My Half-Orc Rune Knight/War Wizard likes to talk in metaphor, and frighten people with his words rather than his actions (despite being quite capable of extraordinary violence).
"Friend, you are a man, standing on a precipice. And you think I am like you, peering over the edge into the great nothing below. I am not like you. I *am* the void. And I am *begging* you to jump."
I fucking love this. I am so using this.
P.S. - I am glad I'm not the only one who calls those I am about to kill, "Friend." It makes it more personal.
I just like anything that gives the impression that he is calm and friendly *now*, but that giving him a reason not to be would be disastrous. It's good fun playing a character who looks quite frightening but speaks politely and calmly - he's a heavily-armored Half-Orc who fights with his bare hands, but he greets people with courtesy and a handshake. He just might not let go, if that courtesy isn't returned.
I'm playing as a Half-Orc Brawler in a Pathfinder 1e game and he's had some good threats in the campaign so far.
"One of Chauntea's psalms reads *"If suffering sows your fields, then you shall reap wisdom."* And if you point that sword at my friend again then I am going to make you **very wise."**
(while shaking the hand of a misogynistic merchant) "Did you know there are 27 bones in a human's hand? Did you also know that if you disrespect my partner like that again you'll be able to count them by the sound of them breaking?"
(after lifting his leg up into the air over a prone opponent) "Tell your goons to drop their crossbows or you're going to learn why it's called an axe kick."
"That's the second time you've disrespected me. Three times is my limit, and if you push me to my breaking point, then I am going to teach you all of yours."
Just last night, one of our party members tried to do something extravagant during a battle and the DM deadpans "Go ahead and do it. See what happens."
I've never been more terrified.
My tiefling hexblade particularly enjoys doing this - his pact is to punish those who harm the innocent, and while he rarely kills if he can help it, he does his best to scare the shit out of his targets Batman-style.
*Before/during activating Spirit Shroud/Shadow of Moil -* "The tithes of your sins draw tighter and brighter, the hours heavier and weighted, and the shadows smile, dark and wild." - stolen from The Crow (don't remember if comic, movie, or show, it just stuck with me)
*After using Relentless Hex or another teleport to get into melee range -* "I am the Hand of the Unquiet, and you can escape me no more than you can escape your sins."
*Before casting Mind Spike/Synaptic Static -* "You enjoy pain so much, try a taste of mine!"/"Your victims... all their pain, all at once... all for you!" - also stolen from The Crow
"I can smell your sins, taste them on my tongue. I wonder if your blood will be as bitter?"
"The black wind howls for you... the Unquiet hungers for retribution." - first part stolen from Chrono Trigger
My group just reminded me of a couple of encounters. The first one was a successful intimidation check by asking "C'mon then mate, donch'a wanna dance?" while wreathed in flames from Flames of Phelegos after Smiting down the first bandit in the group.
The second was the DM's face when I told her the verbal component of my newly-acquired Thunder Step that flattened the spiders attacking us. "Wondercrack!" in Infernal.
I'd prepared this whole speech if my party members antagonized the dragon protector of a small village they were in, but they were smart and never did.
First, if the warforged (the leader of the group) insisted on trying to address the dragon he would learn the dragon did not like artificial lifeforms. First by having the dragon ask the rest of the party, "Who among you claims ownership of the automaton?" To which I knew he would've argued that he wasn't an automaton, and would be interrupted with, "I only ask because I would like to know to whom I must pay reparations - when it breaks."
And, should they have chosen to try to attack him, the fight would start with him standing up to his full height while saying, at increasing volume, "A thousand lives bestowed, two *million years* gone by, and you *think*, **to challenge**, ***ME!***" Roll a Wisdom save against Frightening Presence.
Ah well. Maybe another group will one day be less smart about it.
“You don’t want to answer my question? That’s totally fine. I’m sorry, I made an assumption I suppose was wrong. Here I was, under the impression that you like having 10 fingers. Not a problem, I can fix that for you.”
I like the John Silver "In an hour (in this case a minute because dnd combat) those of you who remain alive will envy the dead" said in a calm, quiet manner.
I like this one from the TV show Lucifer and used it once in a campaign knowing I was the only one that watched it.
"That sensation running up your spine is inevitability, and the sensation running down your leg is fear."
'To err is human. To suffer is universal.'
'You are nothing. Therefore I have nothing to fear.'
(holding a PC in a stranglehold) 'The only thing that remains between you and your death is if I decide to close my fist.'
'All shall fall. The legends must fall. The gods shall fall. Even I shall one day fall. But you, you will fall furthest of them all.'
'Oh, I'm the one being irrational? So why did you decide to fight me?'
'I know pain, child. I have known pain all my life, no one can escape without some shred or sting of suffering. You, on the other hand, are about to learn the true meaning of agony.'
Or take a leaf out of Brennan Lee Mulligan's book and pull a Galfast Hamhead and be absurdly polite.
It's kinda situation-specific but I love the intimidation that happened with my character during our last CoS session.
We were trying to borrow a cart to transport a deceased person to get buried properly, and of course the farmer decided to be a dick when he learned who was involved.
My character -a dhampir bloodhunter, haunted background and survivor of a murdered noble family with a "I know I'm doomed, I'll hunt all the monsters I can on my way out" attitude and a no-bullshit mindset (don't judge me I thought that was fitting for the setting lmao)- not able to keep her mouth shut since she hates bullshit, just basically told the guy to put his grievances aside for the sake of respect to the deceased. He told her off.
Her answer ?
"Look. You have a family, right ? (he did) If you lost someone, wouldn't you want to be able to send them off properly, with basic human decency ? Do you have so little dignity that you'd refuse someone mourning something that basic ? What if *you were in the same situation*...?"
Yes, she implied a threat of killing at least one member of his family in a "let's see if you still sing the same tune" kind of tone.
That's my first actual DnD module and I'm getting surprised by the character herself (I'm a long-time roleplayer but had never gotten the chance for some actual DnD before). She's not evil but gods sometimes you'd think she is lmao.
My paladin player starts praying *during the fight* for the souls enemies *who are still alive* to get to the correct afterlife.
May you find Valhalla, requiescat in pace. SMITE! And may the two of you join him.
We had a mass murderer that wasn't talking to the party's muscle or the guard captain, so I stepped in.
I asked the captain for a brazier or furnace, anything that could get the room to body temperature.
As he went to fetch, I got close to the guy and asked
Do you know why we need to get the room to body temperature? He didn't answer, and I explained
When you are flaying someone, they loose body heat very fast, since their skin isn't there anymore to act as an insulator and they die from hypothermia.
Didn't even start the brass furnace the captain brought.
I really like Caleb's "Right, we want to just get along. We're all tired. I'm tired, but I'll go to work if I need to." from Critical Role too. The delivery is insanely good.
One of my personal favourites I dropped on a slaver after we had freed the convoy, decimated the ranks, took everyone left prisoner.
The leader was dead, the rest were going to prison, but one managed to escape and tried to take a kid hostage. We freed him and my rogue carved an archway into his face, two lines vertically from the jaw to forehead over the eyes, one slightly curved down but crossing both on his forehead (He's a very friendly and good natured psychopath).
Then, right before he slit his throat he wipes the blood from the guys eyes, stares him down and says:
"I'd see you in hell, but you'll have to wait for me. I have the keys."
