Yes this is a long question, sorry. I have provided all the relevant text to save you some time.
Using demoralize on the same creature [the creature that has just been demoralized] only extends the duration; it does not create a stronger fear condition.
I am an unchained rogue with the skill unlock for intimidate. Let's say level 15.
With sufficient ranks in Intimidate, you earn the following. An asterisk (*) indicates the total duration cannot exceed 1 round plus 1 round for every 5 by which you exceed the DC.
15 Ranks: If you exceed the DC to demoralize a target by at least 20, it is cowering for 1 round or panicked for 1d4 rounds (your choice) and frightened thereafter.* A Will save (DC = 10 + your number of ranks in Intimidate) negates the cowering, panicked, and frightened conditions, but the target is still shaken, even if it has the stalwart ability.
I intimidate an opponent and beat the DC by exactly 20. Opponent fails save and is cowering for 1 round, frightened for 4. (Here's the hard part) I intimidate again in the same turn (via cornugon smash or something) and beat the DC by 20 again.
What happens now? I used to think I knew, but am not so sure anymore. I am wondering about the strictest of RAW, not about how it SHOULD work. Is it...
A. Opponent has to make a save. Say they fail (1 round cowering then 4 shaken normally). The durations are added together ("extended"), and opponent is cowering 2 rounds then frightened for 8.
B. Same as above, but goes 1 round cowering, then 4 frightened, then 1 cowering, then 4 frightened. ("Extended" meaning tack on the new effect at the end of the original)
C. Opponent does not make a save. "Demoralizing the same creature only extends the duration" here means that demoralizing again does nothing but extend the duration of the first demoralize effect (trumps the make a save requirement) so beating dc by 20 means adding 5 more rounds of frightened
D. The skill unlock trumps the "extend the duration" requirement of demoralize. The effects would just overlap, but since they do the same thing, one would make the other irrelevant.
E. Something else I am not seeing.
Personally, my gut says B, as I took "extend the duration" to mean that the result of the second demoralize happens after the result of the first demoralize.
By my reading, this is a stacking question.
So, the specific stacking rule for demoralize says it extends the duration.
The specific rule for the Intimidate skill unlock says the total duration cannot exceed 1 round plus 1 round per +5 for astrisked abilities.
Thus, your first +20 DC success you've got cowering for 1 round or panicked for 1d4 rounds (not asterisked) and frightened for 1 round plus 1 round per +5 (asterisked).
If you hit them again and fail to exceed the Intimidate DC by 20, you apply the shaken condition on top of the active cowering or panicked conditions.
If you hit them again and you do exceed the DC by 20, they get another save. Cowering doesn't apply a penalty to their saves, but panicked would mean they have a -2 on their saving throw. There's nothing otherwise in the Intimidate skill unlock rules that says they don't get a save if they've failed once before.
If they fail their save, apply the specific stacking rule for demoralize. Extend the duration of the cowering or panicked condition by 1 round or 1d4 rounds.
Don't extend the frightened condition, as this specifically says it cannot exceed 1 round plus 1 round per +5. If your Intimidate check beat the DC by +25 instead of +20, you'd use the new duration instead of the old one, though.
By my reading, this is a stacking question.
So, the specific stacking rule for demoralize says it extends the duration.
The specific rule for the Intimidate skill unlock says the total duration cannot exceed 1 round plus 1 round per +5 for astrisked abilities.
Thus, your first +20 DC success you've got cowering for 1 round or panicked for 1d4 rounds (not asterisked) and frightened for 1 round plus 1 round per +5 (asterisked).
If you hit them again and fail to exceed the Intimidate DC by 20, you apply the shaken condition on top of the active cowering or panicked conditions.
If you hit them again and you do exceed the DC by 20, they get another save. Cowering doesn't apply a penalty to their saves, but panicked would mean they have a -2 on their saving throw. There's nothing otherwise in the Intimidate skill unlock rules that says they don't get a save if they've failed once before.
If they fail their save, apply the specific stacking rule for demoralize. Extend the duration of the cowering or panicked condition by 1 round or 1d4 rounds.
Don't extend the frightened condition, as this specifically says it cannot exceed 1 round plus 1 round per +5. If your Intimidate check beat the DC by +25 instead of +20, you'd use the new duration instead of the old one, though.
It states that the TOTAL duration cannot exceed x rounds, which applies to cowering/panicked as well, not just frightened. The asterisk refers to the entire effect of failing the save. Also, I failed to quote the text about what happens if you dont beat it by 20, sorry. If you fail to do that but still beat it by ten, opponent must save or be panicked for 1 round (or frightened 1d4 rounds) and shaken thereafter (total duration not exceeding normal intimidate duration. Passing save means just shaken condition).
I am confused why you said that, if skill unlock didn't apply the second time (creature is just shaken because it passed save or you didnt beat dc by ten), then the shaken condition would overlap with the skill unlock effect. Would it not just "extend the duration" as per intimidate rules? I admit the skill unlock might alter the extend rule, (see option D above) but I can't think of why it would.
I didn't notice that the "this effect cannot exceed x rounds" text might mean that you can't add more rounds to the effect with another demoralize. (No option C). That felt like a stretch to me as well, especially since they had to make a save to avoid the effect that you would be extending effortlessly, and skill unlock states that they must make a save whenever you demoralize.
I am feeling now that it is probably option B, and am going to make a case, but please correct any logical errors I make.
"Using demoralize on the same creature only extends the duration" means you add the durations together, rather than replacing the first effect with the second or overlapping the two effects. While replacing/overlapping would still "extend the duration" if you rolled a high intimidate check the second time you demoralized, in most cases it would not extend the duration. Since it would not always extend, adding the durations seems to be the most logical meaning.
"Demoralizing the same creature only extends the duration" is not optional, and skill unlock doesnt seem like it must trump this rule for any reason, so I don't think option D is correct.
Skill unlock states that whenever you demoralize and beat DC by 10 or 20, (this most likely means even when you are demoralizing to extend duration), apply an effect based off of pass/fail of save. "Extend duration" doesnt seem like it must trump this, so option C is out.
Now we must choose between A and B. Say an effect altered the effect of intimidate to 1 round dazed, then 1 round dazzled. If you "extended the duration" with a second demoralize, it would most likely be 1 dazed, 1 dazzled, 1 dazed, 1 dazzled (rather than 2 dazed, then 2 dazzled, or 2 dazzled then 2 dazed). Feels like a stretch to say that "extend the duration" means you can rearrange ordered round effects. The same applies to this situation, so option A seems less likely than option B.
For anyone making an unchained rogue or demoralize build and considering skill unlock for intimidate, know that a GM may also interpret it this way, which means using it more than once on an opponent will not be worthwhile.
