First off I would like to apologize for any stupid questions, I am new to D&D
1. In a social scenario can I declare to the DM that I would like to intimidate someone and make an intimidation roll OR can I only make an intimation roll when the DM says I can?
2. In a combat scenario, can I intimidate someone as a bonus action?
3. I am currently playing a Halfling that is 4ft tall. I read somewhere that you get a -4 against anything who are taller than you that you are trying to intimidate. Is this true? I can't seem to find it in the rule book.
4. I'm using D&D Beyond and there is a green dot on my Intimidation. I understand this means I am proficient at Intimidation. What exactly does this entail game play wise? Do I get to re-roll the dice or always have advantage on intimidation?
First off I would like to apologize for any stupid questions, I am new to D&D
1. In a social scenario can I declare to the DM that I would like to intimidate someone and make an intimidation roll OR can I only make an intimation roll when the DM says I can?
Both. The DM decides if and when an ability check or skill is called for, but you're welcome to suggest that you'd like to attempt to intimidate someone.
2. In a combat scenario, can I intimidate someone as a bonus action?
You can't take a bonus action unless a rule or game feature allows you to. Off the top of my head, I can't think of any that allow this. You're welcome to suggest to the DM that you want to intimidate someone you're fighting. They might allow it for free (no action required), they might allow you to spend your action on it, or they might decide you need to take some other action that's intimidating (like knocking one of the enemy's allies unconscious). It's up to the DM.
3. I am currently playing a Halfling that is 4ft tall. I read somewhere that you get a -4 against anything who are taller than you that you are trying to intimidate. Is this true? I can't seem to find it in the rule book.
That's not a rule.
4. I'm using D&D Beyond and there is a green dot on my Intimidation. I understand this means I am proficient at Intimidation. What exactly does this entail game play wise? Do I get to re-roll the dice or always have advantage on intimidation?
It simply means you get to add your Proficiency Bonus when you make an ability check that uses the Intimidation skill. If you weren't proficient, you'd only add your ability modifier.
1. In a social scenario can I declare to the DM that I would like to intimidate someone
Short answer... no.
Tell your GM what your character is doing (method) and why (goal). Your GM will ask for a skill roll, if required.
Player: My character roars at the guard, "Let us in or I will rip your arms off and feed them to stray dogs!" (In other words, the goal is to enter the town gates and the method is threatening to hurt the guard.) GM: Sounds like Intimidation to me, please roll STR + Intimidation. Player: *rolls* 17. GM: The guard goes pale and quickly opens the gate.
1. In a social scenario can I declare to the DM that I would like to intimidate someone
Short answer... no.
Tell your GM what your character is doing (method) and why (goal). Your GM will ask for a skill roll, if required.
Player: My character roars at the guard, "Let us in or I will rip your arms off and feed them to stray dogs!" (In other words, the goal is to enter the town gates and the method is threatening to hurt the guard.) GM: Sounds like Intimidation to me, please roll STR + Intimidation. Player: *rolls* 17. GM: The guard goes pale and quickly opens the gate.
Out of curiosity--Is GM asking for a STR + Intimidation check a personal house rule? Otherwise, wouldn't this be a standard Charisma (intimidation) check?
1. In a social scenario can I declare to the DM that I would like to intimidate someone
Short answer... no.
Tell your GM what your character is doing (method) and why (goal). Your GM will ask for a skill roll, if required.
Player: My character roars at the guard, "Let us in or I will rip your arms off and feed them to stray dogs!" (In other words, the goal is to enter the town gates and the method is threatening to hurt the guard.) GM: Sounds like Intimidation to me, please roll STR + Intimidation. Player: *rolls* 17. GM: The guard goes pale and quickly opens the gate.
Out of curiosity--Is GM asking for a STR + Intimidation check a personal house rule? Otherwise, wouldn't this be a standard Charisma (intimidation) check?
I believe it is a houserule to accommodate for the "flaw" in D&D of having a hulking thing (i.e. an Orc or Barbarian) with low charisma basically unable to intimidate anyone, even though they are imposing and scary.
I do not genuinely remember if there is any variant rule in any manual that suggests doing this, but it's a good way to go about it, imho.
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Born in Italy, moved a bunch, living in Spain, my heart always belonged to Roleplaying Games
First off I would like to apologize for any stupid questions, I am new to D&D
1. In a social scenario can I declare to the DM that I would like to intimidate someone and make an intimidation roll OR can I only make an intimation roll when the DM says I can?
