Im a new player and only recently started playing d&d and I must say I wish I'd started sooner and I have a question (probably more in the future lol).
I have a dwarf rogue who I'd like to make into a arcane trickster and hopefully a professional dungeon raider. We have made our own world but closely follow the rules of the game.
Ive learnt that my dwarf is fairly good at intimidating people when I have to in the first two 'chapters' of our campaign. I'd like to think I'm chaotic good.
So my question is that if I was in combat about 20 feet away, not stealthd or anything they know I'm there, could I do a combined action of shouting/taunting/roaring at them (intimidation) to make them them roll a check while dashing into melee?
On your turn you can move and take one action. If you Move into combat you should also be able to attempt to intimidate your foes (Charisma check + Intimidation skill). Just be sure your DM knows that you are moving, not making a Dash Action. If you use the Dash Action, which allows you to move twice your move, you will not also be able to make the intimidation check.
Checking with your DM before you test it in battle is always a good idea.
Using your voice is not an Action. Talking is not an Action. They can be part of an Action, but they are not Actions themselves, they can happen at anytime unless your character is Silenced or something similar. It can be done with the Dash Action, it can be done with any Action. Though almost any DM is going to make you reroll, or automatically fail a Stealth Check if you attempt it during Hiding. Nor is using the Intimidation Skill an Action, rather it is something that you roll as part of a something you do, something you say, and/or something you know. As is true of every Skill in the Game.
When you Attack, when you Dash, when you Disengage, when you Dodge, when you Ready, when you Search, when you Use an Object, your character can say anything. If you use the Help Action your character should say something that fits with what your Helping with. If your Casting a Spell with a Verbal Component obviously your character is going to say the Verbal Component, though most DMs will allow you to add something else. Whenever you want you can tell the DM that your attempting to do something to Intimidate. If the DM thinks that it might Intimidate the Creature, they will make you roll an Intimidate Check, sometimes they'll have you roll when you weren't attempting.
Once again: The Intimidation Skill is not an Action.
The PHB covers this under "improvising an action", and one of the examples is intimidating enemies. It goes on to say that the DM lets you know if it's possible and if there are any rolls.
I would certainly require it to be done in place of the standard action. It's doing something that can give an advantage in combat depending on the dice roll. If you didn't require it to be an action, and just let an intimidate action happen for free, it would be done by every player, every enemy, every round in order to get the right roll that makes someone drop their weapon and run.
Sometimes you take a specific action to Intimidate, sometimes you don't. That specific Action is the Action, the Intimidate Roll is not. Yes the DM decides if they get an Intimidate Roll, but that Roll is not an Action, and not all Intimidate Rolls would cause an enemy to drop a weapon or do anything at all. There seems to be the misunderstanding that the Skill Roll, Action, and Result are all the same thing; they are not. Not every time a character "Improvises an Action" would cause an Intimidate Skill Check, not all attempts to Intimidate would require an Action, and the Intimidation Skill Check has no effects the DM doesn't decide it has at the moment. Creatures that are Intimidated do not drop their weapons, unless the DM says so. Creatures that are Intimidated do not run away, unless the DM says so. Intimidation does not do anything the DM doesn't want it to do. It is a Social Roll, and does not have a built in Combat result. If it would be overpowered to attempt to Intimidate every roll without an Action in every case, the fault is not the rules nor the players, it is the DM.
I think Dave pretty much hit the nail on the head with his answer. My wording was wrong initially guys apologies. I meant to say moving or running into melee since its only 20 feet away and dwarfs can go 25 and so I was hoping my character would have the energy to do both actions with the purpose of gaining advantage or something if I didn't have it.
Will check with DM.
Any suggestions as to cantrips for my character. Mage hand is obviously there but need some suggestions. Things like booming blade have jumped out at me but thunder clap sounds awesome if I want to Thor slap somebody!
Want to add that Slide is right, you can always yell loudly at the enemy, brandish your weapons, etc. If nothing else this allowed by the rules permitting flourishes as part of making your attack. If you do this and the DM feels it might intimidate the enemy he can call for you to make an intimidation check, even if you weren't taking the action to gain an intimidation check.
To clarify, if you are trying to intimidate and have something happen as a result I would consider that an Action. If somebody might be intimidated by something you do, but you are not doing it just to try to intimidate them I would not consider the intimidation an Action.
Good roleplaying is always worth doing, even when there is no mechanical effect.
My DM said the same thing Dave. Unless I frighten the target with a spell or something, which would take an action, it's not dropping it's weapon or running away.
Thanks guys.
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Hello everyone!
Im a new player and only recently started playing d&d and I must say I wish I'd started sooner and I have a question (probably more in the future lol).
