Goliath Bruiser

[cartejos]

I want to make a Chaotic Neutral Goliath Rogue.

The concept is someone who will try to intimidate first, and smack heads second. All in the name of profit, of course.

I was thinking something like Rogue 7/Scarlet Corsair (7-10)/X 3-6

Primary skills are Swimming, Intimidate, Sense Motive, Search, Use Magic Device, and Bluff

Other useful skills or prestige classes are welcome suggestions.

[Biffoniacus_Furiou]

Thug Fighter with Sneak Attack and Zhentarim Soldier may be worth a look. At Fighter 9 you're able to intimidate as a free action, which is fantastic with Scourge of the Seas and Imperious Command. A nine-level investment is a bit steep though, and Scourge of the Seas doesn't allow you to escalate an existing fear condition.

Maybe include one or more levels of Spellthief, something like Spellthief 1/ Thug 5/ Scarlet Corsair, as a single level of Spellthief allows you to use wands of any sorcerer/wizard spell from the schools that class can access, namely Wraithstrike. Per the Rules Compendium a spell completion or spell trigger item takes the same action to activate as the spell it contains, so put a Wand of Wraithstrike in a wand chamber of your weapon and Power Attack to your heart's content.

Regardless of whether or not you include Zhentarim Fighter 9, you'll want the Fearsome property from Drow of the Underdark on your armor. That was published more recently than MIC so that's the most current version of that property. That allows you to intimidate as a move action instead of taking a standard action to do so. With Zhentarim Fighter 9 you can intimidate as a free action, with the armor you can intimidate again as a move action, and still make an attack in the same round.

[Maat Mons]

Well, the 2nd-level racial substitution level for goliath rogues looks pretty sweet. I'd definitly take that.

If sneak attack isn't really your angle, you could take the rogue variant that gets fighter bonus feats. Or, you could keep sneak attack, but get that Dragon Compendium feat that lets you trade sneak attack dice for a to-hit bonus, then trade that to-hit bonus for power attack.

Dragon #340 had a rogue variant that gave rage, if you want to persue that angle. It's only once per day, but you could take the extra rage feat.

[Biffoniacus_Furiou]

Looking at the Goliath Rogue substitution levels, something like Wilderness Rogue with Fighter feats instead of Sneak Attack may be the way to go. Stopping at 7 levels is pretty bad though, you want to stop on an even-numbered level.

Maybe go Rogue 2/ Thug Fighter 2/ Rogue +2/ Scarlet Corsair, with all of the above variants. Take Knock Back and be the guy who swings so hard your target gets knocked overboard.

[ShurikVch]

By the "intimidate first" - do you mean it as "combat demoralization", or also as a Diplomacy-like social effect?
Because, if the latter - then Oppressor PrC (Dragon #312) may work - at 5th level, it give Greater Intimidation (time to change the attitude reduced to 5 rounds - instead a minute, and to demoralize in combat is possible as a move action); and at 8th level - Intimidating Presence (sentient creature which attempting to attack you in any way must make a Will save or be shaken as if you used your Intimidate skill on them)

Why the Scarlet Corsair over Dread Pirate? Prerequisites?

Magic or no-magic? Because the Dread Witch PrC gives the biggest bonus to Intimidate in the game...

Should it be exactly the Intimidate skill, or other methods to "intimidate" are OK too - such as Dreadful Wrath feat?

[cartejos]

As for skill use, out of combat I would like him to be skillful, aggressive attitude towards strangers, and able to get his way by avoiding a fight if possible.

In combat I would like him to use a bludgeoning weapon (cause I don't use them too often and it seems like a good opportunity flavor wise).
I would also like him to be a power attacker. Someone who gets his sneak attacks off through feinting and flanking. Which is the biggest reason for scarlet corsair. Intimidate+free feint rolled into one.
Rogue 7/Scarlet Corsair 7/Rogue +6 winds up with all 3 Goliath sub levels, should end up with 9D6 sneak attack, and 16 BAB, with a free action feint 1d4 cool down, intimidate all within 30 feet per demoralize

[Biffoniacus_Furiou]

If you want to spend a feat on EWP, a Greathorn Minotaur Greathammer in MMIV is the gold standard of bludgeoning weapons. That does 3d6 large, with a 19-20/x4 crit, and a likely irrelevant +2 to sunder weapons and shields. With a bludgeoning weapon you can also get a friendly arcane spellcaster to put (Extended) Greater Mighty Wallop on that every day, increasing its base damage to up to 8d6.

I'd still say Knock Back is going to be both thematically appropriate and a mechanically strong choice.

[Anthrowhale]

A Rogue 3/Sneak Attack Thug Fighter 3 allows you to enter Scarlet Corsair a level earlier with the same 4d6 sneak attack while still preserving your ability to take the Rogue Penetrating Strike ACF.