Welcome to D&D! There's no such thing as stupid questions. Despite the earlier replies InquisitiveCoder hit this one on the head. You can GLADLY declare that you would like your character to try to intimidate someone, and look for assistance from the DM regarding how exactly that is performed. Just like you don't need to say "I take out my thieves tools, take a serrated rake and hook, attempt to rake open the tumblers, then if that fails use the hook to lift the pins, using my tensioning tool to establish false sets until the lock pops open", you can just say "I attempt to pick the lock". You as a player don't need to know the details of how that would be accomplished. Your character knows how. That's why they have proficiency in this, while you do not. If you have an idea as to the specifics of what you want to do, that's always great too! A good DM may even describe the specifics for you when you tell them what you want to accomplish, giving you ideas for the future. Regardless, saying to the DM "I want to try to intimidate the guard" is totally valid, and an even half decent DM won't require you to spell out the specific mechanics of how you intend to accomplish it any more than they would how you want to climb a wall, pick a lock, or disarm a poison dart trap, to let you roll and give you a shot at success.
Similarly, if you tell the DM that you do something or say something which would warrant a roll, it will be asked for. When you say "I leap from the balcony onto the chandelier", and the DM says "go ahead and give me an athletics check", that's an equivalent to a situation where if you were to say "I hold up my blade covered in the blood of his brother, and sneering into his face, shout at him 'you're next!'", the DM might say "go ahead and give me an intimidation check". It's not that you said that was your goal, it's that your actions or words were sufficiently intimidating in nature to where it might change the way the NPC responds, based on the result of the roll.
2. In a combat scenario, can I intimidate someone as a bonus action?
Yeah the short answer here is ask your DM. You can if they let you do so, you can't if they don't. No abilities any class presents gives that as a default option, but the whole point of the game is you tell the DM what you want to DO, they tell you what is required for you to achieve that goal. If you want to intimidate someone, climb a rope, use mage hand to secretly tie a rope which is secured to a cannon to an enemy's foot before using Bigby's hand to shove it off a ship, or whatever else (literally anything you can imagine), it is Your job to convey your Intent to your DM, and His (or her) job to tell you whether or not it's remotely possible, and what it requires to attempt to do so.
3. I am currently playing a Halfling that is 4ft tall. I read somewhere that you get a -4 against anything who are taller than you that you are trying to intimidate. Is this true? I can't seem to find it in the rule book.
The only place you would have read that is in something detailing homebrew rules. It's a rule if your DM says it is. It is logical that it would be more difficult to intimidate someone who is literally looking down on you, so if your DM feels that is justified in being a rule, it is, your DM has total control over what the rules of the game are and can modify them as they see fit. However if you can't find it anywhere, that's a problem. It's not in the PHB, for sure, and if your DM is using homebrew or houserules, you should know what those changes are. Ask for any homebrew or houserules in writing, just so you can reference it and have a good understanding of the rules under which you are playing the game. Understand too that the DM adjudicates specific situations or circumstances, so even if "-4 against anything taller than you" isn't a General rule, the DM could impose disadvantage or a penalty to a roll or whatever else to a Specific attempt to intimidate, for example, a Giant or equivalent beast. Rules questions are best asked to your DM in general, as anything said on these forums or elsewhere may not apply to your game, and that's totally normal and within the bounds of the rules, the DM has final say over everything.
4. I'm using D&D Beyond and there is a green dot on my Intimidation. I understand this means I am proficient at Intimidation. What exactly does this entail game play wise? Do I get to re-roll the dice or always have advantage on intimidation?
Once again thank you for your time and help!
:)
If you're using D&D beyond, note that any with the proficiency bonus are two higher than they would be just based on the ability modifier alone. That's from your proficiency bonus. Rest assured it's already baked into the number it shows there, and automatically updates as needed. Basically, you don't need to worry about that, so much as just the final check bonus.
Not only is it an official variant, it's one the game's designers encourage. I'm sure that's part of why the rules almost always use the term "Ability (Skill)" check instead of just "Skill" check, and why the ability abbreviations are printed grey in the official character sheet. In fact, Xanathar's Guide To Everything has an optional rule for tying knots that uses an Intelligence (Sleight of Hand) check to set the DC for untying or escaping the knot.
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First off I would like to apologize for any stupid questions, I am new to D&D
1. In a social scenario can I declare to the DM that I would like to intimidate someone and make an intimidation roll OR can I only make an intimation roll when the DM says I can?
