From Panel To Play: Dormammu

CP33 Dormammu

Today on From Panel to Play, we are talking about a potent interdimensional threat who has sworn to snuff out the brief candle of humanity’s worthless life… Coming from the Dark Dimension to darken your doorstep, it’s Dormammu!

Dormammu is an aberrant member of an extra-dimensional group of energy beings called the Faltine. When he was banished from his home dimension, Dormammu discovered the Dark Dimension and insinuated himself as its sole ruler. He learned of a natural phenomenon in the Dark Dimension that he quickly used for his own purpose: pocket warps. These natural phenomena allow Dormammu to pull other dimensions into his own, incorporating them into his vast kingdom. Dormammu absorbs other realities into his domain, and he has set his sights on the Earth Dimension.

However, the dread Dormammu does not stand unopposed. Dormammu has made a mortal rival of the Sorcerer Supreme, Doctor Strange, and has clashed with the sorcerer numerous times. The master of the Dark Dimension has a strange sense of honor regarding Strange, but that has not stopped him from empowering one of the Sorcerer Supreme’s greatest foes, Baron Mordo, one of many different mortals who have received immense power from Dormammu and his mystical artifacts.

Dormammu hits the table with a bang at 8 Threat, a discount when considering his many powers. And with his massive pool of Stamina and higher-than-average defenses, you’ll have plenty of opportunities to put those powers to work.

Dread Dormammu has two potent attacks. His primary attack, Shadow Bolt, draws on powers of darkness to damage his foes, curse them, and drain their energy thanks to the Hex and Sap Power special rules. But his real heavy hitter is the Incantation of Obliteration attack, a mystic attack that costs him 5 Power and hits at Strength 8. But this is Dormammu we’re talking about. It isn’t going to be that simple. The Dark Miasma special rule lets him target another character within Range 2 of his initial target with another Incantation of Obliteration for free, as the substance of the Dark Dimension seeps into the world to punish his foes.

Now, Dormammu doesn’t play nice with others. He views other beings as pawns in his grand design, as evidenced by the new leadership ability Flames of the Faltine. This extraordinary leadership is for the Dark Dimension affiliation, shorthand for “Dormammu and the people he bosses around.” Any squad that includes Dormammu becomes a part of the affiliation and must use his leadership, which grants 1 extra Power in the Power Up phase. Dormammu cares little for the wellbeing of others, though, and the power he offers can exceed a mortal’s ability to bear it, so any other allied character who has 6 or more Power during the phase takes 1 damage.

The Lord of the Dark Dimension has many other powers that reflect his phenomenal strength. He can fold space to move around the battlefield, retaliate when attacked by cursing his enemy for their audacity, and is immune to many of the special conditions on which puny mortals rely.

But perhaps most terrifying is his status as Master of the Realm of Darkness. When Dormammu takes damage from an enemy attack, he gains 1 Power instead of an amount equal to the damage. Still, he also gains it when his underlings—uh, allies—take damage from an enemy effect or his leadership ability.

Now, remember when I said before, “it isn’t going to be that simple”? Well, the second effect of this innate power makes good on that. Whenever Dormammu makes an attack, he adds failures to the total number of successes. In both the attack and defense rolls. That’s right, the Lord of the Dark Dimension exploits the downfall of his foes to make himself that much more deadly in battle.

That’s all for our first look at the Lord of the Dark Dimension!

Be sure to check back for our next installment of From Panel to Play, the series where we give you your first look at how your favorite characters transition to the tabletop in Marvel: Crisis Protocol. Pre-order your own copy of the Dormammu Character Pack at your local game store or through our webstore today!

Until then, Atomic Mass Transmissions, signing off!