Question about fear and intimidate

[TamurtheLame]

I checked the forum via search to see if there was anything specific about this topic, and I didn't find a definitive answer and not sure if there is one.

I have a question when it comes to rolls and RP if you are fearless. What I mean is like the Paladin ability to be fearless or the Good cleric domain. The character basically knows no fear, fear spells and such do not effect him, and even his calm and fearless powers granted by his God provide his buddies around him with saves towards fear.

That said, if someone tries to initimidate a character such as I decribe above, can he really be intimidated, because the primary motivation to be intimidated is fear - ala the bully instilling fear in you and getting your lunch money.

How is this handled in game?

[Xeesheava]

Automatic Fail (IMO)

[Phantom Lamb]

It depends on the intent, I think. If you are trying to make them afraid, then yes, fail.

However, you could also use intimidate to make yourself appear bigger and more threatening, like a blowfish. You could use it to throw off their assessment of your strength.

[Iso]

Something that might not be scary may also appeal to better judgment, even if a Paladin. If someone's telling about a big massive horde of Orcs through Intimidation that is gonna come do nasty things to a village if the Paladin doesn't do such and such, while he may not be afraid of facing the horde, he may be horrified at the thought of innocents getting slaughtered if he doesn't do something to stop it.

You could consider that a different kind of intimidation, one where there's threat for someone else's well being rather than the fearless Paladin, even if it's not specifically implied others will get hurt during the Intimidation attempt. After all, if a Paladin shows down with an evil mage in a populated marketplace, all it takes is one fireball to wipe out half the town. The same consideration would apply to a Cleric with the Good Domain.

[Kaeldorn]

That's more of a bluff check though, isn't it? Or diplomacy in case it isn't a lie. The SRD states: "A character immune to fear can’t be intimidated, nor can nonintelligent creatures."

[TamurtheLame]

I think Kaeldorn answered my questions; however, I do believe what ISO said has some merit. The paladin or cleric would not be afraid or intimidated; however, they may not stand up or cause a confrontation because of the possible innocent lives lost.

Bottom line though, they would not be intimidated.

[Zemlock]

I agree with phantom lamb.

[Azulfae]

Paladin's are religious zealots, holy knights, saviours of the people in the name of their god.

They fear nothing that will affect them, death, mutilation, the horror of being torn apart or destroyed in the most terrible of ways because they live for one purpose and that is to die for their cause. There can be no greater achievement. A paladin is so furiously devout to achieving the ideals of his god that selfish fears have no affect. To feal such a fear means they are doing the right thing and thus they become even more stubborn in their actions.

OK maybe I'm talking an extreme here but you get the point.

Therefore intimidating a paladin when he is trying to do his duty is just not gonna scratch the surface.

Perhaps though if it's a case of having 20 people prisoner and saying, drop your weapon or I kill them all this instant. The paladin might consider that this is an actuality and there is no way he can get away with not doing what he is being intimidated onto doing. So therefore he might just have to do it.

This is not fear so much but common sense. Intimidation of paladin is going to have to be intelligence or wisdom based and not charisma based though in my opinion.

[Phantom Lamb]

In every campaign I've been in, players come up with creative ways to use skills. I wouldn't mind if a player used this to blowfish themselves up. Being immune to fear doesn't mean you can assess a threat any better or worse than someone else.