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I've used this build before as a player, but at that moment it seemed like a one trick pony with one ability that was more or less broken. Now I'm pondering if I could make an Intimidatrix NPC, and I realized I was overdoing it again.
Here's what I'm talking about:
Human Cavalier 2 (Order of the Cockatrice) Rogue 1 (Thug archetype), 14 Charisma, 17 Strength, Intimidating Prowess, Skill Focus (Intimidate) and 3 ranks in Intimidate.
Her Intimidate total would be 14, Frightening (From the Thug archetype) would add 1 round when demoralizing opponents and Braggart (From the Order of the Cockatrice) would give him an additional +2 on melee attacks against demoralized opponents and ofcourse Dazzling Display.
Add to this the Tactician Ability, the Precise Strike feat and a handfull of bandits and you've got quite an encounter.
The average PC would probably roll a 12 against a 24 from the Intimidatrix and would be shaken for 4 rounds. (Or frightened for 1 round.) So sure, it's a nice ability. The Intimidatrix can still fail if she rolls low and the PCs high, although that chance is small.
Now let's compare it to a 3rd level caster with a 2nd level spell. a 3 level wizard could cast Haunting Mists. It has some extra effects but it seems to be the best match. DC would be 15 instead of 24, it would effect allies as well enemies, cause wisdom damage, block line of sight and the effected area would be smaller.
Short version: Tactical encounter is too good. Lowering her Intimidate seems like a good option, and dropping Precise Strike for something that does less damage seems like another good option. It feels a bit like I'm giving in, though. Does anyone have any advice on how to make this encounter a bit less of a save or suck deal?
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Query: why are the PCs getting a roll against demoralise - why is save or suck a question? Clarifying if you've houseruled demoralise to be an opposed check or Will save, because I thought it was just a Skill Check. As a sidenote, I often give circumstance bonuses to reflect things like skill ranks in Intimidate or a save vs. fear bonus like bravery or a nearby paladin's Aura of Courage.
I'm fond of Intimidate builds for martial characters, and this seems a particularly strong if specialised, one for low levels. However, it doesn't seem overpowered. She can put the party on the back foot with an opening Dazzling Display, but doesn't dominate as a result of it. She needs standard actions to Dazzling Display and Tactician, so the bandits
(I'm imagining level 1 or 2 rogues or warriors) will only get Precise Strike halfway through the second round.
She only enters the fight on the second round of 'shaken time', the third round of the fight. Even with a demoralised party, her flankers have still been fighting for two and a half rounds, and much of her damage dealing potential depends on them.
Short version: It'd be an interesting and dangerous fight, but it doesn't restrict the player actions and so I don't think it is too good.
Just remember to reward generously for pitting the party against an NPC with such heavily customised feats, class levels, and ability scores.
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Needs more leather
I was thinking about spiked armor.
Moving back to Idle Champion's post. If the players wouldn't be able to get a higher DC versus intimidate than 15, they would lose every time. That's an autofail ability right there, giving -2 penalties on attack rolls for 2-6 rounds. I'm definitely gonna drop Skill Focus and Intimidating Prowess.
That leaves me with a +8 on Intimidate, which is still very good, but it does have about a 15% chance of failure. Allowing Aura of Courage/Bravery/Inspire Courage to work on Intimidate is a good house rule and makes sense. Remove Fear would also be a good option.
Why are you not using a Half-Elf?
You have Skill Focus listed there, which means you were going to spend a Feat on Skill Focus (Intimidate).
If you're going to spend a Feat on Skill Focus, then you play a better Race than Human - i.e. the Half-Elf.
You gain ALL the cool Human tricks (human Racial Favored Class Bonuses, access to Human-Only options, etc.) PLUS all the badass Half-Elf things like having TWO Favored Classes, AND all the Elf options, as well.
Oh, AND you still get to choose 1 Stat to increase by +2
Whenever Exotic Weapons Proficiency or Skill Focus are brought into the equation, Half-Elf immediately becomes leagues better than the Human.
