15.7 Intimidate

Intimidate is much more effective when a character is obviously significantly more powerful than whoever they are trying to intimidate. It’s reasonable for obviously powerful characters to bully cowardly creatures without making Intimidate checks. Of course, there are many kinds of power, so don’t just think of this skill as being based on level, physical might, or overt threats. Players should be able to use a stone-cold stare (Willpower), enduring pain or injury without reacting (Constitution), or similar creative approaches for their intimidation attempts.

Sometimes, it might be reasonable to require additional skill checks for specific intimidation approaches. If you do require extra skills, you should reward success with a bonus on the Intimidate check. It’s narratively appropriate, since the character successfully demonstrated superiority in the relevant area. In addition, requiring extra skills obviously makes the intimidation attempt harder. If you don’t provide a corresponding benefit, your players might realize that their odds of success are better if they just vaguely say “I intimidate them” without getting too specific.

Although it’s reasonable to give large bonuses for obviously powerful characters, you shouldn’t give large penalties to apparently weak characters. Part of the skill of intimidation is playing a weak hand well, and having an intimidating presence even when you are at an apparent disadvantage. Many stories have been told about characters who have a dangerous presence and inspire fear no matter how bad their situation might seem. In some cases, being intimidating despite an obvious disadvantage might be easier if a character can also make a Deception check, but that isn’t strictly necessary.