Charisma of 6
They better get a circumstance bonus because if a Leopard stared me down I'm sure it wouldn't get -2 to its check.
My best friend/long-time GM and I have been talking about htis very issue -- not regarding the leopard, specifically, but regarding how intimidate works, specifically the fact that it's Charisma-based. Your Leopard example is certainly a good extreme to use to point out hte issue. This really puts non-charisma based characters at a disadvantage. Sure, I see the point of Charisma being force of personality as much as iti s about looks or charm (Heck, I'm a huge fan of "just because my Charisma's high doesn't mean I'm pretty" characters), and I can also see the concept of a fast-talking character being able to flummox a more slow-witted one (though maybe that's bluff, not intimidate), but when it comes to intimidation, there's something to be said for sheer I-soiled-me-armor brute force. But how to fix it?
Some will argue circumstance bonuses, but even thouse lose some of their zing just by dint of having to overcome the underlying poor CHA bonus. Same for the Intimidating Prowess feat -- it has a character's STR bonus stack with, not replace, the CHA bonus. Personally I'd like to see it re-worded to either replace or stack, player's choice. That gives big dumb brutes some help without punishing characters who are both strong AND charismatic.
Charisma of 6
They better get a circumstance bonus because if a Leopard stared me down I'm sure it wouldn't get -2 to its check.
Awwwww... but they're so cute! Here kitty kitty...(note... "cute animal" noises make you sound like wounded prey. Exactly the sort of sounds you don't want to be making while the leopard is trying to decide "is this edible?" )
A lot of the stats in the game measure things that are either not related or even inversely related. For example, constitution is both your ability to keep running and your ability to take a hit. A small skinny geek makes a better marathon runner than the fat beard, but the fatbeard has a better chance of making it through a bar fight conscious. Animals really don't have a lot of force of personality compared to a human (who, oddly enough, are the baseline for the game) We're amazingly overconfident and self serving critters, and can do crazy things like drive off a bear by yelling at it even though we don't have any claws, useful teeth, and are basically an unwrapped cookie if more of the animal world finds out how edible we are.
Crocodile (Alligator): Charisma 2
I know there are feats that allow you to use your Strength Bonus instead of your Charisma Bonus, but even that will only give a Level 4 Crocodile (Alligator) a +4 Intimidate (19 Strength).
A level 4 Leopard would get a +3 Intimidate (Strength 16) with that feat.
Still, just seems that they should have an innate bonus somewhere.
Leopards are not particularly large or dangerous predators per se, more likely to attack a dog, or smaller children (the american cougar does exactly that, when and if it even will attack humans or animals near or accompanied by humans)
whether or not a lay person is frightened by a cat is one thing, but this is a world full of combatants that kill things. So they should get a +3 against your ranger? Nah, -2 is plenty to scare the random wilderness jogger on a d20.
A full size brown bear or a tiger would be a better argument or maybe even that crocodile. If I'm sufficiently armed, I'm thinking that cougar would make sweet seat covers for my jeep, not "oh no! I better wet my pants!"
Leopards are not particularly large or dangerous predators per se, more likely to attack a dog, or smaller children (the american cougar does exactly that, when and if it even will attack humans or animals near or accompanied by humans)
whether or not a lay person is frightened by a cat is one thing, but this is a world full of combatants that kill things. So they should get a +3 against your ranger? Nah, -2 is plenty to scare the random wilderness jogger on a d20.
A full size brown bear or a tiger would be a better argument or maybe even that crocodile. If I'm sufficiently armed, I'm thinking that cougar would make sweet seat covers for my jeep, not "oh no! I better wet my pants!"
According to a reliable source (cracked.com) cougar attacks are getting worse. But the last time I was at the zoo I heard one meow like a house cat. Very unintimidating.
http://www.cracked.com/article_18912_6-animals-humanity-accidentally-made-w ay-scarier.html
Leopards are not particularly large or dangerous predators per se, more likely to attack a dog, or smaller children (the american cougar does exactly that, when and if it even will attack humans or animals near or accompanied by humans)
The Leopard is one of the most feared creatures in the wild because cats are not easily scared. Sure, bears are big and strong but you can scare them off with loud noises and looking big and mean. But a cat will mess you up.
