Running Out of Daily Resources: Good or Bad?

[Ahnehnois]

Resource management is a central part of D&D and rpgs in general. Feeling like they can run out of spells or hit points is one of the few things that grounds a party of superheroes.

I'd rather see more advanced fatigue rules, an injury system for combat (as opposed to hit points), and magic that drains its user in some way (as opposed to arbitrary daily limitations on magic), but regardless of how you get there, occasionally depriving the party of resources is one of my most important duties as a DM.

 

[howandwhy99]

Running out of resources in any game is generally bad news. Sure, there could be games where the point is to spend all your resources. Perhaps it ends the game enabling you to halt play for the other players?

As it stands, daily resources are really for mapping the abilities characters have, which can run out after a day. The whole is for their players to then use those resources for the ends they desire. Perhaps the rationale is health? Food and water are needed, but probably to a different length than a day before penalties occur. Another could be physical endurance? How far can they really walk or jog in a day and what happens, if they do?