Imagine a Half Orc Sorcerer, with a 20 Charisma.
The Sorcerer has the Cantrip Ray of Frost.
At 1st level, the Sorcerer takes Skill Focus: Intimidation
At 3rd level, the Sorcerer takes Weapon Focus: Ray
At 5th level, the Sorcerer takes Dazzling Display.
Now, in return for using an at will power (which we refer to, jokingly, as 'Chill Beer At Range', the Sorceror gets to make a full round action to do an Intimidate check against all targets within 30'.
That Intimidate check is against a DC of 10+HD+Wis Mod. On the other hand, with 5 ranks in Intimidate, the character's Intimidate bonus is 3+3+5+5+2=+18. Assume that whatever he's trying to intimidate has 7 HD and a +3 WIS bonus. I'll take 1d20+18 to beat a 20 with a cantrip any day of the week.
By the time the Sorcerer gets to 10th level, assume he's got an effective CHA of 24 from items and stat improvements. Skill Focus: Intimidate is now giving a +6.
So the tally is 3+6+10+7+2=+28, and generally facing a DC of 25.
Also, the Intimidate skill allows you to make a check to demoralize opponents as a standard action.
The effect is the same, and the range is the same, so the only benefit of Dazzling Display is that the targets do not need to hear you; in exchange for wielding a weapon and taking a full-round action as opposed to a standard action.
Also, the effect of demoralize is only to add the Shaken condition to the target:
A shaken character takes a –2 penalty on attack rolls, saving throws, skill checks, and ability checks. Shaken is a less severe state of fear than frightened or panicked.
On the scale of things, that's not so bad. And it only lasts for 1 round plus 1 round per 5 over the DC. Every repeat attempt is +5 DC, so eventually you reach a level of diminishing returns.
Dump the Weapon Focus and Dazzling Display feats and replace with Persuasive, for a feat bonus.
And stock up on the Enlarge Person potions, for a special size bonus.
Not a bad combo, but not devastating. I'll probably have a half-orc enemy try this in my game next weekend.
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Also, the Intimidate skill allows you to make a check to demoralize opponents as a standard action.
The effect is the same, and the range is the same, so the only benefit of Dazzling Display is that the targets do not need to hear you; in exchange for wielding a weapon and taking a full-round action as opposed to a standard action.
Also, the effect of demoralize is only to add the Shaken condition to the target:
A shaken character takes a –2 penalty on attack rolls, saving throws, skill checks, and ability checks. Shaken is a less severe state of fear than frightened or panicked.On the scale of things, that's not so bad. And it only lasts for 1 round plus 1 round per 5 over the DC. Every repeat attempt is +5 DC, so eventually you reach a level of diminishing returns.
Dump the Weapon Focus and Dazzling Display feats and replace with Persuasive, for a feat bonus.
And stock up on the Enlarge Person potions, for a special size bonus.
Not a bad combo, but not devastating. I'll probably have a half-orc enemy try this in my game next weekend.
This has been clarified in a number of other threads. Intimidate only works against one target by itself. The descriptive text of Demoralize makes it seem otherwise, but the mechanical bits speak of a single target. Dazzling Display allows multiple opponents.