Best game for God of War-esque action?

[LoneWolf23]

I'm going to give an answer that may surprise everyone, and say GURPS. The system may seem a bit complex at first glance, but with the right options, it can simulate anything. God of War included.

 

[Imaro]

Okay I've had my fun.

Back to the OP. What type of mechanics are you looking for(I get it to a point, you want mechanics that allow you to execute "cool" maneuvers without unduly penalizing you for trying them.) but do you care if resolution of combat is fast or slow, do you want a tightly granular system or a more free-form system, and do you care if a specific setting is attached to the rules? These IMHO are the biggest differences in using Exalted and BESM 3e(the two I think are your best choices).

Exalted:
The "cool" stuff they can do is very codified as charms and terrestrial/solar circle magic. There is no general mechanic in place to just do something amazing(though you get quite a few charms starting out so you can usually cover most bases you want to be really good at.)

There is a world( Creation) attached to Exalted and the charms are flavored to reinforce the position of solar exalted in this particular world. Thay are penultimate god-kings, returned from death...but they are not Shapeshifters(Lunar Exalted), Necromancer/Death-dealers(Abyssal Exalted), Astrological Mystics(Sidereal Exalted), or Team Players(Dragon-blooded). So there are cool things Solar Exalted cannot accomplish without very specific traits or circumstances, in general however for all around versatile power they smash the others.

The resolution of combat(against characters of equal power) can be slow, an average attack by a Solar using charms and stunts can reach anywhere from 10 to 15+ dice(Attr+Skill+Specialties+Charm bonuses+Stunt bonuses) 2e speeds this up more than 1e, but if long combats aren't your thing you might want to consider this. However there are at times, something strangely satisfying about rolling that many dice for an attack...It's like holding a can of whup ass in your hands.

BESM 3e:

The powers and abilities of your character are totally customizable, they are codified so much as their is a building system in place, but what a character can, or cannot do is totally up to you. And with EP(energy points) it's easy to at least momentarily and once in a while be good to great in someting you may not have considered in character creation.

There is an implied world in the new BESM 3e, but it is vague and general there as an idea of what you as a GM can create...basically it has no bearing on the type or style of character you can create.

Combat is fast, you roll 2d6 and add modifiers, most of which are already totalled into your stats, or skills, vs. a target number.

One other suggestion I've heard alot about and just recently picked up(but haven't had a chance to finish reading) is the Weapons of the Gods rpg by EOS press. It's a wuxia rpg and has very strong ties to a pseudo-chinese world, but has Kung-fu, magic,etc.

 

[DeadlyUematsu]

I'd definitely go with BESM. Exalted combat can be slow and the system is really tied to the setting.

 

[Sketchpad]

I've ran a game with the GoW sort of action with a few systems. It really comes down to what the GM will turn a blind eye to for their player's to do some of the over-the-top actions. That said, the systems that I've had some real ease with implimenting this are D20, Hero, BESM and Savage Worlds.
Each system allows for an ease of rule-bending in their own way, it just depends on the crunch you want to deal with as the GM.

 

[Nightfall]

BESM does seem to be winning out, though Exalted does have its fans for sure.

 

[Celebrim]

BESM does seem to be winning out, though Exalted does have its fans for sure.

I wonder just how well the rules of BESM explicitly pass the challenges RW gave when he described what he was looking for a system.

"I grab the minotaur by its throat, hoist it over my head, rip off its horn, stab it in the heart with it, hurl the horn into the face of the Medusa across the room, and then swing the minotaur by his feet in an arc around me to knock back the oncoming hordes of undead Athenians"

For example, I think the BESM rules explicitly allow you to use the body of your opponent as an area of effect weapon, but I don't know that they necessarily make this a more effective attack option than something more straightfoward. As for the rest...

1) Does BESM give explicit rules for mangling opponents, or will you just have to use your imagination like say with something ill-suited mechanically, like say D20?
2) Is picking up and throwing an opponent actually encouraged by the BESM system, or is it merely something you could do that a power gamer probably would not do (except in very particular circumstances) because more straightforward attacks work better, much like say D20?
3) Is grappling an opponent actually simplier than in a disparaged system like say D20, or is in fact grappling just as relatively ineffective compared to normal attack options and just as mechanically complicated in BESM?
4) Does BESM actually have explicit rules for sundering the body parts of your enemies, or would you have to rely on DM fiat much like an ill-suited system like say D20?

