the Scale of an Impending Doom

I use the term scale because I can't avoid to think of it as the Scale in Trollbabe.

So, an Impending Doom could be:
• Tyranny (of the strong over the weak or the few over the many)

But could it be the tyranny of a father that forces his daughter to marry an ugly, filthy, evil merchant just for money? Or it has to be always the evil lord of darkness that conquers the united kingdoms of the free people?

My answer to such a question would be something like: it depends on the players and what really matters for them in any given situation. Personally, I find much easier and more interesting something in line with the first example, but it seems I force myself to escalate things to an epic level, thinking they would make the game more interesting.

Is there something in the book that explains the "scale" of an Impending Doom (and of fronts in general) that I missed?

And what do you think about? It's a matter of character level or maybe just of player tastes?

I couldn't find anything in the book that directly references scale in terms of impending dooms. I think your take on it is probably the best way to approach it. It could mean at either end of the scale depending on the groups tastes. Just keep asking questions and using the answers in the narrative until you establish a general consensus on what sort of antagonism (the dangers) is most enjoyable for the players to confront?

I think the key to this is how the evolving situation permanently effects the setting in some irrevocable way. Sure, it doesn't have to be earth-shattering, but it does need to be impactful on the PC's otherwise they won't care.

...the Impending Doom sets in. The Danger is then resolved but the setting has changed in some drastic way—even on a small level. This will almost certainly change the Front at large, as well. Making sure that these effects are felt and significant to the NPCs, places, and life of the campaign world is a big part of making them feel real.

Wow, my english in the first post is even worse than the usual °L°

Yes, I arrived at the same conclusions talking to the players of the game I was writing the front for while the thought of the "scale" struck me.

To me, the trick for success is: understand what matters to the players and their characters; realize the best appropriate scale actually thinking in terms of trollbabe; and then create an Impending Doom that totally and permanently destroys the targets of their interest, but limiting the damage to the scale.

So for example, in the first session they emerged as stalwart defenders of the town of Larthan. Without hesitation, I started writing a danger aimed to annihilate Larthan. But then I stopped and I figured out that not only this would focus the game on that danger, without leaving space for anything else; but also that it would be too fast and too gratuitous. So I stepped back, posted here on the forums, reflected about it, talked to the players, and came up with three dangers that destroy important parts of Larthan, but not the town itself. Specifically: the noble house of larthan falls into oblivion because the last in the bloodline is killed; various packs of humanoid vermins raid the country around Larthan, driving back civilization; and the more fanatic branch of the main church in Larthan makes wizardry illegal and every practicioner of arcane magic within the walls is burned or exiled.

Adam, those are sweet dangers tied into a well-constructed front! Bravo!