How viable could a build be that uses the hurtful feat and the braggart ability from the order of the cockatrice cavalier? And how would you build it?
At first it sounds good to combine dazzling display with hurtful. But depending on your success at intimidating it's not useful too often per fight. So you need another option to intimidate.
This is no full build, more some notes as what might work together.
Half-Orc
Slayer 2/ Cavalier x
Feats: Orc weapon expertise (+1 nonlethal damage), enforcer, hurtful
Class abilities: TWF ranger combat style -> TWF, Braggart
Traits: mindlessly cruel
In addition to allowing me to use dazzling display as standard action braggart gives me a +2 moral bonus to hit vs demoralized opponents. Mindlessly cruel gives me a damage bonus while I have a moral bonus to hit.
That way I can move to an opponent, use dazzling display and make one attack. Even if I miss other opponents might still be intimidated.
Alternatively I can just attack. If I hit and deal damage I get an additional attack. So full attack +1 if the intimidate is successful. And I have several attempts as every attack deals 1 point of nonlethal damage.
Later I could add orc weapon expertise an additional time to get a shield bonus while wielding my double axe (it is the only weapon usable with orc weapon expertise).
IMO when getting a free bonus attack it would be better to go for a two handed build rather than TWF especially in a build without a lot of bonus feats.
Yeah. That reinforces my opinion then. I guess I could see it's use in a double weapon though like was suggested. But taking penalties for TWF and Power Attack doesn't seem like a good plan.
Sure the bonus attack is better made with a two-handed weapon. The idea was to use the orc weapon expertise/enforcer combo to get free intimidates. I'd love it if there was a better orc weapon.
Deal +1 point of nonlethal damage with the weapon.
Prerequisite: Intimidate 1 rank.Benefit: Whenever you deal nonlethal damage with a melee weapon, you can make an Intimidate check to demoralize your target as a free action. If you are successful, the target is shaken for a number of rounds equal to the damage dealt. If your attack was a critical hit, your target is frightened for 1 round with a successful Intimidate check, as well as being shaken for a number of rounds equal to the damage dealt.
One of the best combos to make opponents shaken. But sadly we get no better orc weapons.
BTW: I noticed that I can only use one benefit from orc weapon expertise at once so taking it multiple times isn't good.
Other suggestions to demoralize reliably? Later cornugon smash comes into play. But centering a build on something and only starting to get it at 6th level sux.
Maybe instead of TWF Ranger go for THF Ranger and get free Power Attack?
You NEED Cornugon Smash, which requires Power Attack, to Intimidate as a free action reliably.
I recommend you go Belzken War Drummer Skald, since it gets a hefty bonus to Intimidate and benefits from high STR and CHA.