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Message: <blockquote data-quote="hawkeyefan" data-source="post: 8188989" data-attributes="member: 6785785">This is possible for sure.....as I mentioned, my knowledge of 3e and its versions was at one point strong, but at some point, I stopped buying all the splat books, and it's also been several years since I last played it. Allowing a second roll or a roll with advantage or a bonus die......something like that....would have been a good alternate way to support the idea that a character may be good at something beyond the standard bonus of "+x to your roll". If there are examples of this in 3e as you suggest (and I think I do recall some feats allowing a second roll, as you mention) I would say that they're few and far between, and probably very often overshadowed by other mechanics or game features that render them less meaningful. As I said, I think in an attempt to break some of the shackles of earlier editions.....multiclass limits, level and class limits by race, weapon limitations by class, and similar restrictions......they moved a bit too far. Some folks want to play against type, and that's fine, but that doesn't mean that you don't start at a point that's well within the archetype that's in question.To me, one of the core ideas of a Barbarian is that they're physically imposing and intimidating. I'd go so far as to say this is more essential than what is often seen as their core feature in D&D, their rage power. They should be scary people whose prowess and mannerisms are intimidating to others. If the system doesn't support this, if it very easily renders this idea meaningless mechanically, then I think the system has failed in this regard.There should be some inherent ability for a Barbarian, and also a Fighter, that gives them a strong ability to Intimidate. In my opinion, it's the Bard or Rogue that should have to focus on improving it if they want to play something a bit off-type. Other classes should have to put in effort to be as Intimidating as a Barbarian or Fighter, not the other way around. Even if they still went with the "+x to a check" route, they could have done something like "A Barbarian adds their Strength Bonus as well as their Charisma bonus to Intimidate rolls" or something like that. I mean, I would have preferred they opened up the design a bit instead of everything being codified static bonuses, but even within their narrow design, they could have pulled it off.Or if they gave the Fighter or Barbarian a Feat that allowed them to add their base attack bonus to Intimidate checks, that would be thematically suitable and would (I expect, going off memory) put them in line with any other class. Of course, such a Feat would render something like Skill Focus even more of a trap, and it still gates what should be an inherent part of the class behind a Feat, but at least the big scary warrior guy would actually be scary.</blockquote>

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