Let's Talk About Metacurrency

[Lanefan]

That's why my PC carries around a meat-meter, to measure my depth of meat remaining.

My plan is to have my PC's artificer friend automate it, so as the meter reading drops, a device pumps healing potion into my PC intravenously!

And thus, in one fell swoop of inspiration, was invented the Ring of Regeneration.

 

[bsss]

So, all that said, how do you feel about metacurrency? Do you like it? Does it big you? Do you prefer a currency just for players, or for both GMs and players? Do you want it to be able to have narrative control (i spend a bennie to have a cart full of hay be below the window I am jumping out of) or do you prefer it to have only basic mechanical/mathematical aspects? Do you want it to be essentially optional, or integrated? How much metacurrency should be "on the table" == a single point of Inspiration as in D&D 5E, or a constant flow like Daggerheart?

For players, I like metacurrency that gives players storytelling levers that go beyond their character actions, because they are as creative as me when I'm GMing (if not moreso, given all the things the GM has to juggle). I am okay with that metacurrency being spent on mechanical benefits (rerolls or bonuses), but think it's not as interesting as the storytelling uses --- mechanical uses are better than not spending them at all, though. Bonus points to 13th Age, for causing that creativity to be tied back to the game world rather than just being pure "luck" or "moxie" or what have you.

I like GM Intrusions from Cypher System (which are incentivized by giving out XP), but I don't think I'd really call them a metacurrency. They're good too, though.

 

[hawkeyefan]

I don't see how hard lines help the GM do their job.

It’s not about “doing their job”. It’s about enjoying doing it that way. Enjoying how that makes the game work.

For D&D, I’ve gone full LitRPG. Hit points are explicitly supernatural resilience, that people are aware of and talk about. Not the actual numbers, but a general sense of magnitude. No one is surprised to see a 5th level character heal up from multiple stab wounds after some rest.

I changed the Cure Wounds spell to “Cure Wounds and Restore Luck and Replenish Defensive Skill”.

 

[Micah Sweet]

It’s not about “doing their job”. It’s about enjoying doing it that way. Enjoying how that makes the game work.

I was responding to @Umbran , who referred to those kinds of rules/playstyle as helping the GM do their job, or thereabouts.

 

[soviet]

I changed the Cure Wounds spell to “Cure Wounds and Restore Luck and Replenish Defensive Skill”.

I cast 'Restore Je Ne Sais Quoi' on Conan. That stab to the face really bummed him out.

 

[hawkeyefan]

I was responding to @Umbran , who referred to those kinds of rules/playstyle as helping the GM do their job, or thereabouts.

Not really. He said that if you have a gist of why it might be beneficial for a GM to follow rules, then you probably already “get it”.