When hiking in the woods...
PETA says one should wear bells on the ankle
to warn them you are about.
Do you know what the difference is between
Grizzly Bear poop and Brown Bear poop?
When hiking in the woods...
PETA says one should wear bells on the ankle
to warn them you are about.Do you know what the difference is between
Grizzly Bear poop and Brown Bear poop?** spoiler omitted **
:P
Greg
A simple solution is to introduce a mechanic that is not tied to the creatures CHA.
I propose the following.
Panic Factor: failing to make a check vs a creatures Panic Factor will cause one to "freeze" (lose initiative).
Panic Factor is equal to the CR + 1 of the creature.
Its a quick and dirty rule feel free to tweak it.
The black bear, although the smallest, is the most likely to actually attack as their 'charges' are not just challenges to go away.
Brown bears seem more dangerous and more likely to kill you.
It's probably because a black bear usually runs away, and if its NOT running away then something is wrong.
(i count 37 blackbear deaths vs 54 grizzlies)at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_fatal_bear_attacks_in_North_America
Rate the ratio of cougar attacks with the ratio of stray dog attacks and rabid racoon attacks, should we up the intimidation factors of coons , dogs and maybe alley cats?
When raccoons want to be scary looking they seem positively possessed. Its fun to watch.. from a distance.
I'm still trying to figure out exactly how an animal decides to make an Intimidate check.
Creative Director
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My opinion: the best way to model a scary wild animal attack on a person in the game is to let roleplaying handle it. If you're a 1st level PC and a bear or a leopard charges you... chances are good you should run. Let the implied damage that a wild animal can do to a victim do the job of frightening the target. If the target's an NPC, that's really easy to pull off.
Intimidate should be left to coordinated displays of "psychological warfare." I understand that animals do this, but it's not something the game is designed to model.
THAT ALL SAID: If you like the idea of animals being able to use the Intimidate skill against foes... the easiest solution is to give the intimidating animal a +4 or a +8 racial bonus on Intimidate checks. Or maybe even Skill Focus (Intimidate) as a bonus feat. Or both!
I'm still trying to figure out exactly how an animal decides to make an Intimidate check.
Dogs bark and growl. Wolves Growl. (noise is for intimidation. Food gets the silent treatment) The deadlands had a trait that gave you bonuses to overawe (intimidate checks) called "the voice". The suppliment for animals had the same trait called "the growl"
Bears rear up on their hind legs and try to look bigger
Cats arch their backs and try to look bigger
Raccoons arch their backs and DO look bigger
My opinion: the best way to model a scary wild animal attack on a person in the game is to let roleplaying handle it. If you're a 1st level PC and a bear or a leopard charges you... chances are good you should run. Let the implied damage that a wild animal can do to a victim do the job of frightening the target. If the target's an NPC, that's really easy to pull off.
Intimidate should be left to coordinated displays of "psychological warfare." I understand that animals do this, but it's not something the game is designed to model.
THAT ALL SAID: If you like the idea of animals being able to use the Intimidate skill against foes... the easiest solution is to give the intimidating animal a +4 or a +8 racial bonus on Intimidate checks. Or maybe even Skill Focus (Intimidate) as a bonus feat. Or both!
James, what feat can I get that lets my first level character out run a leopard or a bear? Something coming out in Ultimate Combat we don't know about?? lol
I'm still trying to figure out exactly how an animal decides to make an Intimidate check.Dogs bark and growl. Wolves Growl. (noise is for intimidation. Food gets the silent treatment) The deadlands had a trait that gave you bonuses to overawe (intimidate checks) called "the voice". The suppliment for animals had the same trait called "the growl"
Bears rear up on their hind legs and try to look bigger
Cats arch their backs and try to look bigger
Raccoons arch their backs and DO look bigger
see I think a leopard is more like a ninja, sneaky/stealthy... doesnt look as scary, but still quite deadly, unless you are educated on the enemy, and know what you are looking at, it's not that scary.
