Intimidation using Strength (again)

The thought runs that a big, strong guy is scary, and so should be able to use his Strength modifier, rather than Charisma, on Intimidate checks. There are two reasons why this shouldn't be permitted, one mechanical, and the other in-game. (Yes, I've ranted about this before. But it pisses me off so much that I'm going to do it again.)

Mechanically, Charisma is the weakest of the stats, and Strength the most powerful (rivalled by Dexterity). Anything that detracts from Charisma to the benefit of Strength is bad, and it screws over those PCs who took a high value in Charisma.

In-game, it must be considered that the high-Strength, low-Charisma guy (hereafter referred to as the Brick) is big, but he simply has no physical presence. People, when the notice him at all, are repulsed by him, or disregard him, or otherwise take the opposite impression from the one he intends. His attempts to be menacing are shrugged off, or laughed at, or they simply cause his opponent to focus, rather than weaken. In the reality of the game, this is a fact, not a matter of interpretation. Strength represents how much the character can lift, what he can break, and how hard he can hit. Charisma represents his ability to impose his personality on others. Strength without Charisma just makes the character a blob of muscle, with all the ability to intimidate of Barney the purple dinosaur.

By contrast, the guy who's low-Strength but high-Charisma probably doesn't look like much, but he's just plain creepy. You mess with him, you better kill him. 'cos otherwise, he's going to get his revenge, and it'll be poetic. Hell, he's probably so scary that the grave won't keep him :-)

But a high-Strength character should be especially big, and menacing...

Well, firstly high Strength doesn't necessarily make you big (evidence: Spiderman). Secondly, being big doesn't necessarily make you menacing (evidence: the morbidly obese).

Characters who are both big and menacing, such as Arnie as Conan, or the Rock as the Scorpion King, are that way because they have both high Strength and high Charisma (honest!).

But my character concept is of an especially menacing guy...

Fine. You took lots of ranks in Intimidate? The Persuasive and Skill Focus(intimidate) feats? Then you're fine. If not, your character concept is not of an especially menacing guy, it's of a guy who thinks he's especially menacing, but really isn't.

I'll flex in front of the tied up prisoner, demonstrating how buff I am, and how I'm going to mess him up...

Fair enough. That's good for a +2 circumstance bonus. Of course, the tiny high-Charisma guy is there idly toying with that slim stiletto in front of the tied up prisoner, so he gets a bonus too...

I'll show off my immense skill with my weapon. That'll make him think...

You've seen Raiders of the Lost Ark, right? The scene with the guy with the scimitar? You know, swing, swing, swing... bang!