I was talking to Emily Care Boss about the improv concept of a button, which is the note, beat, or line an improv troupe decides to end a scene on. It's a great concept with quite a bit of potential for a lot of roleplaying games out there, but Swords in particular has mechanical space specifically set aside for this.
Carefully choosing how and when to end a phase is a powerful tool for crafting your story. Being able to recognize those golden opportunities when they're handed to you is a skill worth discussing.
Ending on particularly high or low moments is a great way to emphasize those highs and lows.
Ending moments before an anticipated event gives the Overtone a chance to change and the Overplayer a chance to reestablish the scene.
Ending on a cliffhanger has obvious merit.
For that matter, ending on a Stymie or a Moral can often propel the story forward in a similar fashion.
Telegraphing when you're about to end a phase, like you do with the Ritual of the Long Spell, can sharply shape the drama of the tale by putting the focus on the roll just before the phase's end.
There's a lot to talk about here and I'm curious to hear about your experiences.
http://wiki.improvresourcecenter.com/index.php/Button
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