How does one cause fear?


Advice


I'm looking at creating a character that plays off bugbear tactics.

So mainly hit & run tactics, picking off enemies quickly and quietly, savoring the fear he can create with each kill. A sort of serial killer that plays the part of a mercenary because it seems the only way he can legally enjoy himself.

My question would be, how do I apply shaken/frightened/panicked conditions without creating a line of sight?


By using sound. You can Intimidate or Antagonize people while hiding in the bushes just fine.


VRMH wrote:
By using sound. You can Intimidate or Antagonize people while hiding in the bushes just fine.

Actually, that's not true. As written in the rules for Intimidate:

Core Rulebook, p. 99 wrote:
You can use this skill to cause an opponent to become shaken for a number of rounds. This shaken condition doesn’t stack with other shaken conditions to make an affected creature frightened. The DC of this check is equal to 10 + the target’s Hit Dice + the target’s Wisdom modifier. If you are successful, the target is shaken for one round. This duration increases by 1 round for every 5 by which you beat the DC. You can only threaten an opponent this way if it is within 30 feet and can clearly see and hear you. Using demoralize on the same creature only extends the duration; it does not create a stronger fear condition.

Your target must be able to see you in order for you to Intimidate them by RAW.

If your GM allows 3rd party material, I created a feat for this in my recent book, Path of Shadows, to allow the kind of character that you've described. The feat reads as follows:

Unseen Terror
Creatures are naturally afraid of what they cannot see.
Prerequisites: Intimidate 5 ranks, Stealth 5 ranks
Benefit: You can make Intimidate checks to demoralize a creature even if it cannot see you. You must still influence it in some other way, such as by taunting, making sounds, or using visual effects such as silent image or light from a torch. You gain a +2 bonus on Intimidate checks made while in dim light or darkness.

Normal: You can only make an Intimidate check to demoralize an opponent if it is within 30 feet and can clearly see and hear you.


Seginus wrote:
VRMH wrote:
You can Intimidate or Antagonize people while hiding in the bushes just fine.
Actually, that's not true.

Gah! You're right. Still, sound is probably the way to go. Maybe add a few illusions so that you are visible - just not in person?


Hide in the closet or under the bed:)
Or in a more serious note i would aim to go for the "intimidate in combat" style, since hit and run tactics is terrible if your PC is the only one with that focus. You hit and run and your team hit and hit and hit and win without you.
Blade of Mercy And the enforcer trait seems like a exelent combo on a falchion, a scimitar, fauchard or another high crit weapon.
An bloodrager with a falchion or a fauchard can have this combo and a good intimidate at level 1. the extra move will also help with hit and run if that becomes actual. Get a keen weapon or improved crit and 30% of your attacks will have badguys running if they still live.
A swashbuckler with a scimitar can also be effective with this.
Buuuuuut the religion that goes with the trait, is not a typical Bugbear religion....
Edit: The aberrant bloodline with its reach seems like a good choice with this trick since the staggering effect on crits will be a good supplement to the scare effect. And the reach at level 4 is amazing. And it allows you to have a tumor familiar and that is also a scary thing:)
Edit 2: take a dip in monk for saves and unarmed strike, get a crab shapes tumor, and you can be the sneeky strangler cereal killer in your time of. Blood rager have exelent grabbler options.


Sow Terror (Monster) wrote:


Bugbears are stealthy, and sometimes they use their skill at furtiveness to inspire dread in their prey.

Prerequisite: Stealthy.

Benefit: Anytime you win an opposed Stealth check by 5 or more you might sow terror as a standard action. You do so by scraping your nails slightly on a solid surface, causing a board to creak ever so lightly, or rapping on a window pane. The victim cannot detect the source of the sound and dismisses it as the wind or some other mundane source, but the idea that something might be lurking nearby festers in the victim’s subconscious. The victim must roll a Will save (DC 10 + 1/2 your character level + your Charisma modifier) or become shaken for 1d4 rounds.

This might do the trick.


Just a Guess wrote:
Sow Terror (Monster) wrote:


Bugbears are stealthy, and sometimes they use their skill at furtiveness to inspire dread in their prey.

Prerequisite: Stealthy.

Benefit: Anytime you win an opposed Stealth check by 5 or more you might sow terror as a standard action. You do so by scraping your nails slightly on a solid surface, causing a board to creak ever so lightly, or rapping on a window pane. The victim cannot detect the source of the sound and dismisses it as the wind or some other mundane source, but the idea that something might be lurking nearby festers in the victim’s subconscious. The victim must roll a Will save (DC 10 + 1/2 your character level + your Charisma modifier) or become shaken for 1d4 rounds.

This might do the trick.

Where'd you find this, and could it be made to work for a core race?


Would the Hunter hyrbrid class be a good idea for this? Two, or One creature stalking prey with spellcasting options.


BlingerBunny wrote:
Just a Guess wrote:
Sow Terror (Monster)
Where'd you find this, and could it be made to work for a core race?

It's from Classic Monsters Revisited, it's a feat and its only pre-req is the Stealthy feat. So it should be available to all races.


VRMH wrote:
BlingerBunny wrote:
Just a Guess wrote:
Sow Terror (Monster)
Where'd you find this, and could it be made to work for a core race?
It's from Classic Monsters Revisited, it's a feat and its only pre-req is the Stealthy feat. So it should be available to all races.

Exactly. The prerequisites do not tell you that you have to be a bugbear. It's just flavortext.


So my Hunter class idea is solid, since noone is objecting to it?

Grand Lodge

Nightmare Weaver. Soulless Gaze.


blackbloodtroll wrote:

Nightmare Weaver. Soulless Gaze.

Thanks for the recommendations, but it still doesn't answer my question.. Is the Hunter class a viable option?


If you really want to boost Intimidate through the roof, you might want to look at the Slayer or Investigator classes. A Slayer's studied target or an Investigator's inspiration give you boosts to the Intimidate skill.

A half-elf, for the free skill focus feat, might also not be a bad idea.


BlingerBunny wrote:
blackbloodtroll wrote:

Nightmare Weaver. Soulless Gaze.

Thanks for the recommendations, but it still doesn't answer my question.. Is the Hunter class a viable option?

Not the most viable but yeah you could do it, its got intimidate as a class skill.

You could probably take the final embrace tree on your companion if you took a constrictor snake. That eventually makes people the pet constricts shaken.


Actually, one other class to consider is the Inquisitor. It gets to add 1/2 its class level to Intimidate checks. You could even take the Sacred Huntsman archetype to add some hunter abilities to your character if that interests you.


An evil inquisitor with a snake pet would be pretty horrific.


Yes the hunter is a viable class for this. But remember that you make a character for a team game. So lost of sneaky scarey tactics will onle rarely se play. That is why i suggestet the in figth intimidator.

Grand Lodge

Inquisitor will make one of the best at Intimidation.

Now, another interesting option is an Undead Bloodrager, with the Coherent Rage trait.

This will allow you to deal scary damage, leave opponents shaken, and still be able to slip into the shadows stealthily.

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