So I was trying to figure out if my Thug(rog)/Swashbuckler should go down a Intimidate or a Feinting route and I stumbled on this little interaction.
Benefit: When you damage an opponent with a Power Attack, you may make an immediate Intimidate check as a free action to attempt to demoralize your opponent.
with
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.
So If I power attack with a sap, it should trigger two separate free intimidate checks. One for doing extra damage from the power attack and one from doing nonlethal damage from using a sap. This is correct, right?
And then a further interaction from Thug
This that seems pretty clear with Cordugon smash. But does this also mean that if i succeed a intimidate check from enforcer and do 4 nonlethal damage (trivial when using PA)
- Do I shaken the opponent for 4+1 round from Thug? and/or
- Do I frighten the target for 1 round because of Thug?
Your assumption about the power attack with the sap is correct in that you could get two free intimidate checks (If both are successful, you use whichever has the longest duration).
When applying the Frightening thug ability to your example (enforcer and 4 nonlethal damage), you are given the choice to either cause the shaken condition for 5 rounds (the 4+1) OR you can just make the target frightened for the single round and no shaken condition after.
If you are going to use a sap, I recommend that you add the Sapping Special Ability.
The Cruel Special Ability is also a standard option for Intimidate builds.
The Ominous Special Ability is potentially useful, but usually not worth the cost.
Cordungon Smash is not free, it is an immediate action.
Yes, you can use both feats off the same trigger, but Cordungon Smash is strictly once/round.
It's a free action. It does not say immediate action, it says may immediately intimidate. As in you cannot make it later.
Cordungon Smash is not free, it is an immediate action.
Yes, you can use both feats off the same trigger, but Cordungon Smash is strictly once/round.
Cornugon Smash explicitly states that the Intimidate check is a Free Action.
If you are going to use a sap, I recommend that you add the Sapping Special Ability.
The Cruel Special Ability is also a standard option for Intimidate builds.
The Ominous Special Ability is potentially useful, but usually not worth the cost.
MMm, i was thinking of just getting both feats, skill focus intimidate, and a merciful falcata +1 but that might be overkill.
So i'm thinking:
a) Merciful weapon + enforcer
B) Cordugon smash + Skill focus intimidate
As far as i know, only elementals are creatures that are not immune to both nonlethal but are effected by morale effects (EG: oozes, constructs, undead, plants).
So the only thing i have to watch out for is magical buffs or class features that give DR against nonlethal if i go route A . Since I only really care about scaring of a target for 1 round (as a CC) all i need to make sure i beat the DC and hit. With [DEX] to dam i'm doing a minimum of 7 damage anyway, enough to frighten each target I hit without using PA.
If i went with route B I'd need to hit with penalty and then beat the DC with 15, which is a pretty tall order, even with a +6 from skill focus ....On the other hand I can use it with any weapon, I can frighten elementals and it saves me money.
And then there is also option op considering Signature skill intimidate
Decisions decisions...