But then again if it knows you can see it, it probably isnt going to attack anyway, and wait until you aren't looking. So not alot of focus on intimidate.
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anyone who thinks a leopard is not intimidating has never been face to face with one.
now the example I am going to give is of a cheetah, while not a leopard, I figure the same applies here.
I was at the Houston zoo many many years ago. They just opened a new exhibit of cheetahs that day and released them into the big field. Now these cheetah's were straight from Africa. They were wild in every sense of the word.
Interestingly the exhibit next to the cheetahs was the giraffes. The cheetahs kept pacing up and down the fence separating the two. They were trying to figure out how to get over and kill the giraffes.
Now remember me saying they were still wild? I was there as a photographer. I was zoomed in real tight on this cheetah's face. That sucker locked eyes with me through that zoom lens. There was no mistaking what he was thinking. "That big fat human looks tasty." That cheetah took off full speed at me and bounced off the fence.
I have no doubt that had that fence been absent I would have been cheetah food. I knew it when it stared me down. Yeah it intimidated me. And this was at a freaking zoo!
These are wild predators, not cute cuddly kitty cats. They will attack humans if given the opportunity and incentive.
You've never seen a cat arch its back and try to scare something?
Lived around animals most of my life. Animals attempt to be scary as a defense mechanism to warn off threats or competitors. They don't decide to use Intimidate to demoralize a foe or force a subject to act friendly toward them.
Lastly, bears are more 'intimidating' due to their size and aggressiveness, The Grizzly bear is not easily scared by loud noises and a Kodiak has been known to attack and maul diesel pick up trucks.
The black bear, although the smallest, is the most likely to actually attack as their 'charges' are not just challenges to go away.
Bears are much more dangerous (and capable) one on one vs. people.
And bears are still most likely to be scared away. But it doesn't matter because this has jack all to do with D&D or Pathfinder.
Leopards and cheetah and the like, are not very likely to attack humans, unless they are closer to their size and hungry (small women, children etc) But what an animal looks like and their 'first impression' is the intimidation factor, of which a leopard doesn't have much of.
Leopards and cheetahs are two different things, moreover a gazelle is as big as you. And has horns. Cougars hunt much bigger things than you.
But then again if it knows you can see it, it probably isnt going to attack anyway, and wait until you aren't looking. So not alot of focus on intimidate.
Thank you, oh master of all big cat knowledge.
Never mind it is demonstrably false.
Those of us with outdoor Ed training know you can scare big cat away by putting on a greater show of force and making yourself look bigger and being louder.
I personally think the mechanic is fine, as cats aren't generally actively intimidating, but are acting on instinct. This is really a roleplaying situation. If you are worried about big cats, then play accordingly.
Not every situation requires a roll of the dice to settle.
I think just give animals the feat that lets them replace Charisma with Strength for intimidate.
James, what feat can I get that lets my first level character out run a leopard or a bear? Something coming out in Ultimate Combat we don't know about?? lolMy opinion: the best way to model a scary wild animal attack on a person in the game is to let roleplaying handle it. If you're a 1st level PC and a bear or a leopard charges you... chances are good you should run. Let the implied damage that a wild animal can do to a victim do the job of frightening the target. If the target's an NPC, that's really easy to pull off.
Intimidate should be left to coordinated displays of "psychological warfare." I understand that animals do this, but it's not something the game is designed to model.
THAT ALL SAID: If you like the idea of animals being able to use the Intimidate skill against foes... the easiest solution is to give the intimidating animal a +4 or a +8 racial bonus on Intimidate checks. Or maybe even Skill Focus (Intimidate) as a bonus feat. Or both!
Stack Fleet and Run and hope your dice like you.
What about giving a bonus based on size category? A small bonus for each category greater than your target.
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What about giving a bonus based on size category? A small bonus for each category greater than your target.
That's certainly one option. Although, in many cases, we are more intimidated by small possibly poisonous things than by larger animals. Fewer people have irrational fears of cattle (which can fairly easily crush a human to death) than of spiders or snakes.
