Hobgoblin Intimidation Expert


Advice

Grand Lodge

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?


dip a level in scarred barb?

Grand Lodge

baalbamoth wrote:
dip a level in scarred barb?

For what?

Is Scarred Barbarian best for utilizing intimidation?


Thug rogue alternate class .. demoralization lasts one round longer and you can trade 4 rounds shaken for 1 round frightening. Available on lvl1.

Maybe a rogue / fighter combo? You need a high strengh, high charisma and a lot of feats.


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...

Grand Lodge

Hmm. What about an Inquisitor with the Torture subdomain?

Pathfinder Player Companion: Goblins of Golarion wrote:


Torture

Associated 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.

Grand Lodge

Side Note: Whip-like weapons are cool too.

Grand Lodge

What are some Intimidate boosting items/feats/traits that could help this build?

What would a good stat array look like for this?


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.

Grand Lodge

Ah. I was figuring using the Scorpion whip, and taking a level in Crusader cleric, taking the Torture subdomain, then go into Heretic Inquisitor, and take the Heresy Inquisition, so as to get x2 wisdom to intimidate.

Grand Lodge

Obviously I will take the Fearsome alternate racial trait to get the +4 to intimidate.
Also, the Dominator trait looks nice with it's +2 to demoralize.


Hunt down some Orc to steal his battle mask for +2 to intimidate.

Grand Lodge

So, for the Crusader Cleric/Heretic Inquisitor build (I am sorry, sneak attack adds too many more restrictions), I am looking at this:
First Level, Crusader Cleric
Feats: Enforcer, Martial Weapon Proficiency(Cat-o'-nine-tails)
Traits: Dominator, Birthmark
str 13
dex 18
con 14
int 11
wis 17
cha 7

Grand Lodge

Actually, if I can convince my DM of the Torture aspect of Moloch when I take my second level in Inquisitor, I will switch the Martial Weapon Proficiency(Cat-o'-nine-tails) feat, for Weapon Focus(Whip) feat.
If I do this, then the Dazzling Display will replace Enforcer.

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.

Grand Lodge

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.

Grand Lodge

Not sure about Cavalier either, or how to go about it.
I am really not looking for a mount though.
Well, unless it was a Nightmare, because that's awesome.

Grand Lodge

As a side note, no matter how the build looks, I will be putting at least one rank in Perform(Sing) and Profession(Soldier).

The Exchange Contributor, RPG Superstar 2008 Top 6

blackbloodtroll wrote:

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 :)

Grand Lodge

Russ Taylor wrote:
blackbloodtroll wrote:

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 :)

World Without Sundays did a heavy metal version of that song.

It frikken rocks.

Grand Lodge

What are some of the core feats to making an intimidate specialist?

Grand Lodge

Enforcer, Dazzling Display, and Shatter Defenses stand out, but are there more?

Grand Lodge

I am considering a 1 to 2 level dip in Thug rogue.

How would work this out?


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.

Grand Lodge

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.

Grand Lodge

If I dip into Thug, should I go one, or two levels?


blackbloodtroll wrote:
Enforcer, Dazzling Display, and Shatter Defenses stand out, but are there more?

If your strength is high enough: Intimidating Prowess.

If it is less than +3 though Skill focus Intimidate is better.


I think theres also a Boar style feat that grants an intimidate, and also a grappling feat that does it also, just dont remember off hand. I saw scabbard and sheild tricks, is there something like that for whips also? or just dirty trick?

Grand Lodge

What about this for a stat array? It's 25 point buy. Is there any thing that should be altered?

str 16
dex 13(15)
con 12(14)
int 11
wis 17
cha 7


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.

---

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.


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.


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.

Grand Lodge

Unfortunately, worshiping Sarenrae is not an option.

To tell you the truth, I am unfamiliar with intimidation builds.
Stealth builds are the only skill focused builds I am familiar with.

Grand Lodge

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?

Grand Lodge

Another option is Irori, so as to get the Improved Unarmed Strike feat, and grab the Nightmare Fist feat later.

Grand Lodge

Thoughts?

Grand Lodge

Possibly a Cat-o'-nine-tails as side weapon?

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