I don't know the system. Looking at the free TriStatdX supplement, I see a system whose main advantage over D20 is smaller numbers and which looks heavily GURPS influenced. It superficially looks to me that if you want the mechanical level of support RW is presumably looking for in a game, that it would very quickly get to be just as complex as GURPS and would do little in the way to explicitly encourage 'variant' attack actions and spending actions on video game style 'finishing moves'. I'm not saying that it wouldn't be a better system than D20, but I'm just not necessarily seeing that it would be a better one. Without having alot of experience with either, it would be a toss up between M&M and TriStatdX for me with a slight preference for M&M.

But basically, I agree with Kamikazi Midget, Sketchpad, DonTadow, and others. The main component you need is imagination and I seriously doubt any mechanical system is going to replace that in any degree. Of course, I also somewhat skeptical any pen and paper game can create what RW is looking for.

 

[Imaro]

1) Does BESM give explicit rules for mangling opponents, or will you just have to use your imagination like say with something ill-suited mechanically, like say D20?

To "mangle" an opponent only takes a PC to either have the Drain variable on his attacks...He depletes their Body with his attacks, making them less effective physically. Or , if they want to attack with the mangled parts see below.

2) Is picking up and throwing an opponent actually encouraged by the BESM system, or is it merely something you could do that a power gamer probably would not do (except in very particular circumstances) because more straightforward attacks work better, much like say D20?

3) Is grappling an opponent actually simplier than in a disparaged system like say D20, or is in fact grappling just as relatively ineffective compared to normal attack options and just as mechanically complicated in BESM?

Here's the BESM 3e grappling rules summary...
1.) Resolve a grappling attack, just like a normal attack(no AoO), aplying a -1 penalty to defender for each occupied hand at time of grapple.

2.)If successful target suffers a penalty determined by comparative strengths(not size) on attack & defence.

3.) A succesful grapple gives the following options...lock, THROW, or pin.

4.)Throw:Resolved as a normal attack, with a +5 bonus to impact damage recieved from distance thrown. If the attacker throws an opponent at another enemy, the target must make a defence roll or suffer equal damage as well...

These maneuvers are all resolved the same as a normal attack

4) Does BESM actually have explicit rules for sundering the body parts of your enemies, or would you have to rely on DM fiat much like an ill-suited system like say D20?

You have two choices here
1.) Ex. ripping a horn, arm, etc. and using it as a weapon Mimic attribute that is dependent upon Nullify attribute with a condition of natural. Nullify lets you "nullify"(rip the horn, arm, etc. off) any attribute, while mimic allows you to use said attribute(stab him with the horn) after nullifying it.

2.) or create a unique attribute

I don't know the system. Looking at the free TriStatdX supplement, I see a system whose main advantage over D20 is smaller numbers and which looks heavily GURPS influenced. It superficially looks to me that if you want the mechanical level of support RW is presumably looking for in a game, that it would very quickly get to be just as complex as GURPS and would do little in the way to explicitly encourage 'variant' attack actions and spending actions on video game style 'finishing moves'. I'm not saying that it wouldn't be a better system than D20, but I'm just not necessarily seeing that it would be a better one. Without having alot of experience with either, it would be a toss up between M&M and TriStatdX for me with a slight preference for M&M.

But basically, I agree with Kamikazi Midget, Sketchpad, DonTadow, and others. The main component you need is imagination and I seriously doubt any mechanical system is going to replace that in any degree. Of course, I also somewhat skeptical any pen and paper game can create what RW is looking for.

They're definitely not the same system so I wouldn't judge the new BESM 3e by Tri-stat(which in my mind was alot more complex as well as lacking the "keeping it simple" sidebars interspersed throughout the BESM 3e.) It amazes me that you are making judgements on systems you don't actually have familiarity with. Imagination is cool but I just don't see why looking for a system that suits a certain playstyle is wrong. If I want to play a game of tactical battle, where rules mastery and sound tactics are rewarded I got D&D...If I want to play over the top, fast paced, style over tactics warriors battling with acrobatic leaps and customized powers I'm not going with D&D, I'm going wiith BESM.

 

[cignus_pfaccari]

BESM does seem to be winning out, though Exalted does have its fans for sure.

I vote for Exalted.

If I was able to read BESM, I might be willing to vote for that, but my eyes bleed whenever I pop open a copy at my FLGS. Reading's rather hard to do when you've got blood pouring out of your eyes.

Brad

 

[bolen]

another vote for Iron Heroes. In fact that is exactlly the type of game I imagine Iron heroes to be good at (yet another game I have but have never played)

 

[Nightfall]

Well nice to know Iron Heroes has it share of supporters.

Celebrim,

Just because there doesn't APPEAR to be a system for RW, doesn't mean there can never be beyond his imagination.

Unless you think RW is trolling, bored, or perhaps hoping beyond hope to become Krakos(sp).