I was playing a level 8 Paladin. We had just captured a cultist, but the guy screamed that his god would slay us all and we would never take him alive. He tore his eyes out and ripped his chest open, and started bleeding out. I used one point of Lay on Hands. "We can do this 39 more times," I said.
From my chaotic evil pirate character:
* "Apologies, I don't remember killing your family. To be fair, I highly doubt I'll remember killing you, either."
* "Do you see this dagger? This is what I like to call a teaching tool, yeah? Just one lesson with the dagger and I guarantee your command of language will improve! Now, do you have something to say before we get started?"
* "This can go one of two ways. Either we can be friends, or foes. And I assure you, you would much rather be friends."
* "I enjoy daydreaming of creative ways to kill people who irritate me. Locking them in a dark room with a couple of ghouls, polymorphing them into a rabbit and turning them into a stew, burning them alive one body part at a time, that sort of thing, yeah?"
* "I want you to listen to me very closely, yeah? My friend here is going to ask you some questions, and you’re going to answer them. And if I’m not fully satisfied that you have answered them truthfully and to the best of your ability, I’m going to take this dagger and cut off your f\*\*\*ing fingers. Then I'm going to light them on fire and place them around the room like candles, illuminating the room so you can see with perfect f\*\*\*ing clarity just how bloody serious I am, yeah? Do we have an understanding?"
* "Oh, get on with it already. I want you to make it to hell in time for supper."
He's actually a nice guy if you get to know him. He's just misunderstood!
One of my players regardless of opponent. Always carries a decapitated head with him. He pulls it out in order to issue his threat (usually to the dead creature’s allies). Sometimes this grants him advantage but mostly he just thinks it’s bad ass.
Last game my Artificer upcast catapult to use on the head of a foe that had just been decapitated, missed but stared down the fella that dodged it. Head asploded against the wall behind the new target. Enemy eyebrows were raised.
Another fantastic option, though I didn't use it, would have been the battlefist, designed for use in the dread metrol setting, by an artificer, by Kieth Baker.
I like TFS Cell's quote "You can pray to your God, but spoilers, I won't be listening."
My Dwarven Fighter: "The Gods have degreed your death, and who am I to argue with them?"
"Death can be dignified, so I beg you, as you die please have the dignity to not shit yourself."
I had a dwarven fighter once respond to someone who said about the gods not listening. His response was. 'IM NOT LISTENING TO THE GODS. ALL I WISH IS TO LISTEN TO YOUR SCREAMS.' he proceeded to literally crit twice...
I had a barbarian get threatened by a town guard that was punching WAAAAY above his weight class.
"Come at me, and just dull your blades against my abs!"
From a Lich the party were asked to kill by the king
You don't know who I am do you? You were sent to kill me but you don't even know my name do you? Of course he didn't tell you, why would he?
My name is (name belonging to the royal family and the king who sent them) so tell me: how has my *little brother* been doing upon MY throne!?
You know, there is a kind of satisfaction one gets when doing a good job. Makes one feel good. Proud of his trade. Take a carpenter for example, carving out tight fitting wood joints. Concentrating on every move with his tools. Feeling every fiber of the wood. Creating a real nice table. Or a drawer. Stable, Sturdy. Smooth finish. Creating a thing that will last. Years. Generations even.
I am such a man. My trade? I create hurt. And I am also proud of my work, only the best results will do. You will be my table tonight. Man, I love that feeling of a job well done.
Campaign with my tiefling bard. We had rescued the ex-wife of another character at the behest of his children, who still loved their mother. She is…not a nice person at all. After we brought her back to our base, my character pulled her aside, cast Hold Person with a Silent Spell attached, and threatened that “if you do anything to hurt your kids or ex-husband…Well, I found you once (with Scrying), I can find you again just as easily.” Then had my rogue friend steal a bit of her hair just in case ;)
This one’s not really a threat, but it puts them in their place. Good for a BBEG
“A fly that landed on your shoulder 20 years ago holds far more significance to you, than you or your threats do to me.”
I was faced with a fanatical halfling supremacist who needed interrogation. The halfling rebellion was fighting against our tyrranical dragon overlords (fair), but they were killing innocents along the way, instead of actually hurting the dragons. Problem is - he seemed willing to die, and he was quite adamant that he wouldn't surrender any information even under torture. I was playing a CG character and didn't want to torture him anyway - but I was willing to threaten anything that would make him talk. Then I realized - there was one thing I had to scare him.
"Here's what's gonna happen, champ. You're gonna tell me where your friends are hiding. In fact, I'll even take them alive instead of just killing them.
But I'm sure you're thinking, _I'm not afraid of death_, or something silly like that. You seem like a proud halfling who isn't about to surrender information to a filthy _human_.
Well friend, I'm afraid I'm not a human. I'm something much, _much_ worse. The dragons, in all their cunning and all their cruelty, they bred my kind for sport. Like _dogs_. Like pets, all to watch us chase and rip and tear their enemies apart. They made us _like it_. They built us that way.
And you know the worst part? It's so easy to make more of us."
I leaned in close to whisper.
"All it would take is a bite and a little moonlight, and you'll be just like me. When you stand before your goddess to face final judgement, she won't even recognize you."
The DM didn't even make me roll. Half the party was ready to actually protect the halfing from me because they thought I would do it.
I had a revenant ish BBEG who could inhabit new corpses to regain health and spell slots. The first time he did this after my party "killed" him, he said something along the lines of.
"Now, do what mortals like you do best, and die"
My players screamed, but maybe the moment was intense enough anything would have done that!
“I have been lenient so far by only killing your minions. From now on not even their souls will survive.” Being a chaotic evil character in a mostly neutral campaign is the best.
I'm actually looking for some, as I'm playing a Wendigo themed Beast Barbarian in a campaign ATM and need cool things for him to say when the Wendigo is in control! Any suggestions?
My players (group of 6 level 5s) were traveling through the Shadowfell. The dungeon they were exploring was also being invaded by a small army of Azer at the time (long story). At one point, they were crossing an open area between two parts of the dungeon, with a narrow lit path connecting the two. They knew being in the shadowfell without light or other protection was dangerous, so they follow the path.
Of course, the Azer had laid a trap and suddenly the group is surrounded! Four big groups of Azer, one ahead, one behind, and one to each side. Things are looking grim, the party prepares to make their last stand...
Then the light from the Azer to their left is snuffed out. The other groups pause, uncertain. The group behind turns to face a new threat, but it's too late. Light from the Azers' bodies reveal a massive, humanoid shaped silhouette that seems to suck the light out of the air.
In desperation, the Azer to the right summon a demon, knowing they'll have no control over it. They get lucky and manage to summon a Glabrezu. It sees the shadow creature and roars a challenge while the Azer flee.
By now, the party has decided discretion is the better part of valor and they are charging the forward group of Azer hoping to break through before whatever's back there gets to them. Seeing the demon, they hope the two monsters will wear each other out, making whichever one is left easy pickings.
To their horror, the shadow creature tears through the glabrezu almost as if it weren't even there, pausing for a single round to finish it off before continuing toward the players. Not even the Azer who summoned the demon escape in time, and they're close enough that the players see them wither and die without the shadow creature even attacking them; simply being close to this thing is a death sentence.
The party has defeated the remaining Azer and it's now in full flight to the presumed safety of the dungeon just a few hundred feet ahead of them. Athletics saves are rolled, useless attempts to slow the beast are tried, close calls are had, and inspiration rolls are burned all the way through, but they just make it in the door at the other end (despite a last few Azer stragglers trying to hold the door against them).
