Sure - but paradoxically, the real contest is the bit that isn't the contest. Put it this way - we have simple contests for things that you want to spend very little detail on, extended contests for things that you want to do in a little more detail, and for things you want to do in a LOT of detail, we have something called a game :-)
I don't think playing out huge with a single extended contest helps the game much - but that really does come down to nothing but game style
> Ditch the
>bean-counting and concentrate on the tale itself.
As I said before - good narration can compensate for bad rules, but its no excuse for them! I like to get my bean counting out the way in out of game rules discussion lists, and then just play with rules that have already had the troublesome parts weeded out.
> If you intend the fight
>to be the dramatic high-point, just declare that preparation by one side
>has been offset by the preparation of the other, call it even, and carry
>on with the show.
Which isn't in any way incompatible with the idea that preparation grants a huge bonus - just sometimes you really don't care how big!
Its hard to do as a GM, though, when the unbalancing bit is a player action. Players get cranky when you tell them that they can't do some action because it will work too well and they might win too easily. Its easier if you say you've changed the rules, rather than just prevented them from doing something you don't like.
Cheers David
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