Intimidate crowd

[Experienced Adventurer]

Hello, all!

I have a tricky question. For example, there is a crowd in a bar and they are drinking and looking for fight. I need to take a man out of there, but I do not want to make this bloody. My character jumps on a table and looks around with his pair of loaded pistols (chainsword, anythings) and screams: "This guy now walks out of pub and no one follows us and you drink further..."

What type of DC can we expect in this case:
A) 10 + Total Crowd HD + Highest Crowd Wisdom modifier?
B) 10 + Highest Crowd HD + Highest Crowd Wisdom modifier + size modifier (-4 for 8 people, -8 for 16, -12 for 32, etc)

I can imagine taking random number (like 42 for such DC) or using conditional modifiers.. But I'd like to hear some more or less legalistic rulling for situation in question.

[Goddity]

If a few people leave, everyone will leave. Mob mentality. As such they need to convince everyone. I don't think there is a specific rule for this.

[Devilkiller]

I'm not sure if you can usually use the intimidate skill on groups that way, but I'd probably just have you roll a single intimidate check and use it against the typical DC to influence each member of the crowd. You could give some situational bonuses or penalties to represent the mood of the crowd, how much the crowd wants to keep you from abducting the man, etc.

[Kazaan]

No official rule, but a reasonable solution would be as such; you must take 10 since you're not intimidating a single person but a whole group so you can't tailor the threat to a specific individual. DC is the average for the group. Because, while if one leaves, most will leave, if several obviously stay, it might convince others to stay when they would have otherwise left (they know they can't count on as much backup). Alternatively, allow a roll, but impose a penalty based on the size of the crowd. Say, for example, -2 for every 10 people.

[Galahad0430]

Dazzling Display does this just fine. I would say if you succeed on making them all shaken, then they stay.....

[Experienced Adventurer]

Thanks, guys!

[Arachnofiend]

Interestingly, the Urban Barbarian archetype gets bonuses to on using Intimidate to influence crowds. I don't think there's a rule anywhere for this; as a GM I'd probably set the DC at that of the most influential member of the crowd, the guy/gal everyone else will follow.

[Gark the Goblin]

Environment wrote:

Crowds: Urban streets are often full of people going about their daily lives. In most cases, it isn't necessary to put every 1st-level commoner on the map when a fight breaks out on the city's main thoroughfare. Instead, just indicate which squares on the map contain crowds. If crowds see something obviously dangerous, they'll move away at 30 feet per round at initiative count 0. It takes 2 squares of movement to enter a square with crowds. The crowds provide cover for anyone who does so, enabling a Stealth check and providing a bonus to Armor Class and on Reflex saves.

Directing Crowds: It takes a DC 15 Diplomacy check or DC 20 Intimidate check to convince a crowd to move in a particular direction, and the crowd must be able to hear or see the character making the attempt. It takes a full-round action to make the Diplomacy check, but only a free action to make the Intimidate check.

If two or more characters are trying to direct a crowd in different directions, they make opposed Diplomacy or Intimidate checks to determine to whom the crowd listens. The crowd ignores everyone if none of the characters' check results beat the DCs given above.

This is what the Urban Barbarian archetype is referring to, I think. Not sure it applies to crowds in bars, or making them stay still rather than move, but my guess is it does.

[Kazaan]

Well, there you go... pick out any members of the crowd who would encourage the crowd to leave the bar and that's the opposed roll. Highest roll among those that beat the DC gets their orders followed.