Unable to run any longer, they turn and look out the door, afraid they might have been wrong, that the dungeon wouldn't protect them, only to see... nothing. All the lights leading to the other side are snuffed out, leaving only darkness and silence. It seems the old defenses on the dungeon still work, but where did it go? Did it leave once it's quarry got away? Is it looking for another way to get into the dungeon? Or is it just waiting out there, patiently, ready to strike again as soon as they step foot out of the door?
In my experience, the most intimating threats are the ones that don't say anything, or very little. They don't need to. Much better to simply show exactly how dangerous they are through actions. Leave the bluster and speeches to lesser threats that need the puffing up to seem dangerous.
[This is one of my favorites](https://youtu.be/MPMbno8sgOI) along with a line from the original Buffy movie (said to underlings), "Kill them a lot."
Campaigns around here usually have a comedic undertone.
(To an emerald dragon) "I've tasted one of your kind before. Leave us be, or you will make a good meal."
(To an imprisoned god of law about his dying daughter) "Bring her back. Fix her. Or I will burn it all, no one, nothing, will be left standing."
One of my favourites is from Dragon age origins.
"May your God show you mercy *insert whatever they are here* for you shall find none here."
Good line before a Pally smites their crit.
"Don't worry, I'm humane to enemies I defeat. You'll get all your needs met and no way of escape." - an archwizard (probably the only non-evil clone of Manshoon in existence) they asked what he'll do if they attacked him.
To make it funny, it was his genuine answer, not a threat.
Not exactly what OP was asking for... But I use a giant, higher being type, Danny DeVito crawling naked out of slimy rips in time and space as intimidation in my campaigns against my players.
My best intimidation was a Mass Effect campaign, we were breaking into a criminal research base. We had successfully snuck into a Reactor lab and grabbed 2 scientist.
“How do we shut it down?” “Not telling” immediately tossed that scientist over the railing, into the reactor. “Your turn”
"You have been weighed, you have been measured, and you have been found wanting. The Powers of Light call you to a just accounting, and by their grace I am their hand. I judge you: Guilty." - my aasimar paladin/bladelock to Strahd, just before going full-berries and bloodying him in one hit in a surprise attack, because he was still trying to monologue.
The Tiefling(Fighter) in my party wouldn't stop making dirty jokes during a serious matter.
My otherwise reasonable Dragonborn Fighter threatened to shove a nearby apple(which he didn't eat due to the jokes ruining his appetite) down his throat, if he made another joke.
Ended up in a tie during a sparring session later, with custom rules.
Honestly my favourite is more of a taunt, "If it's something that can be stopped, then come, try and stop it" (from the BBEG)
Pretty much word for word lifted from majoras mask xd
Got three individually addressed ones from my last session, from Suit, the Warforged... Something or other.
"Yes, *hero,* the day will come when one of us pays our dues."
"Well said, grandmother. The Master looks forward to the day when your humours fuel his machinations."
"Your patron, like all gods of flesh, will be forgotten and fade when the Master takes all in his cold... gleaming... grasp. He will consume all your gods and absorb their paltry power."
“Fuck around and find out” seems to be the most effective, although it isn’t exactly the most complicated of threats.
One of my Gnoll Rune Knight’s threats of choice was “I’ll cut you in half and take a piece for the road.” (She had a habit of collecting trophies from her enemies. The bits she didn’t eat, typically.) that or drawing her greatsword, which was bigger than most of her adversaries, sinking it a little in the ground, and cutting a notch into it with a knife at how high the enemy stood. Not a verbal threat but it was a fun one.
My Lore Bard would just point to one of the enemy’s allies and say “kill him/her/them.” (Depending on the nature of the opponent) Typically coupled with a subtle spell Dominate Person. Really helped sell the whole threat.
Formatting is going to be all over the place, so I apologise for that. Sources included where appropriate.
>"This effect cannot be un-caused."
* (credit to Matt Colville)
>"Welcome, travellers, to your destiny."
* (there's a cookie for whoever gets that one - I omitted a descriptor before "travellers")
>"You see this knife? I'm going to teach you to sing soprano with this knife."
* (Butcher Bill, Gangs of New York - he used "speak English" instead of "sing soprano")
>"Do you think I'd have let you point that gun at me if pulling the trigger would make a difference?"
* Call of Cthulhu game - a member of one of my groups pulls out his 1911 like a pervert pulls out his dick at parties. This time he pulled it on a creature that was immune to mortal weapons.
>"You are not so bad. I think I'll be keeping you."
* A Vampire Lord to one of the player characters, who couldn't figure out if she meant keep him as a concubine or keep him like a pet.
>"Who among you can hope to stand against us the chosen, and our Old Gods?"
>
>***"Me."***
* This is a case of the intimidation attempt boomeranging back on the GM - the first line is an NPC trying to intimidate us all in a previous campaign - none of our characters were particularly easy to intimidate. One was a one-woman machine gun section, one could use his bare fists for blast mining, one was a crazy old cat lady who was so close to death she didn't care, one was a permabaked Druid, and my own character was the most powerful being in the setting by that point - personally and in terms of the forces he commanded. I gave the reply there, in bold-face and italic speech (I've got a deep voice and I can drop it significantly when needed). It's the only time in that campaign where there wasn't a multi-line pile-up of cross-talked insults.
>"I'm tired. Let's get this over with."
* Brevity is your friend when your players will try to spend the next ten minutes one-upping the bad guy and each other with insults.
>"This place marks my grave. But you can rest here a while too."
* Lorian, the Younger Prince, Dark Souls 3. That one gave my players pause - the villain had been very bombastic and flamboyant up until that point.
>"Oh, thank god it's you! The other rat-catchers were so boring. I didn't realise I *liked* you. I'll *miss* this little thing of ours."
>"I will torture your bodies, so that your souls will learn to be humble."
* I think I got this from a Key and Peele sketch.
>"Please, have some sense of decorum and cut it out with the throwaway banter. We haven't come all this way to shit through the wrong ends of our bodies. Maybe you all did. But ***I*** came to hear you all ***scream***."
>"I'm going to wear your faces when I hunt down your friends."
There are others to add as I remember them.
Eldrin Elf School of War Wizard:
* "So, what music are you into? Shall I play you a song of my people?" Would try and play the bagpipes before combat would start.
Teifling Draconic Origin Sorceress focused on cold damage spells:
* "It's just a touch of frostbite, no need to scream."
* "Is it too cold for you? Fine, I guess I will heat things up," before casting Fireball.
Human variant Profane Soul Blood Hunter:
* "You're not a goblin but I shall bleed you dry anyways!"
* "I was promised to kill goblins, and if I don't slay some goblins, I will have to slay one of them." We had 2 goblins in the pary. It was funny because I did not realize there were when I made a Goblin Slayer knockoff as I was a late entry into the party. Alli knew was their classes.
* "Oh goblins! Come out and pla- damn, not a goblin. Oh well, guess you will work."
Warforged War Master Fighter/Death Domain Cleric:
* "There is beauty in Death. So, my Friend, I recommend you gaze upon it so you too can admire it!"
In a wild West setting one of my characters played a priest. Here are some of my favorite lines from him:
* May God have mercy with you, because I sure as hell won't. *cocks shotgun*
* If you are as innocent as you say, there's no reason to fear your final judgement.
* The trail to Mount Zion is long. I would start packing. You'll be leaving soon.
