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As an example the Purification transmutation Dramatic failure reads as such:

Dramatic Failure: The object loses two Durability, as the Promethean’s purification works about as well as any other percussive maintenance.

Can a Promethean intentionally fail to damage an object that is otherwise too tough for them to break like a safe?

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The rules don’t say you can.

Reviewing the rules for rolling dice (Chronicles of Darkness core book, p. 68):

Failure: Your character’s action fails. This doesn’t mean “nothing happens,” just that she doesn’t get what she wants and complications are headed her way. Occurs when you roll no successes.

[…]

Dramatic Failure: Your character fails badly, and things are about to get a whole lot worse. Suffered when you roll a 1 on a chance die. Alternately you can take a Beat in exchange for turning a normal failure into a dramatic failure.

(Italics added for emphasis.)

So, if what you want is to weaken the safe, then, as per the rules, a failure means you don't get what you want. And the ways one gets a dramatic failure are to roll a one on a chance die or to buy it for a beat after failing naturally.

The intent is that when you're rolling to achieve an end — "accomplish something" – success means achieving the goal and failure means not achieving it. Attempting to fail isn't an element of this game, any more than "I try to miss the target and intentionally fail, thereby hitting it."

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    \$\begingroup\$ "I try to miss the target and intentionally fail, thereby hitting it." I will remember that example for the many, many similar questions players have about intentionally failing. \$\endgroup\$
    – xLeitix
    Commented Aug 13 at 13:32
  • \$\begingroup\$ This seems about right but one thing I think is worth a mention is that you can turn a success into a dramatic failure for a beat so while there may not be rules for auto dramatic failure there is the option to 'succeed' at getting a dramatic failure. \$\endgroup\$
    – Maiko Chikyu
    Commented Aug 14 at 11:49
  • \$\begingroup\$ @MaikoChikyu I don't think that's the case; do you have a cite for that? \$\endgroup\$
    – Jadasc
    Commented Aug 14 at 12:18
  • \$\begingroup\$ Turning any failed roll into a dramatic failure, which grants a Beat. This can only be done once per scene. Page 105 of 2e corebook \$\endgroup\$
    – Maiko Chikyu
    Commented Aug 14 at 14:02
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    \$\begingroup\$ @MaikoChikyu I know about turning failed rolls into beats; I even quoted it in my answer. But what you said is that you can turn a success into a dramatic failure for a beat, which is not something I found anywhere. \$\endgroup\$
    – Jadasc
    Commented Aug 14 at 14:14

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