Lazy GM Tips: The Power of Three (for NPCs & Dungeons!

Hey everyone,

Another week, another opportunity to share some of my favorite "lazy GM" shortcuts! When life gets busy, or you're just not feeling up to hours of prep (or, like me, you're just inherently a bit lazy with this stuff), you need quick tricks to make your games engaging without a ton of upfront work.

Today's tip is all about the Power of Three.

What's the "Power of Three" Tip?

It's beautifully simple: for any new area, town, or even a section of a dungeon, instead of trying to detail everything, just come up with three key things. These three points should be enough to give the location flavor, provide interaction hooks, and allow you to improvise the rest.

Example 1: Bringing a Village to Life with Three NPCs

Let's say your players arrive in a new village, "Oakhaven." Instead of writing a whole census and detailing every shop:

• NPC 1: Martha, the Worried Innkeeper.
  • Quirk/Goal: Constantly wringing her hands, worried about dwindling supplies because the trade road has been quiet.
  • Hook: Might offer a reward for news from the road or escorting a supply run.
• NPC 2: Silas, the One-Eyed Trapper.
  • Quirk/Goal: Gruff and suspicious of outsiders, but knows the local wilderness like the back of his hand.
  • Hook: Has vital information about a nearby ruin/monster lair but won't share it easily.
• NPC 3: Lyra, the Eager Young Apprentice.
  • Quirk/Goal: Works for the reclusive village elder (who is "too busy" to see the players right now). Lyra is curious and perhaps a little too keen to prove herself.
  • Hook: Might inadvertently leak useful information or try to "help" the players in a way that causes minor trouble.

Boom. Three NPCs, each with a simple characteristic and a potential way to interact with the party. The rest of the village can be "generic villager" until someone specific is needed, and you can flesh them out if the players take an interest.

Example 2: Making a Dungeon Section Memorable with Three Elements

This isn't just for social hubs; it works great for dungeons too. Instead of mapping every cobweb, just define three key elements for a new section or "zone" of the dungeon. Let's say players enter the "Sunken Library" portion of an ancient ruin:

• Element 1: The Environment - Murky, Waist-Deep Water.
  • Detail: The air is damp, visibility is low, and movement is difficult. Torches hiss and threaten to go out.
  • Challenge/Opportunity: Stealth might be easier, but so is getting lost or surprised. Risk of waterlogged gear.
• Element 2: The Inhabitants - Swarm of Shadowy Bookworms.
  • Detail: Not actual worms, but small, skittering shadows that whisper forgotten lore and drain light. They are individually weak but attack in numbers.
  • Challenge/Opportunity: A combat encounter focused on area-of-effect or dealing with multiple small foes. Perhaps they guard a specific tome.
• Element 3: The Point of Interest - A Partially Submerged Lectern with an Open, Rune-Covered Tome.
  • Detail: The runes glow faintly. The book is too heavy to move easily.
  • Challenge/Opportunity: A puzzle (deciphering runes), a trap (cursed book), or a reward (valuable spell or clue). Requires interaction beyond just fighting.

Three distinct elements give this "room" (or series of interconnected chambers) its unique feel and present different types of challenges or opportunities.

Why the "Power of Three" is Great for Lazy GMs:

• Minimal Prep: It's incredibly fast. You're focusing on the impactful bits.
• Sparks Improvisation: You have enough of a framework to improvise confidently.
• Memorable: Three is a good number for players to latch onto and remember.
• Flexible: You can adjust the "three things" to be anything – NPCs, environmental hazards, interesting objects, clues, factions, etc.
• Prevents Over-Prepping: Stops you from writing pages of detail that your players might completely bypass.

So, next time you're prepping a session and feeling the time crunch (or just the call of laziness), try the "Power of Three." It might just become one of your favorite go-to techniques!

What are your quick-prep GMing tricks? Share them below!

As always,
Michael Garcia a.k.a. TheCrazyGM