Rattlesnakes probably get a circumstance for the rattle. Growing up in Oklahoma, that was not a fun sound to hear while out in the pasture.
Intimidate check - "Get away from me so I don't have to use my one dose of venom today killing you!"
Heck, even bugs make Intimidate checks (with the Madagascar Hissing Roach being the champion)!
I used to live in alaska, I currently live in the Rocky mountains where arguably the highest concentration of cougars are on this Continent and I have spend a considerable amount of time in Africa and have witnessed Tribesmen hunt and kill cheetah with spears, not guns, not bows and arrows, spears. They aren't very scared of cheetahs.
They wear them as clothes.
The 'status quo' in the rule books are going to be PCs. Not commoners. The local baker is going to be terrified of something like a leopard (and thus you could add a circumstance bonus) but to a fighter in chain mail with a shield and a sword who is trained to kill.... yea -3 might be about right.
Cougars don't scare me. And the logic that a leopard/cheetah/cougar is going to attack and kill a human if it is given the opportunity is clearly wrong, or they'd be killing people every day.
They animals aren't mindless hunters with no sense of self preservation. The amount of work it takes one of these animals to land a kill is extremely important to them, their calorie economy is something inbred to them, if they get inured on a hunt at all, it could mean death to them. If they do too many fights without getting a kill, they have burned more calories than a kill is worth and might starve to death.
They look for easy kills as a result, and are patient for it. They are not looking for equal fights, or one's they will likely win. They want sure things, like flies in spider webs.
There for cougars are NOT likely to attack humans. While the leopards typical prey ranges from 55 lbs to 170 lbs, cougars are more apt to land prey in the 80 lb category or less (africa has bigger stuff to eat that's easier to kill too)
So the closer a human is to 80 pounds or under 'might' invoke a cougar attack. With a leopard, that means things like children, women, halflings, gnomes. They are going to think twice about that half orc barbarian, he's just not 'food' sized and attacking him isn't worth getting injured over, when they can wait for the next easiest meal. It can take quadreds down that are well over that weight, but aren't like to attack ones unless they are weak, sick, injured or young. So a half orc with one leg would be a good target!
They are not likely to stomp down the trail growling at stuff trying to scare it, more likely to stay hidden and looking for the next way ward halfling to eat.
T-rex is going to stomp down trail to scream at you before tearing you apart. That's the difference.
In the above mentioned trip to the zoo, they had just transfered those animals, so they are scared and threatened, that's like cornering a racoon and poking it with a stick, yea it's going to attack you, if it can.
In it's native environment they are NOT likely to waste the effort to attack you unless you some how threaten them first. Thats why all those doofus's with cameras for 'wild africa' TV shows/movies dont get eaten every time they go there. And no most of those groups are NOT carrying guns with them.
Bottom line is these cats are stealthy, they dont charge in roaring like a bear, or a dinosaur etc. Most of them are reclusive and 'shy'. Hence the basis for the low charisma score.
Cougars, bears etc are just as likely to avoid people as deer.
What about giving a bonus based on size category? A small bonus for each category greater than your target.
There is a category adjustment (halfling get -2 to intimidate) the bigger you are the better off you are. Problem with leopards and cheetahs as they aren't "big" cats. They're medium, so they don't get the bonus.
A smilodon on the other hand....
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Creative Director
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James, what feat can I get that lets my first level character out run a leopard or a bear? Something coming out in Ultimate Combat we don't know about?? lolMy opinion: the best way to model a scary wild animal attack on a person in the game is to let roleplaying handle it. If you're a 1st level PC and a bear or a leopard charges you... chances are good you should run. Let the implied damage that a wild animal can do to a victim do the job of frightening the target. If the target's an NPC, that's really easy to pull off.
Intimidate should be left to coordinated displays of "psychological warfare." I understand that animals do this, but it's not something the game is designed to model.
