put their PCs in positions where said skill might be useful
2. The DM setting up scenarios in which the PCs' actions might trigger an ability check in which said skill might apply

 

[UngeheuerLich]

There is definitely a lot of possible overlap between Deception, Intimidation, and Persuasion. I mean, often isn't Deception really just trying to Persuade someone you are telling the truth? In many ways you could roll them all up into one skill: Influence, because that is what you are really trying to do IMO 9 out of 10 times.

Regardless of how you try to influence someone in a social setting (lying, intimidating, etc.) if you fail in the effort, there will be consequences (of course, this is why an ability check was called for...). Intimidating isn't alone in this.

And maybe use int/cha/str for those checks, depending on the approach...

Outsmart someone? Int.
Intimidate? Sometimes Str.
Persuasion through being charmin? Charisma.

That would be a good approach.

That said, I also don't need athletics and the nearly useless acrobatics. Just make it the same skill and ask for dex or str or con.

Actually, what skills do we really need?

Survival and nature also overlap too much. Just one nature with Int, wis or con?

Perception and investigation and insight? Only one with int or wis or maybe charisma tied to it.

Stealth and sleight of hand. Both is doing something stealthily. Maybe dex or int check or charisma depending on the situation?

 

[NotAYakk]

Making intimidation "I seem impressive" works great.

Persuasion - "Be a good chap and listen to this deal"
Deception - "This lie is true, clearly"
Intimidation - "I'm an impressive person, you should show deference"

One way to use Intimidation is a threat, but far from the only one. Getting people to charge the goblins because you are so badass that together you have a hope is intimidation. Getting people to charge the goblins because it is the only way to save their town is persuasion. Getting people to charge the goblins because the goblins have diamonds is deception.

 

[MarkB]

Making intimidation "I seem impressive" works great.

Persuasion - "Be a good chap and listen to this deal"
Deception - "This lie is true, clearly"
Intimidation - "I'm an impressive person, you should show deference"

One way to use Intimidation is a threat, but far from the only one. Getting people to charge the goblins because you are so badass that together you have a hope is intimidation. Getting people to charge the goblins because it is the only way to save their town is persuasion. Getting people to charge the goblins because the goblins have diamonds is deception.

Which, again, is a matter of interpretation. When someone whose character is trained in Persuasion makes the rousing speech to get the townsfolk inspired to take on the bandits and they think they're being their most persuasive self but the DM then calls for an intimation check, that just leads to annoyance.

Persuasion and deception in particular tend to have a big overlap, but intimidation is in there too.

 

[Maxperson]

Looks like someone cast Animate Thread. Such net-cromancy is a dark art, of questionable provenance!

DM: "The thread claws its way out of the ground and faces you."
Player: "I intimidate it back into the ground!"
DM: "How are you going to do that?"
Player: "By threatening it with moderation! Moderation can bring it to a permanent end."
DM: "Fair enough. Roll intimidate. The DC is 20, because it's been itching to come back and engage with you again, so it won't go back easily."

 

[Clint_L]

I would love to see DnDBeyond data on how often each skill check gets rolled. That would give us a good measure of how relatively valuable each one is in real terms, and thus indicate which should be combined to give skills a closer approximation to parity.

As someone who helps a LOT of new players generate their first character, I am often asked which skills are "best" and it is a pretty short and obvious list: athletics, stealth, investigation, insight, perception, persuasion.

It would not surprise me if a skill such as religion gets rolled less than 5% as often as a skill such as perception.