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100% GMing
Treasure Tables is dedicated to game masters, offering GMing advice and ideas since 2005. I'm Martin Ralya, and I've been GMing since 1989 and writing for the RPG industry since 2004.
Measure Twice, Cut Somewhere Else
Thu. August 10, 2006
Have you heard the proverb “Measure twice, cut once“?
It’s a good message for everyday life: A bit of planning can save you some grief down the road, more or less.
Unfortunately, that proverb doesn’t really apply to GMing.
In terms of prep, I equate “measure twice” with “prep more stuff, or more details for the stuff you have.” And as every GM knows, few plans survive contact with the players — which means some (although probably not all) of that prep may not be necessary.
I can’t count the number of times I’ve spent hours drawing a map that didn’t get used that night, instead of spending more time on something I knew was going to come up in play. I’ve learned to watch out for these prep sinkholes (and maps are just one example), but it’s often counterintuitive. More is always better, right?
Not necessarily. More is fine and dandy, and you can always use that spare map some other time — but if your time is limited (and really, whose time isn’t limited?), there are often better ways to spend it.
In GMing terms, I’d retool that proverb as:
“Measure once, and be prepared to wing it.”
Measuring twice will only get you so far. Sometimes, you just have to wing it, even if it’s outside of your GMing comfort zone.
(TT is in GenCon mode from August 9th-13th. I won’t be able to respond to comments or email, but there will be a new post every day, just like always.))
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Comments
8 Responses to “Measure Twice, Cut Somewhere Else”
I would interpret “Measure twice cut once” with respect to prep as meaning “Evaluate what prep you think is necesary. Evalute it again. NOW prep.”
Dittos Rick. As a newer GM I’m learning that I need to write down a “checklist” of GMing prep or I get distracted by the pretty eye candy (like maps, searching for or drawing pictures, etc.) that just suck up any time I’ll give them. I’m giving those a certain amount of time and no more. (Gahds it’s starting to sound like the beginning of 7 habits for GMs…) I stuck my checklist to my GM box and it’s helping me focus more…
I also think the core of “measure twice, cut once” is careful evaluation.
For me, one application would be “think twice about what you want, then stat it up.” For example, if you use the coolest critters you might miss the chance to build a gripping and coherent story about a limited subset. Don’t go charging after your first cool idea– let it percolate, then see which thought leads the better way.
I agree with the consensus.
In terms of cutting, whether carpentry or sewing, there is also a strong element of evaluating carefully when you can’t go back. Of course, time is one of those things you can’t get back, but if you have fun doing the prep you don’t need now, then you traded some time now for time later. You cut that plywood an inch too short, you need another sheet.
In gamer terms, I’d say that also includes introduction of certain elements into the story (depending on your groups tolerance for various things). The extreme version would be sudden introduction of some offensive element into the game that drives off one or more players for good. There’s a case where “measure several times, decide not to cut” would have served the GM well.
My current GM needs to see this topic. As far as measuring goes, he tends to forget that none of us players are as smart as he is, and as a result we rarely see his subtle hints (even now that we know to look for them). I think the “measure twice” motto should be a good way of getting him to “measure” our ability as gamers and maybe “cut” the obscurity of the clues down a bit if need be. I should add that a few of our players are not the brightest crayons in the box, and need a little nudge now and again.
Half my players were off on holiday this week and as other people will be guesting with old characters over the next few weeks I was trying to set up the intro to a three session plot arc. But no, the remaining players decided to go off and do their own thing and ended up selling ammunition to one of the gangs that is known to be working with their opponents in an attempt to gain information on their operation.
After sitting listening to them spend half an hour discussing their plans in detail and fleshing out their cover identities, I didn’t have the heart to stop them selling a crate of their own ammo to the bad guys only to find that the guy that buys ammo doens’t know anything about what they are interested in.
The stuff I had prepared will now get used as the first act of the next session and I’ll cut a chunk out of the bit of act II that I hadn’t worked out what to do with yet.
In general I find a big map of the area in which the campaign is set, a list of names, a set of generic bad guy stats and a pile of scrap paper is enough prep to get me through most situations I haven’t plotted out before hand. Drawing on personal experience helps too, in my campaigns there’s been more than one building layout based on my old school, the office where I work, my Grsndprent’s house and that kind of thing.
Orde
That’s one of the hardest things, Adrian. I always advise giving twice as many clues as you think they’ll need– roleplaying’s never like a detective novel, where they get the exact number of clue they need. Instead, give them twice as many and expect the PCs to only make connections half of the time. Share this article, When You Don’t Know What to Do, Go for a Walk, with him– and go for a walk when you’re lost as a player.
Scott
I hadn’t thought of MT,CO as “think before you prep,” but it does indeed work very well that way, too.
I think both versions are valid from an advice standpoint, but the interpretation I didn’t think of flows a lot better than the one I came up with for this post.