THAT ALL SAID: If you like the idea of animals being able to use the Intimidate skill against foes... the easiest solution is to give the intimidating animal a +4 or a +8 racial bonus on Intimidate checks. Or maybe even Skill Focus (Intimidate) as a bonus feat. Or both!
Ummm... +1 literal-net point to you, I guess.
"Run" in my original post means "flee from the scary animal!" not "outrun it using your Speed against the animal's Speed." (rolls eyes)
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I think it's important to differentiate between roleplaying and game mechanics here. The Intimidate skill does not directly equate to "how scary I am." It determines a) your ability to force a target to treat you as though they were friendly toward you for a limited period of time, and b) your ability to demoralize foes in combat. It does not require an Intimidate check for most people to realize that messing with a leopard is bad. That's a perfectly rational response to a known deadly predator, completely separate from the Intimidate skill.
Where Intimidate does come in for leopards is in demoralizing their prey. The average (Wis 10) lst level commoner has a DC 11 for demoralizing purposes - should a leopard try a threat display, that means that 35% of the population is going to be freaked out enough by the display to suffer an actual penalty on their rolls for a round, and in fact 15% of the population will suffer those penalties for two full rounds. The rest of the world will just be frightened or not based on their estimation of the leopard's abilities and their own...
What about giving a bonus based on size category? A small bonus for each category greater than your target.
The rules already allow for that. You get a +4 bonus to Intimidate checks if you are of a size category larger than your opponent (it doesn't get bigger for multiple categories larger, though), and suffer a -4 penalty if you are smaller.
James, what feat can I get that lets my first level character out run a leopard or a bear? Something coming out in Ultimate Combat we don't know about?? lolMy opinion: the best way to model a scary wild animal attack on a person in the game is to let roleplaying handle it. If you're a 1st level PC and a bear or a leopard charges you... chances are good you should run. Let the implied damage that a wild animal can do to a victim do the job of frightening the target. If the target's an NPC, that's really easy to pull off.
Intimidate should be left to coordinated displays of "psychological warfare." I understand that animals do this, but it's not something the game is designed to model.
THAT ALL SAID: If you like the idea of animals being able to use the Intimidate skill against foes... the easiest solution is to give the intimidating animal a +4 or a +8 racial bonus on Intimidate checks. Or maybe even Skill Focus (Intimidate) as a bonus feat. Or both!
Ummm... +1 literal-net point to you, I guess.
"Run" in my original post means "flee from the scary animal!" not "outrun it using your Speed against the animal's Speed." (rolls eyes)
I was always taught not to run from bears but to bring a pistol so i could shoot myself int he head to save my self the gory painful death?
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Yeah, this is mostly what Intimidate is for, in the animal kingdom, avoiding pointless fights by scaring off intruders (since even a scratch could lead to infection, an inability to hunt, and death), or, during mating season, competing for mates.
They are not likely to stomp down the trail growling at stuff trying to scare it, more likely to stay hidden and looking for the next way ward halfling to eat.
In my experience (sample size, 1), the only 'threat display' the mountain lion gave was the settling of haunches that any cat-owner would recognize as 'kitty's about to pounce.' No 'panther scream,' no snarling, no flehming, nothing.
Just 'oh, crap, I'm in the wrong enclosure...' and pounce.
I was always taught not to run from bears but to bring a pistol so i could shoot myself int he head to save my self the gory painful death?James, what feat can I get that lets my first level character out run a leopard or a bear? Something coming out in Ultimate Combat we don't know about?? lolMy opinion: the best way to model a scary wild animal attack on a person in the game is to let roleplaying handle it. If you're a 1st level PC and a bear or a leopard charges you... chances are good you should run. Let the implied damage that a wild animal can do to a victim do the job of frightening the target. If the target's an NPC, that's really easy to pull off.
Intimidate should be left to coordinated displays of "psychological warfare." I understand that animals do this, but it's not something the game is designed to model.
THAT ALL SAID: If you like the idea of animals being able to use the Intimidate skill against foes... the easiest solution is to give the intimidating animal a +4 or a +8 racial bonus on Intimidate checks. Or maybe even Skill Focus (Intimidate) as a bonus feat. Or both!