I have a dwarf rogue who I'd like to make into a arcane trickster and hopefully a professional dungeon raider. We have made our own world but closely follow the rules of the game.
Ive learnt that my dwarf is fairly good at intimidating people when I have to in the first two 'chapters' of our campaign. I'd like to think I'm chaotic good.
So my question is that if I was in combat about 20 feet away, not stealthd or anything they know I'm there, could I do a combined action of shouting/taunting/roaring at them (intimidation) to make them them roll a check while dashing into melee?
Should I just check with DM?
On your turn you can move and take one action. If you Move into combat you should also be able to attempt to intimidate your foes (Charisma check + Intimidation skill). Just be sure your DM knows that you are moving, not making a Dash Action. If you use the Dash Action, which allows you to move twice your move, you will not also be able to make the intimidation check.
Checking with your DM before you test it in battle is always a good idea.
Using your voice is not an Action. Talking is not an Action. They can be part of an Action, but they are not Actions themselves, they can happen at anytime unless your character is Silenced or something similar. It can be done with the Dash Action, it can be done with any Action. Though almost any DM is going to make you reroll, or automatically fail a Stealth Check if you attempt it during Hiding. Nor is using the Intimidation Skill an Action, rather it is something that you roll as part of a something you do, something you say, and/or something you know. As is true of every Skill in the Game.
When you Attack, when you Dash, when you Disengage, when you Dodge, when you Ready, when you Search, when you Use an Object, your character can say anything. If you use the Help Action your character should say something that fits with what your Helping with. If your Casting a Spell with a Verbal Component obviously your character is going to say the Verbal Component, though most DMs will allow you to add something else. Whenever you want you can tell the DM that your attempting to do something to Intimidate. If the DM thinks that it might Intimidate the Creature, they will make you roll an Intimidate Check, sometimes they'll have you roll when you weren't attempting.
Once again: The Intimidation Skill is not an Action.
The PHB covers this under "improvising an action", and one of the examples is intimidating enemies. It goes on to say that the DM lets you know if it's possible and if there are any rolls.
I would certainly require it to be done in place of the standard action. It's doing something that can give an advantage in combat depending on the dice roll. If you didn't require it to be an action, and just let an intimidate action happen for free, it would be done by every player, every enemy, every round in order to get the right roll that makes someone drop their weapon and run.
Sometimes you take a specific action to Intimidate, sometimes you don't. That specific Action is the Action, the Intimidate Roll is not. Yes the DM decides if they get an Intimidate Roll, but that Roll is not an Action, and not all Intimidate Rolls would cause an enemy to drop a weapon or do anything at all. There seems to be the misunderstanding that the Skill Roll, Action, and Result are all the same thing; they are not. Not every time a character "Improvises an Action" would cause an Intimidate Skill Check, not all attempts to Intimidate would require an Action, and the Intimidation Skill Check has no effects the DM doesn't decide it has at the moment. Creatures that are Intimidated do not drop their weapons, unless the DM says so. Creatures that are Intimidated do not run away, unless the DM says so. Intimidation does not do anything the DM doesn't want it to do. It is a Social Roll, and does not have a built in Combat result. If it would be overpowered to attempt to Intimidate every roll without an Action in every case, the fault is not the rules nor the players, it is the DM.
Thank you all for the replies, much appreciated!
I think Dave pretty much hit the nail on the head with his answer. My wording was wrong initially guys apologies. I meant to say moving or running into melee since its only 20 feet away and dwarfs can go 25 and so I was hoping my character would have the energy to do both actions with the purpose of gaining advantage or something if I didn't have it.
Will check with DM.
Any suggestions as to cantrips for my character. Mage hand is obviously there but need some suggestions. Things like booming blade have jumped out at me but thunder clap sounds awesome if I want to Thor slap somebody!
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That's fine, I understand that.
That was not my intent of my post.
I apologize if I came off angry or accusatory.
I just want to make sure that the RP (Roleplay) remains in RPG.
Want to add that Slide is right, you can always yell loudly at the enemy, brandish your weapons, etc. If nothing else this allowed by the rules permitting flourishes as part of making your attack. If you do this and the DM feels it might intimidate the enemy he can call for you to make an intimidation check, even if you weren't taking the action to gain an intimidation check.
To clarify, if you are trying to intimidate and have something happen as a result I would consider that an Action. If somebody might be intimidated by something you do, but you are not doing it just to try to intimidate them I would not consider the intimidation an Action.
Good roleplaying is always worth doing, even when there is no mechanical effect.
My DM said the same thing Dave. Unless I frighten the target with a spell or something, which would take an action, it's not dropping it's weapon or running away.
Thanks guys.