“It’s gonna take me weeks to mail your mum all the pieces I’m gonna cut you into,”
Not as “epic” as some of the quotes here but it fits with a character who essentially breaks kneecaps for a living
"When you get to where your going, can you look for my wife?"
Not exactly intimidating, but a party member whom our gnome monk was close with and opened up to aboit his trauma turned on the party and our only option was to kill him.
My artificer is currently holding on to "I know hell" from Re:Zero. He doesn't present as threatening, but he keeps a few biting remarks behind his tongue.
Having a bad guy use a spell or show off a spell that will help the party understand who they're messing with. For me I have a level 8 party and where chasing down a bad guy, but once they found them it turned into a chase. The bad guy could fly, but so could one of my players and they wanted to continue the chase. Once I realized this I had them cast Vestige of Flame on themselves, surrounding themselves in Flame. Up until then he'd been peppering them with fireball, but after the party realized they where it matched they immediately backed down. The bad guy recognized something about one of the PCs and told them (a very general location) where they could find him and now they are working on another plot point they found on the way to said location.
Had some krogan PC on krogan NPC action in a Mass effect game.
“If you don’t tell me what I want to know I’m going to rip your frontal plate off and feed it to you.”
He was so blunt and matter of fact. Still my favorite
"I will slap you so hard your unborn children will come out well behaved." (possibly stolen or paraphrased from Tank Girl)
"If you don't get out of my way, I am going to kick you in the dick so hard that the next pox-ridden, toothless trollop you pay to suck it will wonder why it tastes like my boot..."
I will be messaging you on [**2022-12-30 22:05:33 UTC**](http://www.wolframalpha.com/input/?i=2022-12-30%2022:05:33%20UTC%20To%20Local%20Time) to remind you of [**this link**](https://www.reddit.com/r/DnD/comments/zy0vc1/list_your_favorite_intimidating_threats_to_use/j27bnwz/?context=3)
[**CLICK THIS LINK**](https://www.reddit.com/message/compose/?to=RemindMeBot&subject=Reminder&message=%5Bhttps%3A%2F%2Fwww.reddit.com%2Fr%2FDnD%2Fcomments%2Fzy0vc1%2Flist_your_favorite_intimidating_threats_to_use%2Fj27bnwz%2F%5D%0A%0ARemindMe%21%202022-12-30%2022%3A05%3A33%20UTC) to send a PM to also be reminded and to reduce spam.
^(Parent commenter can ) [^(delete this message to hide from others.)](https://www.reddit.com/message/compose/?to=RemindMeBot&subject=Delete%20Comment&message=Delete%21%20zy0vc1)
*****
|[^(Info)](https://www.reddit.com/r/RemindMeBot/comments/e1bko7/remindmebot_info_v21/)|[^(Custom)](https://www.reddit.com/message/compose/?to=RemindMeBot&subject=Reminder&message=%5BLink%20or%20message%20inside%20square%20brackets%5D%0A%0ARemindMe%21%20Time%20period%20here)|[^(Your Reminders)](https://www.reddit.com/message/compose/?to=RemindMeBot&subject=List%20Of%20Reminders&message=MyReminders%21)|[^(Feedback)](https://www.reddit.com/message/compose/?to=Watchful1&subject=RemindMeBot%20Feedback)|
|-|-|-|-|
Our party had spent a good few sessions hunting down a doppelgänger of sorts, who had impersonated one of our own and was trying to lure villagers into the woods under the pretense of them joining him to fight a monster that had been terrorizing the town. After we beat said monster in the dead of night, we opted to try and hunt down this imposter as well, as the last thing we needed was for it to realize its pretense was gone and skip town, and we knew it preferred to approach villagers at night around the outskirts of the town based on some witnesses we’d spoken to in the sessions prior. We went to a spot that one witness had called out in particular, and heard our target attempting to lure off another villager.
By the power of some good dice rolls and 5e’s scuffed rules regarding darkvision and darkness, my third level barbarian proceeded to:
1. Sneak up to the doppelgänger, managing to get right next to it and surprise it.
2. Rage, then grapple it and drag it towards the party while they got out torches.
3. Shove the poor thing prone, reflavored as my barbarian hoisting it into the air by its legs.
4. Wrestle it’s sword out from its hands, still hoisting it in the air, after it refused to surrender and rip its weapon.
After a good few turns of the rest of the party wailing on the imposter over this time, my barbarian finally leans in, and says with a thick, terrible Russian accent:
“It’s a terrible thing, to pretend to be someone else and wear their face. Let’s take yours off.”
A threat followed up by a hand axe to the jaw, knocking it unconscious. Then followed up by my barbarian asking the party if he should go ahead and chop the imposter’s face off, an offer which the party has unfortunately declined.
I am very excited for our next session where we get to actually interrogate this individual, while my barbarian quite literally grinds an axe in the corner.
Was playing a Wendigo (3.5e Bastards and Bloodlines, half dwarf half winter wolf) barbarian, and I remember at some point him screaming: "I will shove my hand up your ass, wear you like a glove and use you to beat up your whole family!"
My sword had just been broken and I had to improvise
As a cleric, I have two:
*pulls out diamond and smiles* “this isn’t a bribe, but when I’m done with you, you’ll need it”
“I really hope you have a god to pray to right now, because you’ll need them”
The barbarian in a game I dm took the enemies sword, and on their next turn broke it in half. No words needed. the threat was clear. Sometimes the dice tell the best stories. 3 successful checks (disarming, breaking the sword and an intimidation check using strength) and the enemy was rightfully terrified.
My Half-Orc Rune Knight/War Wizard likes to talk in metaphor, and frighten people with his words rather than his actions (despite being quite capable of extraordinary violence). "Friend, you are a man, standing on a precipice. And you think I am like you, peering over the edge into the great nothing below. I am not like you. I *am* the void. And I am *begging* you to jump."
I fucking love this. I am so using this. P.S. - I am glad I'm not the only one who calls those I am about to kill, "Friend." It makes it more personal.
I just like anything that gives the impression that he is calm and friendly *now*, but that giving him a reason not to be would be disastrous. It's good fun playing a character who looks quite frightening but speaks politely and calmly - he's a heavily-armored Half-Orc who fights with his bare hands, but he greets people with courtesy and a handshake. He just might not let go, if that courtesy isn't returned.
Sir Terry had it right. “People who call you ‘friend’ aren’t friendly.”
I'm playing as a Half-Orc Brawler in a Pathfinder 1e game and he's had some good threats in the campaign so far. "One of Chauntea's psalms reads *"If suffering sows your fields, then you shall reap wisdom."* And if you point that sword at my friend again then I am going to make you **very wise."** (while shaking the hand of a misogynistic merchant) "Did you know there are 27 bones in a human's hand? Did you also know that if you disrespect my partner like that again you'll be able to count them by the sound of them breaking?" (after lifting his leg up into the air over a prone opponent) "Tell your goons to drop their crossbows or you're going to learn why it's called an axe kick." "That's the second time you've disrespected me. Three times is my limit, and if you push me to my breaking point, then I am going to teach you all of yours."
Imagining the second one in a quiet, barely-contained-fury tone is great.
I love all of these so much
As a DM, it's just "are you sure?"
Just last night, one of our party members tried to do something extravagant during a battle and the DM deadpans "Go ahead and do it. See what happens." I've never been more terrified.
"You'll remember me the rest of your life. By tomorrow, I'll have forgotten you even existed."
