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Society character, Half-Orc (yes, I have a boon)
Starting at lvl 3 due to credits
Envoy lvl 3, Dragonblood theme (at lvl 6** this theme extent shaken condition for 1 more round)
**DRAGON MIEN (6TH)
You can harness the terrifying reputation of dragons to strike fear into the hearts of those you oppose.
You’ve read or seen so much of dragons’ tactics that you can mimic them with surprising accuracy and
effectiveness. When you successfully use Intimidate to bully a creature, its change in attitude lasts for an
additional 10 minutes. When you successfully use Intimidate to demoralize an opponent, it is shaken for 1 additional round.
Str 11, dex 16, con 10, int 10, wis 10, cha 18(w/ personal enhancer)
He will focus on intimidation, so at lvl 3 he has +16 intimidation {+2 voice amplifier (from AA), +2 racial and +2 skill synergy (I’ll explain this feat and yes, I know insight bonuses don’t stack)}
Skill Expertise: intimidation
Expertise Talent: Rattling Presence (Ex; Intimidate)
When you attempt an Intimidate check to demoralize an opponent, you can forgo rolling your expertise die to automatically increase the duration of the shaken condition by 1 round on a successful check. At 9th level, you instead increase the duration by 2 rounds on a success when using this talent. (this shows why I use skill synergy since I plan to forgo my expertise die with intimidation, I don’t take skill focus because I want a +2 on bluff as well)
So in theory when he succeeds at intimidating someone at lvl 6 the effect will last 2 rounds longer due to theme and rattling presence
Option 1:
Take Clever Faint improvisation (with the idea of taking the improve version at lvl 4)(this is why I need the +2 to bluff)
Take Get Em’ (with the idea of taking the improve version at lvl 6 (even if I still use it as a move action the +2 would apply)
Round 1 for this one would be (depending on enemy and encounter type) use the intimidation skill normally DC 15 + 1-1/2 × the opponent’s CR (this would more than likely last for at least 2 rounds (3 at lvl 6)) follow by Get Em.
So a +3 (+4 at lvl 6) to hit the enemy (plus all the shaken goodness)
Round 2 Get Em’, Clever faint (improve version at lvl 4 lets me shot as well) bluff skill normally DC 15 + 1-1/2 × the opponent’s CR.
So a +5 (+6 at lvl 6) to hit the enemy (plus all the shaken goodness)
Round 3 would be like round 2
Pro: +5 (+6 at lvl 6) to hit the enemy (plus all the shaken goodness)
Con: The problem with this option is the demoralize with intimidation needs to be done at 30ft, this should be ok if I have a tank but if it happends to be too far away then Clever Faint and Get Em can be used at 60ft.
Option 2:
Take Dispiriting Taunt improvisation (with the idea of taking the improve version at lvl 4)(I think that the theme and rattling presence would still apply here)
Take Get Em’ (with the idea of taking the improve version at lvl 6 (even if I still use it as a move action the +2 would apply)
Round 1 for this one would be (depending on enemy and encounter type) Dispiriting Taunt as a standard (as a move at lvl 4) if theme and rattling presence apply this would last 2 rounds (3 at lvl 6) follow by Get Em.
So a +3 (+4 at lvl 6) to hit the enemy (plus all the shaken goodness) [or +1 (+2 at lvl 6) to hit the enemy if Taunt fail, although enemy will still be off target]
Round 2 Get Em’ follow by attack (Shaken condition should still be around), ( at lvl 6 improve Get Em’ would let me move around as needed)
So to hit same as previous
Round 3 would be like round 1 or 2
Pro: I can do this at 60ft
Con: the to hit is lower than option 1
So thoughts or recommendations?
Also I like to know if Dispiriting Taunt would benefit from Rattling Presence and Dragon Mien
I'm actually playing an Intimidate Envoy myself. Human with the 18 Cha flat at level 1 at the moment.
Dispiriting Taunt dies not work with Rattling Presence or Dragon Mein. You'll find it under Dispiriting Taunt itself that it isn't a demoralize check so bonuses that apply to an Intimidate demoralize don't work with it.
However, I went with Dispiriting Taunt for the Improved Range, and for level 8 (I'm intending to take the Skyfire Centurion archtype for the bonuses to captain encouraging and the various bonded ally benefits it offers) I'm taking Quick Dispiriting Taunt due to making it a move action, which to me was worth more than an additional round, or mass intimidating once.
My feats were Skill Focus: Intimidate for the same reason, whenever I forgo the die, the +3 can still apply, plus there's the roll expertise die twice once per day and take the better result at level 9. My other Human feat was Veiled Threat so whenever I intimidate to bully, at the end they go to neutral instead of hostile to me. My level 1 intimidate is 11-14 depending on the d6 roll.
