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After review of the ARG, and inspiration from this, I have decided to create a whip wielding intimidation focused PC.
So, I come to the boards for help.
Here are what I have right now:
1) Hobgoblin race.
2) Must be Intimidation focused(for the most part).
3) Must use a whip.
4) 25 Point Buy
I am thinking Bard or Inquisitor. Utilizing Dazzling Display and various Intimidation feat, possibly Demoralizing Lash and Terrorizing Display.
Any thoughts?

baalbamoth |
A scarred rager adds 1/2 her barbarian level on Intimidate checks against humanoids who are not members of barbarian tribes. When dealing with barbarians, the scarred rager may choose to add this bonus on Diplomacy checks instead. The DC of any fear effect created by the scarred rager also increases by 1.
use that in combo with this...
Intimidating Glare (Ex)
Benefit: The barbarian can make an Intimidate check against one adjacent foe as a move action. If the barbarian successfully demoralizes her opponent, the foe is shaken for 1d4 rounds + 1 round for every 5 points by which the barbarian's check exceeds the DC
there was also some feat that turns a shaken intimidate result into frightened but I dont remember what it is...

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Hmm. What about an Inquisitor with the Torture subdomain?
TortureAssociated Domain: Destruction
Replacement Power: The following granted power replaces the destructive smite power of the Destruction domain.
Painful Smite (Su)Prior to making a melee attack roll, you can choose to convert all damage from that strike into nonlethal damage, adding your Wisdom modifier to the damage. If you succeed in your attack, you can make an Intimidate check against your target to demoralize them as a free action. You gain a bonus on your Intimidate check equal to the nonlethal damage dealt by the painful strike. You can use this ability a number of times per day equal to 3 + your Wisdom modifier.
Replacement Domain Spells: 2nd—pain strike, 5th—symbol of pain, 8th—demand.

Whale_Cancer |

Honestly, I think you are doing it wrong.
Rogue (Thug/Bandit)/Cavalier (Fell Rider; Order of the Cockatrice)
Start with enforcer so you can intimidate for free with every whip attack and then you want to work your way up to shatter defenses at level 7. With the rogue archetypes, you will be making creatures frightened pretty much every time you land a sneak attack on them (and often when you don't). You're going to also want to make the whip a cruel whip.
I do something similar with a human mace wielder using the bludgeoner feat, and it is incredibly effective against creatures subject to intimidate.

Abandoned Arts RPG Superstar Season 9 Top 32 |

I'd be remiss if I didn't point out that we just produced a PDF product containing a really great feat for the whip and scorpion whip. Even better, (although it requires Whip Mastery, which allows lethal whip damage) it focuses on dealing nonlethal damage... taskmaster-torturer style.
All that aside, though... have you considered the bard, or a bard multiclass build (bard/fighter, perhaps)? Bards are whip-proficient and there are one or two "demoralizer" bard archetypes out there who trade the "morale bonus" performances for "morale penalty" variants. That plays right into the "cruel taskmaster" angle.

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First off, got the okay for Torture subdomain from GM.
Second, Moloch gives me proficiency with the whip.
I have considered bard, but the x2 wisdom to intimidate is really appealing.
What would this look like as a Bard?
If this can be done better as a Bard, I am interested.
I would rather not go Rogue, as that involves setting up sneak attack just to intimidate.

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After review of the ARG, and inspiration from this, I have decided to create a whip wielding intimidation focused PC.
One of my major inspirations for the hobgoblin section too :)

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blackbloodtroll wrote:One of my major inspirations for the hobgoblin section too :)After review of the ARG, and inspiration from this, I have decided to create a whip wielding intimidation focused PC.
World Without Sundays did a heavy metal version of that song.
It frikken rocks.
tonyz |

Don't forget Skill Focus/Intimidate. +3 at low levels, +6 at levels 10 and above.
Also Improved Initiative to increase the chances of getting to intimidate them before they do anything else.
And Power Attack / Furious Focus / Dreadful Carnage, though maybe not for a bard build. You need to be a full martial type, probably a fighter, for that build to work.

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I like the idea of a martial/debuffer.
I am not sure if I can squeeze the improved initiative in there, but I now it's power.
I am not sure how to go about a Bard build, as I have little experience with them.
I like the Inquisitor for the x2 wisdom to intimidate, which with a Guided weapon, makes it a very wisdom focused build.

Cyberwolf2xs |

I think a one level dip of thug is enough.
The second level doesn't really hurt much, but it's still one less level of spellcasting you give up for evasion and one rogue talent.
And your stats seem okay.
You could also go with the following:
str 16
dex 14 (16)
con 12 (14)
int 12
wis 16
cha 7
One more skillpoint per level, one more AoO per round (with combat reflexes). Alternatively, switch con and dex.
The only drawback of either is that you essentially have a one point lower wis modifier from lvl 4 to 8, from 12 to 16 and at lvl 20 (assuming you'd put all your increasements on wis).
However, if you're planning to use a guided weapon anyway, you can drop strength down to 13 (if you want to use power attack) and put wis up to 18.
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Now that I'm here anyway, I'm gonna derail this a bit:
I have thought time and again about building a character around intimidation myself, however, above a certain level, I feel that the shaken condition doesn't really cut it anymore, and the thug's frightened condition only lasts for one round.
So apart from that ability, what else can you use to make an opponent anyting worse than shaken? I've come up with those:
- 6th lvl hellknight prc ability: fearsomeness
- symbol of fear
- 1st lvl spell: cause fear
- 2nd lvl spells: scare, castigate (cowering... nice)
- 4th lvl spell: fear (panicked!)
- 5th lvl spell: mass cause fear
- 6th lvl spell: eyebite
- 8th lvl spell: frightful aspect
Anything else?
PS: I hope the Signifer (caster hellknight) PrC in the upcoming book keeps the fearsomeness ability.

Mage Evolving |

I'd go with the inquisitor.
You gain half your level in intimidate.
It's a class skill so that's a plus 3.
Also if you go with the Rage domain you get to wear a helm of the fiersome mein.
At the moment my half-orc inquisitor has a +37 to intimidate. I take the +1/2 to intimidate each level and intimidating prowess. I think you can get it much higher if you play with traits...
This means that on average I am beating my DM by ~15 and my targets are shaken for 3-4 rounds.

Tom S 820 |

Blade of Mercy (Sarenrae)P
Source Legacy of Fire Player's Guide 9
You know that within the heart of even the most hateful and cruel living creature exists a sliver of shame and hope for redemption. You have trained long on martial techniques to use bladed weapons not to kill, but to subdue. When striking to inflict nonlethal damage with any slashing weapon, you do not take the normal -4 penalty on your attack roll, and gain a +1 trait bonus to any nonlethal damage you inflict with a slashing weapon.
This and the Enforcers feat is all you need.

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Okay, so the current stats look like this:
str 13
dex 14 (16)
con 12 (14)
int 12
wis 18
cha 7
I am intending to go Heretic Inquisitor, and taking the Heresy Inquisition.
For traits, I am thinking of the Dog-Sniff-Hate trait, to later get the Scent of Fear feat, and the Dominator trait.
For feats, I am considering Enforcer, Demoralizing Lash, Taskmaster, Whip Mastery, Improved Whip Mastery, and Combat Reflexes.
Any suggestions?