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I was considering taking the dazzling display feat, but I am not exactly sure how it works. It looks like for a full round action, I can demoralize my foes. But, when I look up the intimidate skill, demoralizing is a standard action. I think I am missing something here! It looks like a great feat, but the skill almost seems better! Any help would be great! Thanks for a great show.

Armais

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Follow up question! Are there any opponents that Intimidate doesn't work on? My DM is thinking that Undead, Elementals, oozes might not be intimidated by my awesomeness (or anything at all...). Thanks in advance

Armais

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In order to be intimidated, a creature must have an intellect of some kind.

While many animals might not be subject to most forms of intimidation, some might depending on what you do. Words alone are not going to intimidate a creature that can't speak a language, let alone understand your particular language. That doesn't mean that volume, tone and body language cannot be understood Nor does it mean that threatening somebody with fire or some other overtly hostile act could not serve as an act of intimidation towards a creature of animal or alien intellect. That said, I think the Intimidation skill as reflected in the PFRPG is primarily about using actual language and body language to achieve an intimidating and demoralizing effect.

I think it is a very different matter when we are discussing the Barbarian Rage ability Intimidating Glare, or Dazzling Display and Terrifying Howl). That particular variant of intimidation is all about body language and the promise of imminent physical injury and death (later, sound of imminent death). Personally, I would let that work on an animal and most other intelligent life-forms in the sense is has a mind - mammals, yes, imo. Birds, reptiles, and Fish? Depends on the situation -- but probably not. None of these animal types are particularly intelligent and may simply fail to grasp the meaning of what it sees and hears from Dazzling Display. Mollusks, insects and lower life forms are just like an ooze, imo. By intelligent, I don't mean only "language use" -- but something that at least has an int score. Int 2 should be enough to be affected by intimidating glare, for example. I would let Terrifying Howl work on any creature with the ability to sense sound, that can be affected by a mind-affecting spell. You might not be able to Dazzling Display a snake -- but Terrifying Howl? Yes. (If it is already shaken).

Oozes I can well see as not being possible to intimidate. They are mindless. Elementals, otoh, are not stupid and many can understand a humanoid. So that's play it by ear, depending on the elemental type in question.

I can see both sides of the argument concerning undead and intimidation. In the end though, this is not a mind-affecting spell. You are not trying to magically charm them -- you are trying to make it clear that you are about to utterly Kick Their Undead Ass and destroy them. If there is some air of reality to those sorts of threats, there is no reason they might not be able to be intimidated by those threats, too. I wouldn't let the Terrifying Howl ability work on the Undead - but Intimidating Glare? Maybe. It's not magical fear -- it's rational trepidation.

A ghost might laugh at a Dazzling Display or Intimidating Glare from someone NOT armed with an obviously magical weapon. There has to be a rational possibility of injury and destruction from those who purport to threaten it.

Again, depends on the undead. Mindless zombies? No. A ghoul with a brain? That's a different story, imo, and the answer may well be "Yes". At least, that's my take on it.

YMMV.

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.Robert

Along these lines Dazzling Display -> Gory Finish -> Hero's Display gives you LOTS of opportunities to pop off an Intimidation check.

Does Hero's Display let you Demoralize even if you aren't using Performance mechanics?

I just made an Inquisitor 6/Fighter 1 character in Hero Lab thats got a ludicrous Intimidate: Using Intimidating Prowess, Brute Trait, 20 Str, 16 Chr, half-Orc = +27 to Intimidate. Im sure you could pump it up even more with Skill Focus or some other feats. Im hoping to get a chance to play them soon, should have some really fun synergy with the right party.

In sheer rules mechanics, I believe intimidation is a mind effecting fear effect. Thus if the target is immune to either of those effects, then it will automatically fail. Otherwise, you can pull off an intimidate on the creature. Even animals can be scared off by enough loud noises (See dealing with black bears 101).

The dazzling display feat is a full round action because it targets everyone in 30 ft. That said, since you can no longer drop people to frightened via intimidate (*shakes fist* IT WAS NOT THAT BAD PAIZO) it has become a feat that basically makes you look like that guy who Dr. Jones shoots in Cairo, because you lose an action for such a minor effect. The feat is like great cleave, in that it takes something you can already do and then makes it better in a situation that either never happens or in which it is a poor choice of action.