Get 'Em will be my post-taunt improvisation, however I found more use early with Universal Expression for level 2, so that I can Dispiriting Taunt even if the target doesn't speak my language. So the just have to be able to see/hear me and be not immune to mind-effecting abilities.
Your build is definitely good. No big issues with it, and it'll get more out of regular demoralize. I'd recommend the Skill Focus over Skill Synergy for more utility, higher bonus and the double roll, choose better at later levels. However much like my build wants Skill Focus: Diplomacy later for the boost etc, perhaps you wanted a second skill at +2 early rather than using 2 feats for +3s. Or one of the 4 non-class skills to be class skills. I personally prefer Dispiriting Taunt, due to the range being pretty much crucial in most of our combats so far, and later, when I can draw a weapon as part of a move and Dispiriting Taunt can be a move I'll pretty much triple my setup time and have a lot of actions to throw around each round. Additionally, while Dispiriting Taunt doesn't work with demoralize boosts, it does work with the improvisation that doubles range, as well as mentioned above, the one that removes language dependency, which demoralize does not benefit from.
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I'm actually playing an Intimidate Envoy myself. Human with the 18 Cha flat at level 1 at the moment.
Dispiriting Taunt dies not work with Rattling Presence or Dragon Mein. You'll find it under Dispiriting Taunt itself that it isn't a demoralize check so bonuses that apply to an Intimidate demoralize don't work with it.
However, I went with Dispiriting Taunt for the Improved Range, and for level 8 (I'm intending to take the Skyfire Centurion archtype for the bonuses to captain encouraging and the various bonded ally benefits it offers) I'm taking Quick Dispiriting Taunt due to making it a move action, which to me was worth more than an additional round, or mass intimidating once.
My feats were Skill Focus: Intimidate for the same reason, whenever I forgo the die, the +3 can still apply, plus there's the roll expertise die twice once per day and take the better result at level 9. My other Human feat was Veiled Threat so whenever I intimidate to bully, at the end they go to neutral instead of hostile to me. My level 1 intimidate is 11-14 depending on the d6 roll.
Get 'Em will be my post-taunt improvisation, however I found more use early with Universal Expression for level 2, so that I can Dispiriting Taunt even if the target doesn't speak my language. So the just have to be able to see/hear me and be not immune to mind-effecting abilities.
Your build is definitely good. No big issues with it, and it'll get more out of regular demoralize. I'd recommend the Skill Focus over Skill Synergy for more utility, higher bonus and the double roll, choose better at later levels. However much like my build wants Skill Focus: Diplomacy later for the boost etc, perhaps you wanted a second skill at +2 early rather than using 2 feats for +3s. Or one of the 4 non-class skills to be class skills. I personally prefer Dispiriting Taunt, due to the range being pretty much crucial in most of our combats so far, and later, when I can draw a weapon as part of a move and Dispiriting Taunt can be a move I'll pretty much...
Thanks I miss the fact that it is spelled out that rattling presence does not apply, but this kind of pushes me more toward option 1. Got more to think about
If you're going for Intimidate/Bluff you can look into the Antagonize feat and Not in the Face! With a Move and a Standard action, you can make someone Off-Target if they don't attack you, and they have a -4 to attack you. In a ranged situation, you could also combine that with a Swift action to drop prone to make it even harder for them to attack. I find that this is a superior combo than Not in the Face!/Draw Fire, as it costs no Resolve and replaces an improvisation with a feat.
Either way you could Unfriendly Fire, though.
Thanks I miss the fact that it is spelled out that rattling presence does not apply, but this kind of pushes me more toward option 1. Got more to think about
No prob. Like I said, both options are good. Mine, it was more important to me to have the range, and as Captain of my team's vessel a lot of my talents are going to be Additional Skill, since by level 6 I need Diplomacy, Intimidate, Computers, Engineering and Piloting basically all at max to score the Captain DCs, so by the time I've got the free talents to take things like Rattling, it's more beneficial to have Dispiriting because if I fail, they're still off-target, or I can spend 1 resolve for the full shaken if I really need them to have the other penalties.
But, that's my build. When I do get within the 30ft it's normally going to be to get into melee combat, at which point I have the standard action to full demoralize and potentially get a few rounds of it, or I can still Dispiriting as a move and punch them in the face.
The alternative with Rattling is guaranteed 2-3 (or 3-4 with your build) rounds at the cost of being a standard action, which is definitely valuable. Doing it once and then descending on a person. You'd also have the benefit of being able to full attack while they're still shaken. Downside, lower range, and no off-target safety net, so it is the more risky against opposing intimidate (since the target DC is the target's Intimidate bonus + 10 or 15 + (1.5 × CR)) but with triple the payoff guaranteed.
As said, the only real change I'd go with would be Skill Focus over Skill Synergy, but I don't know if you really needed the 2 +2s or the extra class skill. And I'd invest in Veiled Threat eventually just to make your out of combat bullying less detrimental.