Ummm... +1 literal-net point to you, I guess.
"Run" in my original post means "flee from the scary animal!" not "outrun it using your Speed against the animal's Speed." (rolls eyes)
You do not have to outrun the bear. Just the guy standing next to you.
Yeah, this is mostly what Intimidate is for, in the animal kingdom, avoiding pointless fights by scaring off intruders (since even a scratch could lead to infection, an inability to hunt, and death), or, during mating season, competing for mates.
They are not likely to stomp down the trail growling at stuff trying to scare it, more likely to stay hidden and looking for the next way ward halfling to eat.In my experience (sample size, 1), the only 'threat display' the mountain lion gave was the settling of haunches that any cat-owner would recognize as 'kitty's about to pounce.' No 'panther scream,' no snarling, no flehming, nothing.
Just 'oh, crap, I'm in the wrong enclosure...' and pounce.
wouldn't that be more of a result of knowledge check nature (result 25) "im about to get eaten" and less the result of an intimidate?
Likewise if living in an area where there are alot of "big cat" attacks and the it's all the buzz about town, one might get a circumstance bonus, or if one was unarmed and ran into one , it would get a circumstance bonus for "uneven odds"
So a leopard in an area that it has been successful attacking commoners for a while would suddenly have a +4 modifier on it's intimidate instead of a -2. (+3 for reputation, +3 for having the upper hand)
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wouldn't that be more of a result of knowledge check nature (result 25) "im about to get eaten" and less the result of an intimidate?
By 'no threat display, just pounce,' I was *trying* (horribly unsuccessfully, obviously) to say that there was no intimidate attempt.
Cats seem to prefer getting sneak attacks on flat-footed foes, so they'd be less likely to go for intimidate than, say, a dog.
wouldn't that be more of a result of knowledge check nature (result 25) "im about to get eaten" and less the result of an intimidate?By 'no threat display, just pounce,' I was *trying* (horribly unsuccessfully, obviously) to say that there was no intimidate attempt.
Cats seem to prefer getting sneak attacks on flat-footed foes, so they'd be less likely to go for intimidate than, say, a dog.
yea thats true.. I had a house cat that used to sit on the chair that was slightly covered by the table cloth, so when you walked by it would get you int he back of the leg from "concealment" it would stay there all day to do that if you let it.
On one side, I do believe that animals deserve better Intimidation skills all around.
On the other side, I don't think this is necessary in the frame of the game.
In real life, animals use intimidation to avoid direct physical confrontation. In D&D/Pathfinder, animals are thrown in the game to actively participate in a fight either as villains or NPCs.
Now I should know better than making real-life comparisons on these boards, but I do believe that the use of Intimidate is counter intuitive in the majority of situations implying RPGs. Intimidate should be reserve for, as James Jacob puts it, "coordinated displays of psychological warfare", which has less its place in the animal kingdom.
'findel
I don't really think animals need better intimidate checks because they are highly unlikely to actually use them. The worst you'll get is shaken for a few rounds, and that's if the animal actually doesn't do anything to hurt and spends the standard action to do it.
They don't need better intimidate checks anymore than a guy with a sword needs a better intimidate check. There's a difference between normal fear and intimidate fear, because one is a survival tactic and the other inflicts a condition.
However, if you really wanted to have animals wasting time trying to make people afraid of them when they are more likely to be afraid of people, then I'd make some sort of feat that worked similar to an aura of fear when they took some specified actions (perhaps charging, full attacking, or even total defense, since some animals are all bark) with the caveat that it can only affect you once per day, lasts a couple of rounds, and only inflicts shaken.
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Animals try to be in dominance, scare other species or predators(like chiuaua or that scary mutant owl) or to become the alpha putting the betas in submission. But not all of them have this. Maybe a new feat (alpha dominance or scary roar) would be usefull but anything beyond that is too much nicpicking.
