I can see how that would greatly reduce the problem.
> I started this
> during the HW days, and haven't seen a convincing reason not to continue. I
> settled on 5 HP, but maybe 10 HP would work better. 24 HP seems too extreme
> to raise a keyword.
I'm not that comfortable with it myself. I chose 24 because there are typically 24 abilities in a keyword. 5 seems too low to me. How about 12?
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> 6. I provided encounters that were best handled by varied abilities. There
> was a fair amount of political intrigue and negotiation in my games,
What happens when a character realises they can use one ability to do both? Yes, it is possible!
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> 1. Use bonuses for specific appropriate ability use (improv bonuses),
> instead of--or as well as--improv penalties. For example: Arm Wrestling
> ability gets +10 in an arm wrestling contest compared to using Strong.
I do that already. Isn't it recommended in the rules somewhere? Ought to be.
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> 6. Don't give out exact AP totals on request during an extended contest.
> This just drags the game into the realm of game mechanics and numbers. Give
> out general descriptions. ("He's on the ropes. Maybe one more good hit will
> finish him.")
I can see the advantages of doing that. But not for solving the improv. penalty problem.
> 7. If you have a player who insists on solving all problems with Sword
> Combat, either figure out how to have fun doing what he wants, or talk to
> him about the issue. (This is just a guess based on your quotes below.)
This is not an issue of one player being bad. Or even of me being a poor narrator. I've seen the problem with several players, none of whom were munchkins, with several narrators. One of those narrators is a very good narrator.
Interestingly, I've not seen a problem with [Weapon] Combat. It's pretty clear to all concerned when a combat skill is inappropriate.
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