|
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
So I made an inquisitor, and pumped on as much Intimidate as I could. Half-orc, taking the inquisitor favored class option, intimidating prowess, conversion inquisition, even persuasive.
The result is an intimidate that goes from +11 at level 1 to +59 at level 20. That's enough intimidate to have a 50/50 chance of demoralizing lucifer.
Obviously the build is focused around dazzling display, cornugon smash, and shatter defenses, but hopefully he doesn't sacrifice so much that his melee abilities are too lacking. At level 8, he is attacking at +12/+7 (18-20) for 2d4+16 without any magic items.
Is this build playable? Or is too much sacrificed to achieve a very high intimidate. And how useful is dazzling display in combat?
|
Well, if you could break away from inquisitor for a few levels, taking the Order of the Cockatrice Cavalier gives you Dazzling Display for free, and makes it so that it's only a Standard Action instead of a Full Round Action. In fact, it also adds a +2 to hit any demoralized character. Viable? Sometimes. Don't forget, though, that at low levels demoralized only lowers their To Hit by 2, and at higher levels... lowers their To Hit by 2.
I've played an Intimidate focused Cavalier before, with great results. Like you said, Half Orc, high Charisma, Dazzling Display. I haven't gotten high enough level to get Shatter Defenses with him, but he will soon enough anyway. So far, the only complaint came from a fellow party member about the difficulty of the Intimidate rules.
Good luck, Have fun, and remember that it's a team game!
I say it should work smashingly.
You have enough intimidate to make the gods themselves piss their pants and damage lost is not particularly high I'd think, especially with Judgements and Bane.
|
|
@ Tirq: Veerrrry interesting. I think that the inquisitor has a two level dip into Order of the Cockatrice. That seems more than worth it. I"ll respeck him tomorrow perhaps. Good find!
@Rynjin: Yes, I think I've basically exhausted the game mechanics for getting a higher Intimidate. Anybody know of any way? And damage should still be solid.
|
|
You're probably fine. Your to-hit and damage look reasonable to me, your Bane and Judgments will improve your hit and damage significantly in important fights, and Shatter Defenses should also help you hit. I haven't used Dazzling Display myself, but I've heard good things. If you're fighting multiple weak enemies it's a decent way to apply a group debuff.
Also, try Blistering Invective. It's a spell that lets you demoralize like Dazzling Display but as a standard (spellcasting) action and with a small amount of fire damage.
What about a dip into rogue (Thug)? You can actually make people run away instead of just applying a debuff if you get th e check high enough.
Might I suggest getting a/the War Mask of Terror or somesuch?
A quite handy little doo-dad that gives +1 AC (Deflection bonus), +2 Intimidate, and Scare 1/day. It doesn't seem to be in the SRD but it dropped off a guy in Serpent's Skull, so if your GM has that book he may let you get it.
my advice is to never actually use dazzling display. you get the same effect with cornugon smash and dreadful carnage for free while doing stuff that's actually useful. i just consider it as a necessary tax for shatter defenses for characters who aren't cockatrice cavaliers/samurais (which you are).
also, i advise finding a way to pick up furious focus/dreadful carnage instead of gory finish, as its easier to meet the requirements (you can full attack a guy instead of burning your standard action to just whack him once) and is a free action to use, rather than a swift.
even while you're going into cockatrice, i'd still say there isn't much point to using it, since spending a standard action to intimidate everyone is still worse than getting the same effect for free every time you PA (cornugon smash) or drop someone (dreadful carnage).
you're gonna want ominous ad cruel on your weapon, since they work well with intimidating and attacking intimidated enemies.
The answer is yes it can be very effective and just flat out fun. It is one of my favorite builds.
As was mentioned Dazzling display is well bad sadly. It really is a shame that it is a feat tax for shatter defenses.
As was said above get a cruel weapon. It is just so good. Shaken + flat footed + sickened and some free temp hp? Yes please.
I have to disagree on the thug dip. It will set back your BAB and honestly a running enemy is not always good. Sure in small dungeon rooms it would be great but a fight out in the open? Well your loot just ran/teleported away. Its honestly to much of a double edged sword for me.
The answer is yes it can be very effective and just flat out fun. It is one of my favorite builds.
As was mentioned Dazzling display is well bad sadly. It really is a shame that it is a feat tax for shatter defenses.
As was said above get a cruel weapon. It is just so good. Shaken + flat footed + sickened and some free temp hp? Yes please.
I have to disagree on the thug dip. It will set back your BAB and honestly a running enemy is not always good. Sure in small dungeon rooms it would be great but a fight out in the open? Well your loot just ran/teleported away. Its honestly to much of a double edged sword for me.
This...all of this.
Worship Irori, take the Nightmare Fist and Nightmare Weaver feats.
Nightmare Weaver counts as Dazzling Display for purposes of qualifying for Deadly Stroke and Shatter Defenses.
That's still still a two feat tax and honestly I rather have weapon focus then nightmare fist. Unarmed being very sub-par for this build and unless the rest of your party has dark vision as well you are going to make for one unhappy party casting darkness around everywhere.
Nightmare weaver is slightly more useful the Dazzling display but again only if the party can deal with the darkness. In the long run its still just better to hit things with PA + Cornugon Smash.
Also if you do dip Cavalier think about taking Gendarme archetype to get yourself a bonus feat that can be used on power attack. Though I do have a hard time suggesting any dips on a class with spell casting this dip will save a bunch of feats.
Heavy armor pro, Dazzling display, Power attack, and that nice +2 moral to attack rolls vs shaken (usefulness depends on the party. If there is someone with moral buffs then its well not useful.) So yeah its a pretty profitable dip. Though a DM might have issue with taking a archetype meant for mounted combat at the exclusion of all else when you in fact won't being doing that.
I still like to got the orc weapon expertice - enforcer route for intimidating. The only problem with this build is that the orc only has one racial weapon and that is bad.
As silly as it might seem you can also stack another debuff into this build.
If you can spare a few skill points in preform and use a reach weapon you can take the spear dancer feat to dazzle anything you hit. Its a minor debuff and feats are already tight but its an option.
That would end up being shaken, Sickened, Flat-footed, and dazzled. Pretty nice effects for just hitting things.
|
|
Great advice all.
Stome, thanks for pointing out the Gendarme archetype. With that two level dip, I'll free up three feats, so I can grab antagonize, furious focus, and carnage.
I think I may still take the thug dip. You are all right, frightened enemies are not always good, but thug lets you choose. Also, given that I am going to be attacking flat footed enemies, I'll get my d6 sneak attack!
I shall rebuild.
|
|
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
I have rebuilt!
I went with the rogue (thug) in addition to the cavalier dip. It did hurt my bab by a little, but attacking flat flooted enemies with an additional +2, I'm not worries. I also get d6 sneak attack when attacking flat footed enemies (all the time).
Intimidate suffered ever so slightly - no longer a %50 chance to demoralize lucifer. However, thanks to the thug archetype, with an ominous weapon and a good roll, I now have a chance to make him flee!
1: Cavalier: Power attack, Weapon Focus: Falchion
2: Cavalier: Dazzling Display
3: Furious Focus
4:
5: Intimidating Prowess
6:
7: Cornugon Smash
8:
9: Shatter Defenses
10:
11: Antagonize
12:
13: Persuasive
14:
15: Dreadful Carnage
16:
17: Dodge
18:
19: Gory Finish
20:
INSTRUMENT OF AGONY is a must have spell for this build.
Screw Dazzling Display and Cornugan smash. This spell does both and with a better effect.
You just need the high Intimidate