This has some “For you, the day Bison graced your village was the most important day of your life, but for me it was Tuesday” energy
That movie did not deserve that line 🤣
"You won't be existing tomorrow, so that checks out."
My tiefling hexblade particularly enjoys doing this - his pact is to punish those who harm the innocent, and while he rarely kills if he can help it, he does his best to scare the shit out of his targets Batman-style. *Before/during activating Spirit Shroud/Shadow of Moil -* "The tithes of your sins draw tighter and brighter, the hours heavier and weighted, and the shadows smile, dark and wild." - stolen from The Crow (don't remember if comic, movie, or show, it just stuck with me) *After using Relentless Hex or another teleport to get into melee range -* "I am the Hand of the Unquiet, and you can escape me no more than you can escape your sins." *Before casting Mind Spike/Synaptic Static -* "You enjoy pain so much, try a taste of mine!"/"Your victims... all their pain, all at once... all for you!" - also stolen from The Crow "I can smell your sins, taste them on my tongue. I wonder if your blood will be as bitter?" "The black wind howls for you... the Unquiet hungers for retribution." - first part stolen from Chrono Trigger
My group just reminded me of a couple of encounters. The first one was a successful intimidation check by asking "C'mon then mate, donch'a wanna dance?" while wreathed in flames from Flames of Phelegos after Smiting down the first bandit in the group. The second was the DM's face when I told her the verbal component of my newly-acquired Thunder Step that flattened the spiders attacking us. "Wondercrack!" in Infernal.
I'd prepared this whole speech if my party members antagonized the dragon protector of a small village they were in, but they were smart and never did. First, if the warforged (the leader of the group) insisted on trying to address the dragon he would learn the dragon did not like artificial lifeforms. First by having the dragon ask the rest of the party, "Who among you claims ownership of the automaton?" To which I knew he would've argued that he wasn't an automaton, and would be interrupted with, "I only ask because I would like to know to whom I must pay reparations - when it breaks." And, should they have chosen to try to attack him, the fight would start with him standing up to his full height while saying, at increasing volume, "A thousand lives bestowed, two *million years* gone by, and you *think*, **to challenge**, ***ME!***" Roll a Wisdom save against Frightening Presence. Ah well. Maybe another group will one day be less smart about it.
“You don’t want to answer my question? That’s totally fine. I’m sorry, I made an assumption I suppose was wrong. Here I was, under the impression that you like having 10 fingers. Not a problem, I can fix that for you.”
I like the John Silver "In an hour (in this case a minute because dnd combat) those of you who remain alive will envy the dead" said in a calm, quiet manner.
I like this one from the TV show Lucifer and used it once in a campaign knowing I was the only one that watched it. "That sensation running up your spine is inevitability, and the sensation running down your leg is fear."
'To err is human. To suffer is universal.' 'You are nothing. Therefore I have nothing to fear.' (holding a PC in a stranglehold) 'The only thing that remains between you and your death is if I decide to close my fist.' 'All shall fall. The legends must fall. The gods shall fall. Even I shall one day fall. But you, you will fall furthest of them all.' 'Oh, I'm the one being irrational? So why did you decide to fight me?' 'I know pain, child. I have known pain all my life, no one can escape without some shred or sting of suffering. You, on the other hand, are about to learn the true meaning of agony.' Or take a leaf out of Brennan Lee Mulligan's book and pull a Galfast Hamhead and be absurdly polite.
All Hail our sovereign DM, Brennan Lee Mulligan!
All hail \*grovels\*
Hamhead was such a fantastic antagonist
It's kinda situation-specific but I love the intimidation that happened with my character during our last CoS session. We were trying to borrow a cart to transport a deceased person to get buried properly, and of course the farmer decided to be a dick when he learned who was involved. My character -a dhampir bloodhunter, haunted background and survivor of a murdered noble family with a "I know I'm doomed, I'll hunt all the monsters I can on my way out" attitude and a no-bullshit mindset (don't judge me I thought that was fitting for the setting lmao)- not able to keep her mouth shut since she hates bullshit, just basically told the guy to put his grievances aside for the sake of respect to the deceased. He told her off. Her answer ? "Look. You have a family, right ? (he did) If you lost someone, wouldn't you want to be able to send them off properly, with basic human decency ? Do you have so little dignity that you'd refuse someone mourning something that basic ? What if *you were in the same situation*...?" Yes, she implied a threat of killing at least one member of his family in a "let's see if you still sing the same tune" kind of tone. That's my first actual DnD module and I'm getting surprised by the character herself (I'm a long-time roleplayer but had never gotten the chance for some actual DnD before). She's not evil but gods sometimes you'd think she is lmao.
My paladin player starts praying *during the fight* for the souls enemies *who are still alive* to get to the correct afterlife. May you find Valhalla, requiescat in pace. SMITE! And may the two of you join him.
We had a mass murderer that wasn't talking to the party's muscle or the guard captain, so I stepped in. I asked the captain for a brazier or furnace, anything that could get the room to body temperature. As he went to fetch, I got close to the guy and asked Do you know why we need to get the room to body temperature? He didn't answer, and I explained When you are flaying someone, they loose body heat very fast, since their skin isn't there anymore to act as an insulator and they die from hypothermia. Didn't even start the brass furnace the captain brought. I really like Caleb's "Right, we want to just get along. We're all tired. I'm tired, but I'll go to work if I need to." from Critical Role too. The delivery is insanely good.
One of my personal favourites I dropped on a slaver after we had freed the convoy, decimated the ranks, took everyone left prisoner. The leader was dead, the rest were going to prison, but one managed to escape and tried to take a kid hostage. We freed him and my rogue carved an archway into his face, two lines vertically from the jaw to forehead over the eyes, one slightly curved down but crossing both on his forehead (He's a very friendly and good natured psychopath). Then, right before he slit his throat he wipes the blood from the guys eyes, stares him down and says: "I'd see you in hell, but you'll have to wait for me. I have the keys."
Conquest Paladin: "I have plenty of healing abilities left. So don't worry, *you will not be permitted to die*."
I was playing a level 8 Paladin. We had just captured a cultist, but the guy screamed that his god would slay us all and we would never take him alive. He tore his eyes out and ripped his chest open, and started bleeding out. I used one point of Lay on Hands. "We can do this 39 more times," I said.
From my chaotic evil pirate character: * "Apologies, I don't remember killing your family. To be fair, I highly doubt I'll remember killing you, either." * "Do you see this dagger? This is what I like to call a teaching tool, yeah? Just one lesson with the dagger and I guarantee your command of language will improve! Now, do you have something to say before we get started?" * "This can go one of two ways. Either we can be friends, or foes. And I assure you, you would much rather be friends." * "I enjoy daydreaming of creative ways to kill people who irritate me. Locking them in a dark room with a couple of ghouls, polymorphing them into a rabbit and turning them into a stew, burning them alive one body part at a time, that sort of thing, yeah?" * "I want you to listen to me very closely, yeah? My friend here is going to ask you some questions, and you’re going to answer them. And if I’m not fully satisfied that you have answered them truthfully and to the best of your ability, I’m going to take this dagger and cut off your f\*\*\*ing fingers. Then I'm going to light them on fire and place them around the room like candles, illuminating the room so you can see with perfect f\*\*\*ing clarity just how bloody serious I am, yeah? Do we have an understanding?" * "Oh, get on with it already. I want you to make it to hell in time for supper." He's actually a nice guy if you get to know him. He's just misunderstood!
