rules Q: Intimidating Strike + Imperious Command

[jiriku]

So, Intimidating Strike lets you attack an opponent, and, on a hit, make an Intimidate check to render him shaken. However, "you cannot use this feat to worsen an opponent's fear condition beyond shaken." Clearly the RAI was that you could not stack this on an already-shaken foe nor use repeated Intimidating Strikes alone to send a foe fleeing.

Would Imperious Command's auto-cower effect override this restriction, since it is the Imperious Command feat imposing the higher-level fear effect, or would IC have no additional effect in this situation?

If you believe IC overrides the restriction, it would be helpful if you have a specific rules citation, as I'll need to get the combo approved by a fairly conservative DM.

[Doc_Maynot]

No, Intimidating Strike doesn't say it acts like the Demoralize Opponent usage of Intimidate, it brings in a similar but detached effect (Please someone correct me if I'm wrong on this). This means Imperious Command would not proc as you are not "demoralizing a foe in combat", but making them shaken via Intimidating Strike.

[heavyfuel]

I don't think this works because Imperious Command needs you to Demoralize the character, not make it shaken with an Intimidate check.

[jiriku]

Ah, sadness. Well, I won't need IC then.

[StreamOfTheSky]

There are only two uses of Intimidate listed in core.

One is angry man's diplomacy. Which does not make a target shaken.
The other is "demoralize opponent", which makes a target shaken.

Intimidating Strike is clearly the latter use, which means it should work with any other demoralizing effects.

As for the "worsen an opponent's fear condition beyond shaken" part of the feat, that might well stop it. I think the intent was to not advance it along the shaken-->frightened-->panicked track, but it is poorly and broadly worded. That said, Imperious Command's own text about being an add-on to the normal shaken effect might just as easily override it anyway. So...up to the DM.

[Biffoniacus_Furiou]

There are only two uses of Intimidate listed in core.

One is angry man's diplomacy. Which does not make a target shaken.
The other is "demoralize opponent", which makes a target shaken.

Intimidating Strike is clearly the latter use, which means it should work with any other demoralizing effects.

As for the "worsen an opponent's fear condition beyond shaken" part of the feat, that might well stop it. I think the intent was to not advance it along the shaken-->frightened-->panicked track, but it is poorly and broadly worded. That said, Imperious Command's own text about being an add-on to the normal shaken effect might just as easily override it anyway. So...up to the DM.

Not exactly.

Demoralize Opponent only makes them shaken for a single round, and is what Imperious Command modifies.

Intimidating Strike is its own ability, which happens to use an intimidate check, but it's not a function of the Intimidate skill. Compare it to the Knowledge Devotion feat, which uses a Knowledge check, but is not a function of the Knowledge skill.

[jiriku]

Yeah. And in this case, it's for an E6 game in which the DM is specifically aiming for a lower-power campaign so he doesn't need to spend as much time doing encounter design. I'd probably do better looking for other combos.

[Flickerdart]

There are only two uses of Intimidate listed in core.
I'm not sure why you think this is significant.

[Biffoniacus_Furiou]

Yeah. And in this case, it's for an E6 game in which the DM is specifically aiming for a lower-power campaign so he doesn't need to spend as much time doing encounter design. I'd probably do better looking for other combos.

It depends on how much you want to invest in fear.

For E6, a Desert Half-Orc (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/variant/races/environmentalRacialVariants.htm#desertHalfOrcs) using the Half-Humans and Humanlike Races variant from RoD p150 to be a Humanoid (Human) can get Dreadful Wrath (PGtF), which arguably only works on creatures whose HD are lower than his (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/specialAbilities.htm#frightfulPresence). Take Menacing Demeanor or say you visited the Otyugh Hole in CS to get that without spending a feat on it.

If you want full BAB take Half-Orc Paragon (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/variant/races/racialParagonClasses.htm#halfOrcParagon) 1/ Harmonious Knight Paladin (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/we/20060327a) 2/ whatever else 3, and trade Inspire Courage for Inspire Awe in Dragon Magic. Nymph's Kiss at 1st level is highly recommended.

If you're not worried about BAB (which you shouldn't be), go (Savage) Bard 6, trade Inspire Courage for Inspire Awe, and trade Suggestion for Haunting Melody in ECS. Get Martial Study: Devoted Spirit at 1st level, you won't get a maneuver with an initiator level of zero (rounded down) but you'll have Intimidate as a class skill.

In either case max out Intimidate, get Never Outnumbered in CS, Imperious Command, and get magic armor with the Fearsome property in DotU which is more recent than the MIC version and is unarguably available in E6. You can spend a move-action to demoralize everyone within 10 ft. with Never Outnumbered and make them cower with Imperious Command, use a swift-action spell that targets one or more opponents (Feather Fall) to activate Dreadful Wrath, and activate Inspire Awe as a standard action along with Haunting Melody if you have it all in the same round.

You should always move-action demoralize someone every round and standard-action attack or cast a spell or demoralize again, so you'll never be full attacking and you'll never notice if you don't have a +6 BAB. You should be able to get the E6 Bard capstone feat to increase your Inspire Awe range per the 8th level upgrade, if not then consider Half-Orc Paragon 1/ Bard 4/ Barbarian 1 with Intimidating Rage and Extra Rage instead. If you run into a lot of undead you can pick up Requiem in LM and your Inspire Awe and Haunting Melody will still affect them!

Obligatory Fear Handbook (http://brilliantgameologists.com/boards/index.php?topic=3809.0) link. Note the Rules Compendium's clarification that an escalated fear condition on a creature lasts until every effect that contributed to the escalated condition is no longer affecting the creature.