Chances are both can be relatively effective against a party for a decent while. The bad guys will level with the party, and are full PC classes with feats and traits. These bad guys are not, however, the main antagonists of the campaign, but will be common enough to always provide memorable encounters.
So, my questions are:
Which trick stays relevant longer against PC's?
And which makes for more memorable, not loathsome, encounters?
I'm thinking tripping the party over and over would get old very fast, and intimidation would be more fun to role play, but I would appreciate some feedback?
Pretty much Dirty Fighting/Improved and Greater Trip VS. Power Attack/Cornugon Smash/Hurtful, both would be using a Bardiche.
Intimidation if the party has no paladin or other character immune to fear
Intimidation is incredibly terrifying to the party if you take 1 level in thug rogue and can reliable hit +15 above the party DC for intimidate as it will automatically cause them to be frightened. Which causes them to run away.
Which can drastically change the tide of battle by reducing the number of PCs vs the NPC.
Intimidation is not necessarily the focal point of the build, just a trick to lower saves against spells, which they will be casting via Still Spell, since they will all have 2H weapons. Kind of like the dragon shouts in Skyrim.
I don't need trip for movement control, either, as they all have Web as a spell like ability 1/day.
They are all going to be Kyton-Spawn Tieflings, kind of a Knights Templar of the Church of Catastrophe (upcoming religion based on the worship of Zon Kuthon).
I will post more about them once I get it all on paper.
These are going to be NPC's in a gestalt campaign, so they too will be gestalt.
Kyton-Spawn Tiefling
+2 CON +2 CHA -2 WIS
+2 Intimidate +2 Escape Artist
Web 1/day spell-like ability
Big Arms
Dragonheir Scion Fighter/Crossblooded Sorcerer Gestalt
1. Eldritch Strike Ex.
1. Corrupting Touch (Infernal Bloodline)
1. EWP: Estoc
2. Fearful Might Ex.
2. Power Attack
3. Draconic Defense Su.
3. Infernal Resistance Ex.
3. Hurtful
4. Draconic Strike Su.
5. Martial Dominance
6. Draconic Presence Su.
Eldritch Knight Prestige Class
That's what I have so far. Using size large Estoc in both hands. Mainly focusing on getting all the intimidation stuff as early as possible, probably taking Cornugon Smash at level 7, then all the spell stuff as they advance.
Crossblooded and Dragonheir Scion are for access to Dragon Disciple Prestige Class after finishing Eldritch Knight. So levels 16-20, just enough for all the STR bonuses.
They aren't going to be the main antagonists in this game, but should be feared when encountered. And there will be at least one such knight in every church, so they can be found with some frequency.
Any opinions on feats during Eldritch Knight? Still Spell for the Dragon Shout type thing from Skyrim, and both hands are occupied. But other than that I was just thinking lots of Metamagic feats.
But they will be Black Dragon bloodlines on the dragon side of things, giving acid resistance which is the one thing Tieflings don't have already. They can apply their damage type to arcane strike's. Get intimidate checks after criticals and have Dazzling Display as a standard action. With Hurtful giving an extra attack on successful intimidation checks. Cornugon Smash at level 7 gives intimidate checks after Power Attack, pretty much completing that part of the build.