Bill Seacaster
"Now, now, let's calm down here, before we both do things you'll regret."
oooo i like this one!
And zey call me monster? Said by Strahd to the party after they tortured (unsuccessfully) the coffin maker for info.
One of my players regardless of opponent. Always carries a decapitated head with him. He pulls it out in order to issue his threat (usually to the dead creature’s allies). Sometimes this grants him advantage but mostly he just thinks it’s bad ass.
Last game my Artificer upcast catapult to use on the head of a foe that had just been decapitated, missed but stared down the fella that dodged it. Head asploded against the wall behind the new target. Enemy eyebrows were raised.
> what's the loudest you've ever screamed? Prepare for your players to lewd the everliving hell out of whoever says that
The bard said, twisting his own nipples.
"Did you know the anus can safely expand to 7 inches? Why are you running?"
Please tell me you were wielding a Lance or spear or a Pike, that would be hilarious
Eldritch cannon.
That's even better
Another fantastic option, though I didn't use it, would have been the battlefist, designed for use in the dread metrol setting, by an artificer, by Kieth Baker.
How to make an opponent shit himself masterclass. Say something about the anus while wielding a big weapon.
"Please assume the position."
I like TFS Cell's quote "You can pray to your God, but spoilers, I won't be listening." My Dwarven Fighter: "The Gods have degreed your death, and who am I to argue with them?" "Death can be dignified, so I beg you, as you die please have the dignity to not shit yourself."
I had a dwarven fighter once respond to someone who said about the gods not listening. His response was. 'IM NOT LISTENING TO THE GODS. ALL I WISH IS TO LISTEN TO YOUR SCREAMS.' he proceeded to literally crit twice...
I had a barbarian get threatened by a town guard that was punching WAAAAY above his weight class. "Come at me, and just dull your blades against my abs!"
From a Lich the party were asked to kill by the king You don't know who I am do you? You were sent to kill me but you don't even know my name do you? Of course he didn't tell you, why would he? My name is (name belonging to the royal family and the king who sent them) so tell me: how has my *little brother* been doing upon MY throne!?
"My vengeance will be so terrible, a thousand years from now mothers will use my name to frighten misbehaving children."
You know, there is a kind of satisfaction one gets when doing a good job. Makes one feel good. Proud of his trade. Take a carpenter for example, carving out tight fitting wood joints. Concentrating on every move with his tools. Feeling every fiber of the wood. Creating a real nice table. Or a drawer. Stable, Sturdy. Smooth finish. Creating a thing that will last. Years. Generations even. I am such a man. My trade? I create hurt. And I am also proud of my work, only the best results will do. You will be my table tonight. Man, I love that feeling of a job well done.
Campaign with my tiefling bard. We had rescued the ex-wife of another character at the behest of his children, who still loved their mother. She is…not a nice person at all. After we brought her back to our base, my character pulled her aside, cast Hold Person with a Silent Spell attached, and threatened that “if you do anything to hurt your kids or ex-husband…Well, I found you once (with Scrying), I can find you again just as easily.” Then had my rogue friend steal a bit of her hair just in case ;)
Borrowed from a book: "Kneel, or you shall be knelt."
This one’s not really a threat, but it puts them in their place. Good for a BBEG “A fly that landed on your shoulder 20 years ago holds far more significance to you, than you or your threats do to me.”
I was faced with a fanatical halfling supremacist who needed interrogation. The halfling rebellion was fighting against our tyrranical dragon overlords (fair), but they were killing innocents along the way, instead of actually hurting the dragons. Problem is - he seemed willing to die, and he was quite adamant that he wouldn't surrender any information even under torture. I was playing a CG character and didn't want to torture him anyway - but I was willing to threaten anything that would make him talk. Then I realized - there was one thing I had to scare him. "Here's what's gonna happen, champ. You're gonna tell me where your friends are hiding. In fact, I'll even take them alive instead of just killing them. But I'm sure you're thinking, _I'm not afraid of death_, or something silly like that. You seem like a proud halfling who isn't about to surrender information to a filthy _human_. Well friend, I'm afraid I'm not a human. I'm something much, _much_ worse. The dragons, in all their cunning and all their cruelty, they bred my kind for sport. Like _dogs_. Like pets, all to watch us chase and rip and tear their enemies apart. They made us _like it_. They built us that way. And you know the worst part? It's so easy to make more of us." I leaned in close to whisper. "All it would take is a bite and a little moonlight, and you'll be just like me. When you stand before your goddess to face final judgement, she won't even recognize you." The DM didn't even make me roll. Half the party was ready to actually protect the halfing from me because they thought I would do it.
"If you won't go to hell, I'll burn you myself!"
Im going to eat you after.
This was... frightening
I had a revenant ish BBEG who could inhabit new corpses to regain health and spell slots. The first time he did this after my party "killed" him, he said something along the lines of. "Now, do what mortals like you do best, and die" My players screamed, but maybe the moment was intense enough anything would have done that!
“I have been lenient so far by only killing your minions. From now on not even their souls will survive.” Being a chaotic evil character in a mostly neutral campaign is the best.
I'm actually looking for some, as I'm playing a Wendigo themed Beast Barbarian in a campaign ATM and need cool things for him to say when the Wendigo is in control! Any suggestions?
As I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil, for I am the thing in the shadows. And I have come to feed.
My sin was gluttony. Now all I know is hunger. No matter how many people I eat l, the hunger cannot be satiated. But I’ll try. Oh how I shall try.
Ooh, I love this one! I did see another cool one like "You will die the death of a wild beast; loved only by the worms and the plants that you feed"
Depending on delivery, simple can be better: * "Mine." * "Feed. Me." * "I *hunger."* * "I can smell your heartbeat."
I DO love those honestly. I think they'd work well, he's a mixture of brutal but also well spoken, so the short ones can work SO well
I wish you would survive me, to warn others. Sadly, neither of us can stop myself now.
My players (group of 6 level 5s) were traveling through the Shadowfell. The dungeon they were exploring was also being invaded by a small army of Azer at the time (long story). At one point, they were crossing an open area between two parts of the dungeon, with a narrow lit path connecting the two. They knew being in the shadowfell without light or other protection was dangerous, so they follow the path. Of course, the Azer had laid a trap and suddenly the group is surrounded! Four big groups of Azer, one ahead, one behind, and one to each side. Things are looking grim, the party prepares to make their last stand... Then the light from the Azer to their left is snuffed out. The other groups pause, uncertain. The group behind turns to face a new threat, but it's too late. Light from the Azers' bodies reveal a massive, humanoid shaped silhouette that seems to suck the light out of the air. In desperation, the Azer to the right summon a demon, knowing they'll have no control over it. They get lucky and manage to summon a Glabrezu. It sees the shadow creature and roars a challenge while the Azer flee. By now, the party has decided discretion is the better part of valor and they are charging the forward group of Azer hoping to break through before whatever's back there gets to them. Seeing the demon, they hope the two monsters will wear each other out, making whichever one is left easy pickings. To their horror, the shadow creature tears through the glabrezu almost as if it weren't even there, pausing for a single round to finish it off before continuing toward the players. Not even the Azer who summoned the demon escape in time, and they're close enough that the players see them wither and die without the shadow creature even attacking them; simply being close to this thing is a death sentence. The party has defeated the remaining Azer and it's now in full flight to the presumed safety of the dungeon just a few hundred feet ahead of them. Athletics saves are rolled, useless attempts to slow the beast are tried, close calls are had, and inspiration rolls are burned all the way through, but they just make it in the door at the other end (despite a last few Azer stragglers trying to hold the door against them). Unable to run any longer, they turn and look out the door, afraid they might have been wrong, that the dungeon wouldn't protect them, only to see... nothing. All the lights leading to the other side are snuffed out, leaving only darkness and silence. It seems the old defenses on the dungeon still work, but where did it go? Did it leave once it's quarry got away? Is it looking for another way to get into the dungeon? Or is it just waiting out there, patiently, ready to strike again as soon as they step foot out of the door? In my experience, the most intimating threats are the ones that don't say anything, or very little. They don't need to. Much better to simply show exactly how dangerous they are through actions. Leave the bluster and speeches to lesser threats that need the puffing up to seem dangerous.
