Hi Benedict,
I am not saying that ability ratings make no difference in terms of play, but I am saying that you can play with a wide range of abilities for the heroes. The idea of a benchmark rating only applies IF you decide to write a linear adventure AND that you aren't going to scale the conflict.
As far as improvising- its very simple. Come up with 2 or more people or parties in conflict. Figure out how their conflict will affect the heroes("Hey, that guy your sister married? Yeah, he's got some kind of chaos taint!") and all you have to do is play both sides the same way you would if you were a player dealing with a player character. Yes, it does mean that you'll be keeping track of more characters, but otherwise, its effectively the same skill you apply everytime you play.
Improvising hard? Please, players do it everytime they come to the table. You, the narrator have time to prepare some very basic ideas, and can have no elements "set in stone" until you introduce it in play. Improvisation is not hard- trying to either guess what the players will do, or force them into a linear plot, that's hard.
Chris
Powered by hypermail