Is it worth it for a THF to take dazzling display / intimidation line of feats?

[Maniacwyrm]

Full disclosure, the only time I have ever even used something remotely like an intimidating fighter was in the WOTR video game where every YouTuber who did fighter builds always take dazzling display/shatter defenses. Is it worth it in PNP pathfinder though? Is it similar to in game where it’s basically after your first hit you can cause all enemies in a radius around you to be flat footed?

[thorin001]

Intimidation is a decent debuff; it gives the victim a -2 to attacks, saves, and skill checks. So if you have offensive casters in your group this can help them land their spells. If your group has decent AC then the -2 to hit boosts defenses. But this has no reall effect if ACs are super high or really low.

Shatter defenses is not that much use unless you have sneak attack. Without sneak attack all you get is a reduction in AC, but the people most affected (high dex) are the most likely to have uncanny dodge. The bad guys are only flatfooted to your attacks, not those of your allies.

And then there is the out of combat social skill use. Prisoners can get downright talkative when they know you can rip their arms off.

[Java Man]

For a THF with intimidate I"m a fan of curnagon smash, hurtful, and a cruel weapon.

[Claxon]

Java Man wrote:

For a THF with intimidate I"m a fan of curnagon smash, hurtful, and a cruel weapon.

Yep, probably one of my favorite "generic" builds.

With an Antipaladin (I preferred Tyrant) you also made things not immune to fear, in case it came up.

And on Shatter defenses...yeah it's not that good, there are several ways to impose flat footed and unless you have a rogue or are a rogue it doesn't mean much except a to-hit bonus, that may not really be relevant. If you're a rogue though, it's nice to help you get consistent sneak attack.

[TxSam88]

IMO no, spending an action on doing something that doesn't deal damage to a bad guy is a waste of time.
a TWF/rogue build would give up a full round of attacking to do this, but in that same round, you could have potentially killed off a bad guy. Not to mention there are better feats to choose from.

[Name Violation]

My personal preference is 2 levels of cavalier with order of the cockatrice which gives dazzling display as a standard action rather than a full round and also ignores prereqs so you don't even need a weapon to do it. You can take an archetype like gendarme to still get power attack at 1st level, or emissary for full speed in medium armor at 1st level.

add 1 level or rogue with the thug archetype to turn shaken into frightened instead.

[Azothath]

you can see it can easily become a specialist build requiring both feat and class investment. PF1 is like that trading flexibility for increasing a niche ability. The metrics are the chance of opportunity and success of the tactic muliplied by the effect.

Being a debuff routine it is not on the simplistic high DPR track. The penalties/conditions are not usually debilitating or combat ending.

[Phoebus Alexandros]

Honestly, it comes down to how far you're willing to commit to a fairly feat-intensive build, and whether or not it includes the Signature Skill feat. Without that feat, the shaken condition is what it is. With that feat, when you land a successful sneak attack or confirm a critical hit (by way of Violent Display), you get an immediate action Dazzling Display that can reliably send enemies within 30 feet running.

For example:

1. Dazzling Display, Weapon Focus (nodachi), Intimidating Prowess
2. Power Attack
3. Skill Focus (intimidate)
4. [Player's Choice]
5. Signature Skill (intimidate)
6. Violent Display
7. Cornugon Smash
8. Hurtful

[Mark Hoover 330]

Take a Nagaji PC: +2 Str, Cha; -2 Int. Starting stats w/a, 20 Pt buy: Str 18, Dex 13, Con 12, Int 10, Wis 10, Cha 14. One of the 2 skill ranks you get every level goes to Intimidate. You lose a feat overall but the +2 from Cha is nearly the bonus from Skill Focus anyway.

Start your build with the Bully Trait. In total at L1 you're starting with Intimidate +11. The standard CR1 foe has 2 HD and a Wis bonus of between +1 to +2. You've got between an 85% - 90% chance of delivering Shaken for 1 round, but you could easily pull off 2 rounds.

Pro tip: see if a Divine/Profane caster in the party has access to the Orison Enhanced Diplomacy. Its 3.5 but if avail it gives +2 on an Intimidate check you make over the next minute. A nice renewable Competence bonus to your main skill all day, so long as your ally isn't out of commission.

If you build in this manner, and especially if you can get a hold of Enhanced Diplomacy, your PC likely never NEEDS Skill Focus: Intimidate. It'll make things EASIER, but you may not need it. Keep your Str and Cha buffed throughout the campaign with Big 6 stat enhancers, you'll do fine.

I'd say Dazzling Display is great if someone in your party has Area of Effect spells. If your party full caster has a fireball for example, you delivering Shaken to all enemies 30' away is basically a +2 to the DC of their spell that round.