2. In a combat scenario, can I intimidate someone as a bonus action?
3. I am currently playing a Halfling that is 4ft tall. I read somewhere that you get a -4 against anything who are taller than you that you are trying to intimidate. Is this true? I can't seem to find it in the rule book.
4. I'm using D&D Beyond and there is a green dot on my Intimidation. I understand this means I am proficient at Intimidation. What exactly does this entail game play wise? Do I get to re-roll the dice or always have advantage on intimidation?
Once again thank you for your time and help!
:)
Both. The DM decides if and when an ability check or skill is called for, but you're welcome to suggest that you'd like to attempt to intimidate someone.
You can't take a bonus action unless a rule or game feature allows you to. Off the top of my head, I can't think of any that allow this. You're welcome to suggest to the DM that you want to intimidate someone you're fighting. They might allow it for free (no action required), they might allow you to spend your action on it, or they might decide you need to take some other action that's intimidating (like knocking one of the enemy's allies unconscious). It's up to the DM.
That's not a rule.
It simply means you get to add your Proficiency Bonus when you make an ability check that uses the Intimidation skill. If you weren't proficient, you'd only add your ability modifier.
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Got it! Thank you very much InquisitiveCoder!
:)
GM: Sounds like Intimidation to me, please roll STR + Intimidation.
Player: *rolls* 17.
GM: The guard goes pale and quickly opens the gate.
Born in Italy, moved a bunch, living in Spain, my heart always belonged to Roleplaying Games
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Born in Italy, moved a bunch, living in Spain, my heart always belonged to Roleplaying Games
Welcome to D&D! There's no such thing as stupid questions. Despite the earlier replies InquisitiveCoder hit this one on the head. You can GLADLY declare that you would like your character to try to intimidate someone, and look for assistance from the DM regarding how exactly that is performed. Just like you don't need to say "I take out my thieves tools, take a serrated rake and hook, attempt to rake open the tumblers, then if that fails use the hook to lift the pins, using my tensioning tool to establish false sets until the lock pops open", you can just say "I attempt to pick the lock". You as a player don't need to know the details of how that would be accomplished. Your character knows how. That's why they have proficiency in this, while you do not. If you have an idea as to the specifics of what you want to do, that's always great too! A good DM may even describe the specifics for you when you tell them what you want to accomplish, giving you ideas for the future. Regardless, saying to the DM "I want to try to intimidate the guard" is totally valid, and an even half decent DM won't require you to spell out the specific mechanics of how you intend to accomplish it any more than they would how you want to climb a wall, pick a lock, or disarm a poison dart trap, to let you roll and give you a shot at success.
Similarly, if you tell the DM that you do something or say something which would warrant a roll, it will be asked for. When you say "I leap from the balcony onto the chandelier", and the DM says "go ahead and give me an athletics check", that's an equivalent to a situation where if you were to say "I hold up my blade covered in the blood of his brother, and sneering into his face, shout at him 'you're next!'", the DM might say "go ahead and give me an intimidation check". It's not that you said that was your goal, it's that your actions or words were sufficiently intimidating in nature to where it might change the way the NPC responds, based on the result of the roll.
Yeah the short answer here is ask your DM. You can if they let you do so, you can't if they don't. No abilities any class presents gives that as a default option, but the whole point of the game is you tell the DM what you want to DO, they tell you what is required for you to achieve that goal. If you want to intimidate someone, climb a rope, use mage hand to secretly tie a rope which is secured to a cannon to an enemy's foot before using Bigby's hand to shove it off a ship, or whatever else (literally anything you can imagine), it is Your job to convey your Intent to your DM, and His (or her) job to tell you whether or not it's remotely possible, and what it requires to attempt to do so.
The only place you would have read that is in something detailing homebrew rules. It's a rule if your DM says it is. It is logical that it would be more difficult to intimidate someone who is literally looking down on you, so if your DM feels that is justified in being a rule, it is, your DM has total control over what the rules of the game are and can modify them as they see fit. However if you can't find it anywhere, that's a problem. It's not in the PHB, for sure, and if your DM is using homebrew or houserules, you should know what those changes are. Ask for any homebrew or houserules in writing, just so you can reference it and have a good understanding of the rules under which you are playing the game. Understand too that the DM adjudicates specific situations or circumstances, so even if "-4 against anything taller than you" isn't a General rule, the DM could impose disadvantage or a penalty to a roll or whatever else to a Specific attempt to intimidate, for example, a Giant or equivalent beast. Rules questions are best asked to your DM in general, as anything said on these forums or elsewhere may not apply to your game, and that's totally normal and within the bounds of the rules, the DM has final say over everything.
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