Tension

Tension is a mechanic new to The Domains of Dread, representing the metaphysical strain put on a character for wearing Influenced equipment and the use of supernatural consumables. Broadly, it is meant it ensure that mundane alternatives never cease being relevant after a character has access to Influenced equipment and supernatural consumables and that overuse of the latter may bring about unintended consequences for the user.

Resting Tension

A character’s resting Tension, if they are not wearing Influenced equipment or recently used supernatural consumables, is 0%. Tension also benefits from WIS or PRS, taking from whichever is highest to impose against future gains. Therefore should a character be deficient in both WIS and PRS, they will find gaining Tension easier than characters without those deficiencies.

Dread Figures are exempt from the Tension system. It may be assumed that the Mists of Death empower these individuals to act in their stead.

A character raises their resting Tension from donning Influenced equipment. While the explicit numerical “weight” of an Influenced item is obfuscated, system messages exist to indicate particular breakpoints:

• You feel uneasy: at or near 25% resting Tension
• You feel a strange, implacable sense of coming doom: at or near 50% resting Tension
• You feel real, palpable dread: at or near 75% resting Tension
• You feel a gnawing, hungry sense for apocalypse: at or near 100% resting Tension

A character cannot exceed 100% resting Tension from equipment due to diminishing returns. Elevated resting Tension from equipment remains even if that equipment is doffed over minutes IRT, the slowly lowering resting Tension indicated by the above system messages.

Gaining Tension and Backfire

When using a supernatural consumable, a character elevates their resting Tension. Should they elevate their resting Tension beyond 100%, each and every time they use another supernatural consumable they risk backfire as their soul chafes and warps against these forces. The possibilities for backfire are likewise obfuscated, but include potentially taking untyped damage among less straightforward consequences.

Resting Tension elevated from consumable use dissipates over minutes IRT and is cleared completely when successfully resting. Having high resting Tension reduces rest quality, as the character is restless and preoccupied.