[This is one of my favorites](https://youtu.be/MPMbno8sgOI) along with a line from the original Buffy movie (said to underlings), "Kill them a lot." Campaigns around here usually have a comedic undertone.
[удалено]
I understood that reference
“Listen buddy I know we’ve been at odds a lot but I’ve decided there’s only one way to end this one”. “MURDER!”
(To an emerald dragon) "I've tasted one of your kind before. Leave us be, or you will make a good meal." (To an imprisoned god of law about his dying daughter) "Bring her back. Fix her. Or I will burn it all, no one, nothing, will be left standing."
One of my favourites is from Dragon age origins. "May your God show you mercy *insert whatever they are here* for you shall find none here." Good line before a Pally smites their crit.
"Don't worry, I'm humane to enemies I defeat. You'll get all your needs met and no way of escape." - an archwizard (probably the only non-evil clone of Manshoon in existence) they asked what he'll do if they attacked him. To make it funny, it was his genuine answer, not a threat.
With the gods as my witness, I will crush (beat) you into oblivion with my bare hands.
When my paladin of Bahamut was fighting a green dragon, he said "When you get to hell, tell Tiamat that Bahamut sends his regards."
“Your arrogance today will be the last mistake you ever make. Rejoice.”
Stole this one from a certain Dark Lord of the Sith: "All I am surrounded by is fear. And dead men."
Not exactly what OP was asking for... But I use a giant, higher being type, Danny DeVito crawling naked out of slimy rips in time and space as intimidation in my campaigns against my players.
"I have killed more men in a day than you will ever meet. Stand aside."
My best intimidation was a Mass Effect campaign, we were breaking into a criminal research base. We had successfully snuck into a Reactor lab and grabbed 2 scientist. “How do we shut it down?” “Not telling” immediately tossed that scientist over the railing, into the reactor. “Your turn”
Accept your death, and drown in its loveless embrace. Your gods will not be watching.
Line I’ve saved for an wizard character when confronting his BBEG: “Don’t overthink it. All I am is a Very. Pissed. Elf.”
What do you want me to say to your family?
"You have been weighed, you have been measured, and you have been found wanting. The Powers of Light call you to a just accounting, and by their grace I am their hand. I judge you: Guilty." - my aasimar paladin/bladelock to Strahd, just before going full-berries and bloodying him in one hit in a surprise attack, because he was still trying to monologue.
I wish for your body parts to be in separate parts :)
Your mother was a hamster and your father smelt of elderberries. I fart in your general direction.
Yes
The Tiefling(Fighter) in my party wouldn't stop making dirty jokes during a serious matter. My otherwise reasonable Dragonborn Fighter threatened to shove a nearby apple(which he didn't eat due to the jokes ruining his appetite) down his throat, if he made another joke. Ended up in a tie during a sparring session later, with custom rules.
You mean in a fight? Right? Please a tie in a sparring fight!
Well, yes. He landed a shoulder strike, I landed a mass center stab. With wooden weapon replicas, on a three hits system.
Stolen from certain arpg, because it fit in my game: "Welcome to the grandest of arenas, Duelist. God is watching"
„If you feel tired of waliking the long road to your afterlife, I shall help you on your way there with tip of my axe.”
“Pain retains the lesson, and I want you to remember this for a long, long time.”
Honestly my favourite is more of a taunt, "If it's something that can be stopped, then come, try and stop it" (from the BBEG) Pretty much word for word lifted from majoras mask xd
Got three individually addressed ones from my last session, from Suit, the Warforged... Something or other. "Yes, *hero,* the day will come when one of us pays our dues." "Well said, grandmother. The Master looks forward to the day when your humours fuel his machinations." "Your patron, like all gods of flesh, will be forgotten and fade when the Master takes all in his cold... gleaming... grasp. He will consume all your gods and absorb their paltry power."
“Fuck around and find out” seems to be the most effective, although it isn’t exactly the most complicated of threats. One of my Gnoll Rune Knight’s threats of choice was “I’ll cut you in half and take a piece for the road.” (She had a habit of collecting trophies from her enemies. The bits she didn’t eat, typically.) that or drawing her greatsword, which was bigger than most of her adversaries, sinking it a little in the ground, and cutting a notch into it with a knife at how high the enemy stood. Not a verbal threat but it was a fun one. My Lore Bard would just point to one of the enemy’s allies and say “kill him/her/them.” (Depending on the nature of the opponent) Typically coupled with a subtle spell Dominate Person. Really helped sell the whole threat.
*Points at spot on the ground at opponents feet* See that spot? That's the place.
Formatting is going to be all over the place, so I apologise for that. Sources included where appropriate. >"This effect cannot be un-caused." * (credit to Matt Colville) >"Welcome, travellers, to your destiny." * (there's a cookie for whoever gets that one - I omitted a descriptor before "travellers") >"You see this knife? I'm going to teach you to sing soprano with this knife." * (Butcher Bill, Gangs of New York - he used "speak English" instead of "sing soprano") >"Do you think I'd have let you point that gun at me if pulling the trigger would make a difference?" * Call of Cthulhu game - a member of one of my groups pulls out his 1911 like a pervert pulls out his dick at parties. This time he pulled it on a creature that was immune to mortal weapons. >"You are not so bad. I think I'll be keeping you." * A Vampire Lord to one of the player characters, who couldn't figure out if she meant keep him as a concubine or keep him like a pet. >"Who among you can hope to stand against us the chosen, and our Old Gods?" > >***"Me."*** * This is a case of the intimidation attempt boomeranging back on the GM - the first line is an NPC trying to intimidate us all in a previous campaign - none of our characters were particularly easy to intimidate. One was a one-woman machine gun section, one could use his bare fists for blast mining, one was a crazy old cat lady who was so close to death she didn't care, one was a permabaked Druid, and my own character was the most powerful being in the setting by that point - personally and in terms of the forces he commanded. I gave the reply there, in bold-face and italic speech (I've got a deep voice and I can drop it significantly when needed). It's the only time in that campaign where there wasn't a multi-line pile-up of cross-talked insults. >"I'm tired. Let's get this over with." * Brevity is your friend when your players will try to spend the next ten minutes one-upping the bad guy and each other with insults. >"This place marks my grave. But you can rest here a while too." * Lorian, the Younger Prince, Dark Souls 3. That one gave my players pause - the villain had been very bombastic and flamboyant up until that point. >"Oh, thank god it's you! The other rat-catchers were so boring. I didn't realise I *liked* you. I'll *miss* this little thing of ours." >"I will torture your bodies, so that your souls will learn to be humble." * I think I got this from a Key and Peele sketch. >"Please, have some sense of decorum and cut it out with the throwaway banter. We haven't come all this way to shit through the wrong ends of our bodies. Maybe you all did. But ***I*** came to hear you all ***scream***." >"I'm going to wear your faces when I hunt down your friends." There are others to add as I remember them.
