Why do Orcs get Intimidate?
- Thread starter clearstream
- Start date
underfoot007
First Post
Player: I get a +10 since the "enemy is hostle"
DM: You are correct, you will defence is a 25, not a 15.
Player: cool.
DM: sorry, my 26 stil beats your 25 will defence, sorry I got you.
Player:argggggggggggg
On Puget Sound
First Post
As a DM, the use I would put this to would be to turn a TPKill into a TPCaptured, setting up an escape or rescue scenario for next session.
Even surrendered beings (PC or monster) will resist if they are clearly going to be executed, if a distraction offers an escape opportunity, or sometimes even if they have a few rounds to reassess their situation. I would also allow "surrender" to be interpreted by the intimidated being as "run for your life" if that action seems to have some chance of success. The Intimidate check convices the targets, at least for the moment, that fighting back is futile, but may still leave options open other than what the intimidator is directing them to do.
Even surrendered beings (PC or monster) will resist if they are clearly going to be executed, if a distraction offers an escape opportunity, or sometimes even if they have a few rounds to reassess their situation. I would also allow "surrender" to be interpreted by the intimidated being as "run for your life" if that action seems to have some chance of success. The Intimidate check convices the targets, at least for the moment, that fighting back is futile, but may still leave options open other than what the intimidator is directing them to do.
IceFractal
First Post
See, this puzzles me. PC's can't have spells that mind-control people out of combat like Charm/Dominate Person, because it's "unbalanced", but they can be forced to surrender with a skill check? Or do the same to the BBEG?
What's the point of taking out Save-or-Lose powers if you then add a Save-or-Lose skill? Which is a lot easier to boost than a spell's attack bonus would be, incidentally.
What's the point of taking out Save-or-Lose powers if you then add a Save-or-Lose skill? Which is a lot easier to boost than a spell's attack bonus would be, incidentally.
Yeah I kind of agree with this. So I trean PCs, like I'll treat detailed NPCs.
How I usually run social skills for both the players and the NPCs is I assume using intimidate as an example if you successfully intimidate in combat the person/creature is convinced they will die if they continue fighting. For non-mook NPCs(ones i bothered to detail a personality for) I take that piece of information and decide what the NPC would do, knowing death is certain if they continue to fight. Usually this means the intended result of the social skill occurs, you conned the king, forced the warchief to surrender etc. On the other hand is the shopkeeper is saving all his money to pay for his wifes cure disease ritual and is just a couple GP shy, no matter how good you roll your bluff he wont decide to invest in battleaxe futures. True fanatics happy and willing to die for there cause generally wont surrender. Mooks the intended result of the social skill happens if you roll high enough for success.
For PCs I tell them you are convinced you can't win this fight, and if you continue to fight you will die. I let the PC decide what to do at that point. And I generally trust them to roleplay there character correctly. If someone has defined there character as being spineless I expect a surrender, but I wont insist on one.
Same thing for bluffs, cons, convincing arguments etc.
nittanytbone
First Post
If you don't want PCs to autosurrender (which isn't much fun, or in the spirit of the "fewer Save or Die sort of powers") then you could impose a condition (Save Ends) on them. Perhaps Weakened would be appropriate, as the character is seized with indecision; it will also lead them to favor defensive or utility powers for a round or two over attacks, which is what a scared character would do.
On Puget Sound
First Post
Exactly. Some characters might be willing to die, if their death will have meaning. Some will surrender, trusting to luck or guile to turn the situation around later. Some will flee, if they believe they have a good chance fo escape. Some may even try to negotiate...."OK, you've got me, but I can still take a few of you down before I die and we both know it. (Counter-intimidate or Diplomacy). So we'll drop your unholy idol and walk out with our weapons, and forget this ever happened, right?"
Some good Ideas in this thread. I wondered this too when reading the intimidate skill, as I could not find anything that said that PC's were immune.
It could be really flavourfull for the young PC's to wet themselves first time they came across real orcs, but its not something that you want to do all the time. I wonder if the intent was to let PC's be intimidated too, under the right circumstances.
It could be really flavourfull for the young PC's to wet themselves first time they came across real orcs, but its not something that you want to do all the time. I wonder if the intent was to let PC's be intimidated too, under the right circumstances.
Tenniel
First Post
My opinion is that Orcs have initimidate to bully their minions into obeying orders. I would say that Orcs lack the subtlety required to use this skill to manipulate people in other ways (PC or otherwise), in play this would simply be reflected in how the DM played these monsters.
