What are your thoughts on Godbound?  Any pitfalls to avoid?  Any tricks to make the game better?  How have your games gone?

I'm interested to see what the game is doing right before I give a shot at running it myself.

Thanks!

Godbound is essentially about skipping the zero-to-hero D&D experience and going straight for superpowers, "Immortality" (ie. godhood) and domain management.

The game hands players a crapsack world and the power to change it. In fact, they have to change it (spending Domain Points) in order to level up. A character who is not invested into changing the world — for better or for worse — will not advance in the game as written.

Godbound cleave through ordinary, mortal foes like a chainsaw through butter. (Just as messy, too.) Supernatural foes with "straight" damage are the most credible threat, though if one of them has the Health Word — well, think of low level D&D, with vs. without a cleric. Uncreated monsters have the Cold Breath ability which is a major handicap at low levels.

Other than that, it's an easy game to run. Requires extensive prep and/or good improv as players, being godlings, are far more likely to veer "off map" as they tread the jeweled thrones of the earth beneath their etc. Both the random tables and the GM advice chapter have great material that helps a lot.

I have an AP report here that I really, really should update.

Quote from: The Butcher;936887The game hands players a crapsack world and the power to change it. In fact, they have to change it (spending Domain Points) in order to level up. A character who is not invested into changing the world — for better or for worse — will not advance in the game as written.

Nothing says you have to spend Dominion on the domain game to advance.  You do have to spend it, but you can also use it to create your own personal army, empower magic items, etc. instead of using it to help/harm factions or to affect the greater world around you in any significant way.

Quote from: nDervish;936956Nothing says you have to spend Dominion on the domain game to advance.  You do have to spend it, but you can also use it to create your own personal army, empower magic items, etc. instead of using it to help/harm factions or to affect the greater world around you in any significant way.

True, but I would still file "creating a magical artifact" or "amassing a private army" as Changing The World, even if you're not actively changing one or more Facts about a Faction (though IMHO creating a personal army would necessarily create a new Fact).

Even if players don't "want" to play the domain/cult game, their characters still have to be invested in leaving their mark upon the world in order to advance. They don't have to figure out just what sort of change they desirte to implement before session #1, but as it's been said elsewhere in these boards about sandbox games, character goals and motivations are paramount. More so than regular D&D, the game all but punishes PCs for not pursuing them.

Having ran it for months I will say this.  It is what Exalted should had been mechanically speaking.  Your solars should be doing what the godbounds are doing.

I've only read Godbound so far, but it looks incredibly fun. It's especially struck me as a game that would work great with 2-3 players.

I've made a character and chargen was fun and definitely I was building a PC with a goal. I really want to see the Domain stuff in action on the table.

BTW, Butcher and Snowman, what interesting stuff have your players done with their domain points in actual play?

Quote from: The Butcher;936887Other than that, it's an easy game to run. Requires extensive prep and/or good improv as players, being godlings, are far more likely to veer "off map"

Did you mean to say it's NOT an easy game to run?

Quote from: The Butcher;936887I have an AP report here that I really, really should update.

Please do. Link us to it too!

I have been running it straight and also for Exalted. It's been so much fun. Great character abilities, domain management, setting fluff, adventure generators, and gameplay. It was my #1 RPG if 2016.

I've heard its wonderful for Exalted from quite a few people. Haven't personally tried it but I know allot of people that have converted and never looked back.

Started a entirely new lesser sorcery, brought back the mammoths to start trade route caravans, rebuilt cities, built a great wall, and ultimately started a world empire while helping a few other nations become world empires too.

Quote from: Snowman0147;937145Started a entirely new lesser sorcery, brought back the mammoths to start trade route caravans, rebuilt cities, built a great wall, and ultimately started a world empire while helping a few other nations become world empires too.

What did you do for your second session?

We've used it for Exalted and for a world hopping Warhammer: Age of Sigmar game. It's a great game and I haven't had any quibbles with it so far. If we weren't playing Stars Without Number at someone in the group's request I'd probably be pushing another Exalted game out of this.

Quote from: Spinachcat;937081BTW, Butcher and Snowman, what interesting stuff have your players done with their domain points in actual play?

Mostly just shaping a piss-poor Raktine Confederacy principalty into a regional powerhouse. But we're just a few sessions in, real life's screwing up our gaming real good in the last few months.

Quote from: Spinachcat;937081Did you mean to say it's NOT an easy game to run?

Nothing a Rifts GM can't handle It does require enhanced improv and multitasking (vis-a-vis Factions) skills. It's not a game I'd handle a newb GM, that is all.

Quote from: Michael Gray;937234a world hopping Warhammer: Age of Sigmar game

Please post more about this!!!

How much modding of Godbound did you need? How did you and the players feel about the end result?

Quote from: CRKrueger;937146What did you do for your second session?

I know you're only half kidding. I am often amazed how Godbound Actual Play reports from one session sound like half a year long D&D campaign.

Quote from: The Butcher;937318Nothing a Rifts GM can't handle

So Palladium is the P90X of RPGs?

Quote from: Spinachcat;937362Please post more about this!!!

How much modding of Godbound did you need? How did you and the players feel about the end result?

Sure. We didn't need much modding, and the Words fit in pretty well with the AoS paradigm of the Realms being separated based on the Winds of Magic. The guy that ran it took maybe 20 minutes before the game started to used the Court generators for some things for our PCs to bounce off of and away we went. We had a Skaven Grey Seer that was trying to figure out what the hell happened to Skavenblight and create his own school of magic to outdo the other Grey Seers, a couple of Imperials seeking their fortune traversing the Realms (classic adventurer types), and an Estalian who wanted to be the greatest duelist ever (pretty easy with the Sword word). Most of the setting was just what the GM came up with pre game, he's pretty knowledgeable on the Warhammer fluff so he just winged it. We had a blast, but it was an off game, because one of our normal players couldn't show for a couple of weeks due to work. We went back to the regular game which was...5E I think (we have severe gamer ADD).

No real Domain expenditures or Influence use...it was kind of new for all of us. But we helped fight off a Waaaagh! that came in from another Realm via Night Road and helped rebuild from the aftermath.