Stormbringer:Doom
Doom
“All men are born to fate. Mine was merely louder than most.”
Doom measures the weight of fate upon a character.
It is not simply bad luck. It is the accumulation of:
- bargains made
- powers invoked
- lines crossed
- attention drawn
Doom grows. And as it grows, the world begins to notice.
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Starting Doom
All characters begin with:
- Doom 0
Some Flaws or Boons may increase this at character creation.
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Gaining Doom
Doom is gained when characters:
- Use Chaos-tainted powers
- Invoke demons or supernatural forces
- Take Restricted Boons
- Break oaths or violate Law
- Attract the attention of powerful entities
- Choose power over restraint
Some abilities explicitly grant Doom.
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Spending Doom
A player may voluntarily gain 1 Doom to:
- Reroll any failed roll
- Avoid certain death
- Force a dramatic success
This represents:
> Calling upon fate—and being heard
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Doom Effects
Doom does not apply constant penalties.
Instead, it triggers when it matters.
The GM may invoke Doom to:
- Introduce complications
- Twist success into cost
- Escalate danger
- Attract attention
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Doom Thresholds
As Doom rises, its effects intensify.
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Doom 1–2: The Mark
Something is off.
- Animals react uneasily
- Minor coincidences turn against you
- Sensitive individuals feel your presence
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Doom 3–4: The Shadow
You are no longer unnoticed.
- Dreams become troubled or invasive
- Supernatural forces take interest
- Small failures become costly
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Doom 5–6: The Chain
You are entangled.
- Demons, priests, or agents begin to seek you
- Powers you used begin to demand return
- Success often carries a visible cost
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Doom 7+: The Inevitable
Fate tightens.
- The GM may override outcomes for dramatic consequence
- Powerful entities act directly
- Your actions reshape the story around you
At this level:
> You are no longer merely a character. > You are an event.
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Clearing Doom
Doom does not fade easily.
It may only be reduced by:
- Fulfilling a major obligation
- Rejecting power at great cost
- Completing a significant quest
- Sacrifice (time, power, relationships, or more)
The GM determines when Doom may be reduced.
Typical reduction:
- −1 Doom per major act of restraint or resolution
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Doom and Death
At high Doom, death is rarely simple.
A character may:
- Survive—but changed
- Die—but trigger greater consequences
- Be claimed by a power
Death becomes:
> transformation, not ending
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Using Doom at the Table
Doom is not a punishment system.
It is a pacing and tone tool.
Use it to:
- Raise tension gradually
- Reward risky decisions
- Reinforce the cost of power
- Drive story forward
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Final Rule
Players are encouraged to embrace Doom.
Because in Stormbringer:
> The greater the Doom, the greater the legend.
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