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View Full Version : [3.5] Intimidate DC's



Tusalu
2010-11-04, 04:56 PM
I have noticed that when dealing with social skills, the advantage is always to the user and not the one he tries to affects. Out of Diplomacy, Intimidate and Bluff Bluff is the only one where NPC's have a fair chance. Bluff is countered by Sense Motive which can be raised just as high. However if sticking with core Diplomacy rules all DC's will be ridiculously easy already at medium levels. Personally I use a house rule saying that the creature's HD is added to the DC. This ensures that the difficulty scales with levels, and that you can't sway a gold dragon as easily as a peasant.
This leaves Intimidate (and the point I wanted to make). To resist intimidate you use character level + wis modifier. This will mean that anyone maxing out intimidate will always have an advantage of about 3 points (CHA+lvl+3 vs WIS+lvl) making it all to easy to intimidate ANYONE. Of course you add you bonus vs fear, but that one is hard to get for most. Anyone have an idea to house rule some kind of bonus to resist intimidate? Preferably one that doesn't apply to anyone, but allows some be harder to push around.

Coidzor
2010-11-04, 05:04 PM
Intimidate doesn't have a DC, it has an opposed roll.
Your Intimidate check is opposed by the target’s modified level check (1d20 + character level or Hit Dice + target’s Wisdom bonus [if any] + target’s modifiers on saves against fear)

So, yes, a PC is going to have an advantage against standard races that are near them or below them in level. Against dragons or animals whose HD dwarf theirs while being CR appropriate? Not so much.

Pre-fabbing some guidelines for circumstance bonuses to the intimidator and the prospective intimidatee would be a good first step.

Say, Size bonuses/penalties... Wait, no, they already have those. Hmm, I'm thinking raging would give a bonus to resisting intimidate that is bigger than the bonus it gives to intimidating others.

Have you read Rich's Diplomacy (http://www.giantitp.com/articles/jFppYwv7OUkegKhONNF.html) fix?