-2 penalty on attack rolls is not that impressive a debuff - it changes the result of one attack roll in ten on average and may not actually come up during the fight. Shaken is nice, but usually important as a stepping stone to greater things (q.v. the Hurtful feat).
So IMO your worries are overstated.
Just wondering what the party you're springing her on is like, Level/numbers/classes wise.
If the players wouldn't be able to get a higher DC versus intimidate than 15, they would lose every time.
DC 15 Intimidate as your coolest customer suggests you're sending the Intimidatrix against Level 2s. By experience budget or by CR, the Intimidatrix is already a 'typical' encounter for 4-5 second-level PCs by herself, and it will only take a pair of Warrior 2s to push her up to about half the working day. If she has the kind of backup to actually get numbers parity with the party, keep them occupied for the 2 rounds she needs to Dazzle and Tactician, (3-4 Warrior 2s) and even provide flankers once she enters the fight, the encounter is getting quite big, and will be a danger to any of your d8 types that get involved in the melee.
With proper backup she'd be best held back for Level 3, and could be quite fun then, but at level 2 she might be a non-event with trimmed backup, or with proper backup you might kill a PC for the sake of a bandit ambush.
I dont think you need to change any thing exept if it is a one of encounter why does she have 17 in str instead of 16?
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CR 2 Intimidatrix + 4 CR1/3 bandits = CR 4.
The bandits are meant to be a challenge. At level 2 the players should be able to handle this as an APL+2 encounter. The encounter could be part of a bandit raid at the start of a campaign. (Yes, that means that the party level would be 1.) It's entirely avoidable if the players don't opt to fight the bandits and realize the situation they are in as highly dangerous. The bandits would use saps instead of lethal weapons until one of the bandits goes down.
This may seem a bit harsh, but in my experience this makes the players more involved in the campaign. (They love to hate the enemy when you do this.)
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Why are you not using a Half-Elf?
You have Skill Focus listed there, which means you were going to spend a Feat on Skill Focus (Intimidate).
If you're going to spend a Feat on Skill Focus, then you play a better Race than Human - i.e. the Half-Elf.
You gain ALL the cool Human tricks (human Racial Favored Class Bonuses, access to Human-Only options, etc.) PLUS all the badass Half-Elf things like having TWO Favored Classes, AND all the Elf options, as well.
Oh, AND you still get to choose 1 Stat to increase by +2
Whenever Exotic Weapons Proficiency or Skill Focus are brought into the equation, Half-Elf immediately becomes leagues better than the Human.
I'm actually dropping Skill Focus, and I'm trying not to optimize.
CR 2 Intimidatrix + 4 CR1/3 bandits = CR 4.
The bandits are meant to be a challenge. At level 2 the players should be able to handle this as an APL+2 encounter. The encounter could be part of a bandit raid at the start of a campaign. (Yes, that means that the party level would be 1.) It's entirely avoidable if the players don't opt to fight the bandits and realize the situation they are in as highly dangerous. The bandits would use saps instead of lethal weapons until one of the bandits goes down.
This may seem a bit harsh, but in my experience this makes the players more involved in the campaign. (They love to hate the enemy when you do this.)
I dont use APL +3 encounters at level 1 since ending the game just as it is starting is a Fail in my book. But do get back and tell us how it goes.
CR 2 Intimidatrix + 4 CR1/3 bandits = CR 4.
Even if you optimize the Intimidatrix, the two turns of Dazzling Display and Tactician will give a party of 2nd-level PCs plenty of time to counter-flank and kill Warrior 1s, even with Shaken, because those guys pop like balloons. But they'll probably slaughter first-level PCs, which a terrible crime.
The Intimidatrix is fine, but there's an oddly fine line between 'all the bandits die before Intimidatrix enters the fight' and 'flank meat grinder.' I think Warrior 2s will help with that.