James, what feat can I get that lets my first level character out run a leopard or a bear? Something coming out in Ultimate Combat we don't know about?? lolMy opinion: the best way to model a scary wild animal attack on a person in the game is to let roleplaying handle it. If you're a 1st level PC and a bear or a leopard charges you... chances are good you should run. Let the implied damage that a wild animal can do to a victim do the job of frightening the target. If the target's an NPC, that's really easy to pull off.
Intimidate should be left to coordinated displays of "psychological warfare." I understand that animals do this, but it's not something the game is designed to model.
THAT ALL SAID: If you like the idea of animals being able to use the Intimidate skill against foes... the easiest solution is to give the intimidating animal a +4 or a +8 racial bonus on Intimidate checks. Or maybe even Skill Focus (Intimidate) as a bonus feat. Or both!
Ummm... +1 literal-net point to you, I guess.
"Run" in my original post means "flee from the scary animal!" not "outrun it using your Speed against the animal's Speed." (rolls eyes)
If you want to get technical, the human can withdraw every round from the animal for up to double base speed (60'). Since neither bears nor leopards have pounce, at best they can get 1 charge attack/round. Or the human can run (provoking an AoO) and get far enough away that as long as they continue running, they won't get attacked anymore. The run feat would prevent provoking from running. Also lets you go x4.
The Intimidate skill is not a good measurement of the threat displays that animals make.
Keep in mind that the forecd to act friendly version of intimidate takes one minute of conversation. This is the Michael Westin from Burn Notice version of intimidation, and obviously, normal animals can't do this to people. But if you've ever watched that show, I think it's easy to see where the Charisma feeds the fear of the target.
I can see where you would look at animal threat displays and think that they should use demoralize side of intimidate. If there's a size difference, the +4 partially makes up for the low stat. And hit dice feeds the DC, so low hit die critters are easier to intimidate.
But really, so what if various critters have trouble actually applying the shaken condition to their foes? In the end, shaken or not by the threat display, each critter has to size up their chances in a fight and decide whether to attack, run away, steal the food, whatever.
Also, mountain lions don't just attack 4'11" PETA members. They will also stalk armed sheriff deputies that are hunting them after they maul a mountain biker (which is a big package when you consider bike+dude). This happened in the LA area a few years back. The mountain lion was shot by a game warden with a night vision scope as it was creeping up on another deputy in the dark. Mountain lions favorite natural prey is deer, but when desperate for various reasons will expand the menu to pets and people. Success probably breeds more targeting of non-deer vittles.
I think animals need some sort of fear causing effect. I mean for petes sake a T-rex has an intimidate of +0 >.< I don't care if your a level 8 fighter trained to kill and armed to the teeth, it's a flipping t-rex it should have some way of scaring people. A commoner shouldn't have a 50% chance to stand his ground.
I think animals need some sort of fear causing effect. I mean for petes sake a T-rex has an intimidate of +0 >.< I don't care if your a level 8 fighter trained to kill and armed to the teeth, it's a flipping t-rex it should have some way of scaring people. A commoner shouldn't have a 50% chance to stand his ground.
Meh, dinosaurs don't have a fear aura, dragons do.
Anyway, the t-rex doesn't need to make a skill check to scare a commoner. The commoner will be frightened for his life regardless as long as they have a working brain. They will try to get away if they want to live.
Why does the t-rex need to scare anything smaller than itself? All it wants to do is roll initiative and try to eat it. Or ignore it if it looks inedible.
Crocodile (Alligator): Charisma 2
I know there are feats that allow you to use your Strength Bonus instead of your Charisma Bonus, but even that will only give a Level 4 Crocodile (Alligator) a +4 Intimidate (19 Strength).
A level 4 Leopard would get a +3 Intimidate (Strength 16) with that feat.
Still, just seems that they should have an innate bonus somewhere.
I think just give animals the feat that lets them replace Charisma with Strength for intimidate.
Just to be clear, Intimidating Prowess does not "let them replace Charisma with Strength". It reads
Benefit: Add your Strength modifier to Intimidate skill checks in addition to your Charisma modifier.
So a crocodile with a 2 CHA and 15 STR still has a -2 to intimidate, even with the feat.