[aeronaut]

What we've taken to doing in our games is to say "OK. I'm at 17, and the monster is at 12, so I'm winning. I'm going to kill it now (pause.) Going once (tap table, pause.) Going twice (tap table, pause.) And it's dead (tap table.) If anyone says "hold on," "wait," or anything like that, the count stops, and that player (and everyone else) has an opportunity to interfere, bargain, trade, etc. After they are satisfied, the count starts again, unless I'm now losing, in which case I (or anyone) can do something, or I declare that I'm running away.

My feeling is that the MINIMUM time the countdown has to last is 2.6 seconds, more reasonable that each stage is 2.6 seconds, unless it's obvious that no one wants to interfere.

And yes, the 2.6 seconds is definitely a joke, per our esteemed munchkin czar. I suspect the authors regret putting it in the rules, given the amount of trouble it has caused.

Regards,
aeronaut