Regards,

Johnn Four
johnn@roleplayingtips.com

From: Jan

Hi!

The first ideas that came to my mind regarding your request was this:
As already mentioned in Issue #51, GMs often reward players unconsciously for combat. In most RPG-Scenarios the group can be successful if they're tough enough. The idea is just that the GM has to create a situation that shows the players something else. He could provide scenarios, villains, whatever, that obviously cannot be overcome by brute force.
Once the players get the idea, it is important to keep them on it. In case they're not very used to (because they always battled their way) being polite or using tricks or nice words (or whatever the helpless GM wants them to do) they might behave clumsy. Doesn't matter. They've got to be rewarded anyway by (see Issue #51 again) positive social reactions, money, items or whatever. By seeing that their efforts are successful they will perhaps be astonished, but in the long run they will change their tactics.
This is why the reward is so important: No matter how clumsy they behave while trying the new way, if they don't succeed they will return to the axe and battle again...