Why do you play games other than D&D?

[Thomas Shey]

Sine Nomine (Kevin Crawford) products are indeed awesome. Of them, I have only run Godbound, but I own all the * Without Number games. Even for the ones I know I'll never use to run a game, they're chock full of useful, system-neutral material.

I'd been interested in Godbound, but I'd heard--and my reading of the rules seemed to support this--that any opposed actions turned on who ran out of--I can't remember what its called, but the resource the Godbound use to fuel their special actions. Which can be kind of an issue in any game with such rules, but it seemed particularly pronounced there.

 

[Ulfgeir]

I want variety. Both in settings and systems.

 

[ART!]

So I can tell my wife rpg anecdotes that aren't all about D&D.

 

[SableWyvern]

I'd been interested in Godbound, but I'd heard--and my reading of the rules seemed to support this--that any opposed actions turned on who ran out of--I can't remember what its called, but the resource the Godbound use to fuel their special actions. Which can be kind of an issue in any game with such rules, but it seemed particularly pronounced there.

The game does revolve around the Effort economy, which is used to power gifts. This tends to be more of a combat thing, where a combatant becomes less effective (and more vulnerable) once they are out of Effort. Within the context of the game, this is an intended effect and, if that's a problem for you, you probably won't like it.

It's not generally something that comes up out of combat, though, which is left to much more abstract adjudication and is unlikely to involve any kind of Effort-duel.

 

[Clint_L]

I've been thinking more on this. Over the years, our games have become so RP focused that the specific system we use has way less impact than it used to. Genre features definitely affect the kind of evening we will have, but rules systems not so much, unless they profoundly affect the DM/Player relationship (c.f. Fiasco) or are radically unique (c.f. Dread). Because the rolls and math are generally the least interesting part of our games, and I'm loose enough with the rules to make any system work with what the players want to do.

 

[Thomas Shey]

The game does revolve around the Effort economy, which is used to power gifts. This tends to be more of a combat thing, where a combatant becomes less effective (and more vulnerable) once they are out of Effort. Within the context of the game, this is an intended effect and, if that's a problem for you, you probably won't like it.

I was talking primarily about combat, and, well, I've seen other games that turned on that kind of dynamic (the old DC Heroes game could uncharitably be described as both sides hosing hero points at each other until someone ran out, with the dice rolls adding a little unpredictability to how fast it did) and in the end didn't think it was great. And yes, Effort was what I was thinking of.

 

[Bill Zebub]

Because D&D puts way too much emphasis on character build.

 

[SableWyvern]

I was talking primarily about combat, and, well, I've seen other games that turned on that kind of dynamic (the old DC Heroes game could uncharitably be described as both sides hosing hero points at each other until someone ran out, with the dice rolls adding a little unpredictability to how fast it did) and in the end didn't think it was great. And yes, Effort was what I was thinking of.

I don't have much experience with DC Heroes, but a reasonable amount with Ascendant, which uses Hero Points much the same way. I can say I have one player who felt very similarly to you about Hero Points in Ascendant but, as far as I'm aware, they never had that issue with Effort in Godbound. It is definitely a thing, but I don't think it's anywhere near as distinct as it is in Ascendant.

Possibly one of the ways Godbound sidesteps this is by making many of the more powerful threats glass cannons.

Anyway, if this is a big deal for you, I can see why you're concerned, and I wouldn't suggest you're wrong, but there is a chance it's not as big a problem as you fear.