Thinking about using an Intimidate "stunt"

[LostSoul]

Hey All;

So in the next game, I'm thinking about having an NPC step forward and use an Intimidate "stunt", using the rules on page 42.

He'll come forward, yell at the PCs to surrender; make an Intimidate check vs. Will +5, and if he hits he'll deal 1d6+3 psychic damage (level 1).

Now I want to do this to show the players the sort of thing I'm willing to accept from them. My question is: am I nerfing the Wizard by doing this? It makes a guy Trained in Intimidate, Skill Focus, awesome against minions.

I was thinking it would be a once-an-encounter thing. Maybe if it was Daily, would that balance it? Or is it just a bad idea from the start?

Balance is an important issue in the group.

 

[NMcCoy]

I'd not make it damage, but rather on a hit inflict -2 on attack rolls (Fear, save ends). I know HP is abstract and includes morale, but thematically I think Intimidate causing nagging doubts that throw you off your game works better than inflicting mental strain that can KO you outright. This is an implicitly once-per-encounter stunt, but if the PCs make a check to bounce the same penalty back at the NPC once he's bloodied they definitely get the +2 For Awesome bonus on the roll as far as I'm concerned.

 

[Primitive Screwhead]

Agreed with NMcCoy...have a successfull 'hit' cause a -2 to attacks... call it the 'Awed' condition or something

Altho I would take it a slightly different route on ending it. Instead of [save ends], have the following:

An ally who is not Awed can, as a standard action, attempt to:
- Remove the Awed condition from thier allies using a Diplomancy or Bluff check against the DC of the enemies Intimidate. {Look guys, he isn't really that tough!}
- Attempt to shift the Awed condition to the enemies by rolling an Intimidate stunt that vs opponents WILL +5 and must beat the enemy intimidators skill check. {I'll do one better to you pal!}

If the intimidating character becomes bloodied, all Awed enemies {who can see him/her} lose the condition and that character gains the condition.


And yup, this is YAM {yet another modifier} floating around the battlemap

 

[LostSoul]

So you guys do think it's too hard on Minions, and therefore will screw up class balance? Another thought is that, as an option to take in combat, if you can affect all the opponents it's almost a no-brainer thing to do.

I don't think I'd do this if it imposed a -2 penalty - I don't feel like tracking that.

***

Now, what if it was 1/encounter and there was some kind of penalty for failure? That would imply that it should only be used vs. one target.

edit: I have a little list of things that I think you should be able to do with a standard action + skill check.

Stunting: Standard Action
Make an attack using whatever skill you want.
If you are attacking AC, you can do 1[W]+str or +dex.
If you are not attacking AC, you deal 1d6+stat.
If you don't deal damage, you can do a "rider" on a hit.
Riders are:
At-Will

• +stat to atk vs target until end of next turn
• adj ally shifts 1
• +1 power to AC to 2 PCs for 1 round
• +stat power bonus atk to single target
• +stat temp hp
• adj ally shifts 1

Stunting: Encounter Actions

• concealment vs target
• target is prone
• target is slowed
• target cannot shift
• +2 atk all targets in burst 3
• target is dazed
• -2 penalty to target's atks
• switch with adj ally
• slide target 1

 

[Primitive Screwhead]

Make it a single target ability... perhaps add feats to improve it to affect more targets. That way anyone can use it, it does something significant in combat.. but its not going to turn Intimidate into something better than the Wizards Magic Missile...

 

[LostSoul]

Yeah, I think that's what I'll do.

Thanks for the advice!