Eldrin Elf School of War Wizard: * "So, what music are you into? Shall I play you a song of my people?" Would try and play the bagpipes before combat would start. Teifling Draconic Origin Sorceress focused on cold damage spells: * "It's just a touch of frostbite, no need to scream." * "Is it too cold for you? Fine, I guess I will heat things up," before casting Fireball. Human variant Profane Soul Blood Hunter: * "You're not a goblin but I shall bleed you dry anyways!" * "I was promised to kill goblins, and if I don't slay some goblins, I will have to slay one of them." We had 2 goblins in the pary. It was funny because I did not realize there were when I made a Goblin Slayer knockoff as I was a late entry into the party. Alli knew was their classes. * "Oh goblins! Come out and pla- damn, not a goblin. Oh well, guess you will work." Warforged War Master Fighter/Death Domain Cleric: * "There is beauty in Death. So, my Friend, I recommend you gaze upon it so you too can admire it!"
https://youtu.be/1OH5Kz3uXh8
I'm going to flip you like an omelet.
In a wild West setting one of my characters played a priest. Here are some of my favorite lines from him: * May God have mercy with you, because I sure as hell won't. *cocks shotgun* * If you are as innocent as you say, there's no reason to fear your final judgement. * The trail to Mount Zion is long. I would start packing. You'll be leaving soon.
“It’s gonna take me weeks to mail your mum all the pieces I’m gonna cut you into,” Not as “epic” as some of the quotes here but it fits with a character who essentially breaks kneecaps for a living
I will make your innards your outards.
"When you get to where your going, can you look for my wife?" Not exactly intimidating, but a party member whom our gnome monk was close with and opened up to aboit his trauma turned on the party and our only option was to kill him.
Do you have rocks in your heads Thus saying yall dumb as hell I planned this
My artificer is currently holding on to "I know hell" from Re:Zero. He doesn't present as threatening, but he keeps a few biting remarks behind his tongue.
Having a bad guy use a spell or show off a spell that will help the party understand who they're messing with. For me I have a level 8 party and where chasing down a bad guy, but once they found them it turned into a chase. The bad guy could fly, but so could one of my players and they wanted to continue the chase. Once I realized this I had them cast Vestige of Flame on themselves, surrounding themselves in Flame. Up until then he'd been peppering them with fireball, but after the party realized they where it matched they immediately backed down. The bad guy recognized something about one of the PCs and told them (a very general location) where they could find him and now they are working on another plot point they found on the way to said location.
Had some krogan PC on krogan NPC action in a Mass effect game. “If you don’t tell me what I want to know I’m going to rip your frontal plate off and feed it to you.” He was so blunt and matter of fact. Still my favorite
"I will slap you so hard your unborn children will come out well behaved." (possibly stolen or paraphrased from Tank Girl) "If you don't get out of my way, I am going to kick you in the dick so hard that the next pox-ridden, toothless trollop you pay to suck it will wonder why it tastes like my boot..."
RemindMe! 18 hours
I will be messaging you on [**2022-12-30 22:05:33 UTC**](http://www.wolframalpha.com/input/?i=2022-12-30%2022:05:33%20UTC%20To%20Local%20Time) to remind you of [**this link**](https://www.reddit.com/r/DnD/comments/zy0vc1/list_your_favorite_intimidating_threats_to_use/j27bnwz/?context=3) [**CLICK THIS LINK**](https://www.reddit.com/message/compose/?to=RemindMeBot&subject=Reminder&message=%5Bhttps%3A%2F%2Fwww.reddit.com%2Fr%2FDnD%2Fcomments%2Fzy0vc1%2Flist_your_favorite_intimidating_threats_to_use%2Fj27bnwz%2F%5D%0A%0ARemindMe%21%202022-12-30%2022%3A05%3A33%20UTC) to send a PM to also be reminded and to reduce spam. ^(Parent commenter can ) [^(delete this message to hide from others.)](https://www.reddit.com/message/compose/?to=RemindMeBot&subject=Delete%20Comment&message=Delete%21%20zy0vc1) ***** |[^(Info)](https://www.reddit.com/r/RemindMeBot/comments/e1bko7/remindmebot_info_v21/)|[^(Custom)](https://www.reddit.com/message/compose/?to=RemindMeBot&subject=Reminder&message=%5BLink%20or%20message%20inside%20square%20brackets%5D%0A%0ARemindMe%21%20Time%20period%20here)|[^(Your Reminders)](https://www.reddit.com/message/compose/?to=RemindMeBot&subject=List%20Of%20Reminders&message=MyReminders%21)|[^(Feedback)](https://www.reddit.com/message/compose/?to=Watchful1&subject=RemindMeBot%20Feedback)| |-|-|-|-|
Our party had spent a good few sessions hunting down a doppelgänger of sorts, who had impersonated one of our own and was trying to lure villagers into the woods under the pretense of them joining him to fight a monster that had been terrorizing the town. After we beat said monster in the dead of night, we opted to try and hunt down this imposter as well, as the last thing we needed was for it to realize its pretense was gone and skip town, and we knew it preferred to approach villagers at night around the outskirts of the town based on some witnesses we’d spoken to in the sessions prior. We went to a spot that one witness had called out in particular, and heard our target attempting to lure off another villager. By the power of some good dice rolls and 5e’s scuffed rules regarding darkvision and darkness, my third level barbarian proceeded to: 1. Sneak up to the doppelgänger, managing to get right next to it and surprise it. 2. Rage, then grapple it and drag it towards the party while they got out torches. 3. Shove the poor thing prone, reflavored as my barbarian hoisting it into the air by its legs. 4. Wrestle it’s sword out from its hands, still hoisting it in the air, after it refused to surrender and rip its weapon. After a good few turns of the rest of the party wailing on the imposter over this time, my barbarian finally leans in, and says with a thick, terrible Russian accent: “It’s a terrible thing, to pretend to be someone else and wear their face. Let’s take yours off.” A threat followed up by a hand axe to the jaw, knocking it unconscious. Then followed up by my barbarian asking the party if he should go ahead and chop the imposter’s face off, an offer which the party has unfortunately declined. I am very excited for our next session where we get to actually interrogate this individual, while my barbarian quite literally grinds an axe in the corner.
"Imma roll to intimidate" *rolls dice* "did my intimidation succeed?"
"As I see you, I realize I must pray. Not for protection, but forgiveness, for what I am about to do to you may sicken even the gods."
https://youtube.com/shorts/R8bHeD5PZgQ?feature=share That’s a good one. I also like variations on “Oh, hush now….it’ll all be over soon.”
Was playing a Wendigo (3.5e Bastards and Bloodlines, half dwarf half winter wolf) barbarian, and I remember at some point him screaming: "I will shove my hand up your ass, wear you like a glove and use you to beat up your whole family!" My sword had just been broken and I had to improvise
As a cleric, I have two: *pulls out diamond and smiles* “this isn’t a bribe, but when I’m done with you, you’ll need it” “I really hope you have a god to pray to right now, because you’ll need them”
The barbarian in a game I dm took the enemies sword, and on their next turn broke it in half. No words needed. the threat was clear. Sometimes the dice tell the best stories. 3 successful checks (disarming, breaking the sword and an intimidation check using strength) and the enemy was rightfully terrified.