Two Clocks and a Wedge: The One-Page Prep Sheet That Changed My DMing

I used to spend hours prepping sessions. Pages of notes. NPC dialogue. Room descriptions. Contingency plans for every possible player choice.

Then the party would do something unexpected, and 90% of my prep became useless.

Sound familiar?

The Two Clocks and a Wedge method is what saved me. It’s a one-page prep technique that gives you everything you need to run a dynamic, responsive session without over-preparing.

The Problem with Traditional Prep

Traditional session prep often looks like this:

• Write detailed descriptions for every location
• Plan NPC dialogue and motivations
• Design encounters and balance CR
• Create maps and handouts
• Prepare lore dumps and exposition
• Plan plot beats and story outcomes

The issue: You’re prepping content, not tools.

Content assumes the players will interact with it. Tools work no matter what the players do.

What Are “Two Clocks and a Wedge”?

This method uses three simple elements:

1. Progress Clock (What’s Getting Better)

Something in your world is improving—moving toward completion, success, or resolution.

Examples:

• The goblin tribe is fortifying their position
• The merchant caravan is getting closer to safety
• The princess is learning to trust the party
• The town festival preparations are coming together
• An NPC’s healing/recovery

Represented as: A circle divided into 4, 6, or 8 segments. Fill one segment each time the situation advances.

2. Countdown Clock (What’s Getting Worse)

Something in your world is degenerating—moving toward catastrophe, danger, or loss.

Examples:

• The ritual is nearing completion
• The poison is spreading through the victim
• The dragon’s patience is wearing thin
• The political alliance is crumbling
• Food supplies are running low

Represented as: Same as above, but when it fills completely, something bad happens.

3. The Wedge (Opposing Forces)

Two factions/forces/NPCs with conflicting goals that both involve or affect the party.

Examples:

• The thieves guild vs. the city guard (party caught between them)
• Two nobles competing for the king’s favor (both courting party’s help)
• A cult vs. an inquisition (party has allies in both)
• Tradition vs. progress (party’s actions tip the balance)
• An NPC’s duty vs. their heart

The key: Both sides have legitimate motivations. There’s no clear “right” answer.

How It Works in Play

At the start of your prep, you write:

SESSION X: [Title]

PROGRESS CLOCK (6 segments): The Refugees Reach Safety
□ □ □ □ □ □

COUNTDOWN CLOCK (8 segments): The Blood Moon Ritual
■ ■ ■ ■ □ □ □ □

WEDGE: Captain Mara (wants to arrest the refugees for harboring a fugitive)
       vs. 
       Brother Tomas (wants to protect them in the church)
       
Both are people the party trusts. Both want the party's support.

During the Session:

Every time the party takes action, ask:

1. Does this advance the Progress Clock? (Mark a segment)
2. Does this fail to stop the Countdown Clock? (Mark a segment)
3. Does this affect the Wedge? (Push one side ahead, create new complications)

That’s it.

The clocks give you momentum and stakes. The wedge gives you conflict and choice.

Why This Works

1. You’re Not Predicting Player Actions

You’re not writing “if players go to the tavern, they meet X.”

You’re writing “the ritual is progressing” and “two factions want different things.”

The players can do whatever they want. Your prep adapts.

2. Organic Time Pressure

Countdown Clocks create urgency without saying “you have 3 days.”

Players feel time passing. Every long rest, every side quest, every shopping trip—the Countdown advances.

Suddenly, the party creates their own urgency.

3. Meaningful Choice, Not Moral Clarity

The Wedge forces players to make tough calls.

Not “good vs. evil” but “two good people with incompatible needs.”

These are the choices players remember years later.

4. You Can Improvise the Rest

With Clocks and Wedge in place, everything else is improvisation.

• Players go somewhere unexpected? Check the Clocks—do they advance?
• Players talk to an NPC? Use the Wedge—which side is this NPC on?
• Players take a long rest? Advance the Countdown Clock.

You have structure without script.

Building Your Clocks

Progress Clocks: How Many Segments?

• 4 segments: Quick progress, easy victory
• 6 segments: Standard pacing, moderate challenge
• 8 segments: Long-term goals, major undertakings

Example:

• “Earning the trust of the suspicious innkeeper”: 4 segments
• “Rebuilding the burned village”: 8 segments

Countdown Clocks: How Many Segments?

• 4 segments: Immediate threat, urgent
• 6 segments: Standard pressure, a few sessions
• 8 segments: Long-term threat, campaign-level

Example:

• “The trapped miners run out of air”: 4 segments (urgent!)
• “The plague spreads through the city”: 8 segments (slow burn)

What Advances Clocks?

Progress Clocks advance when:

• Players succeed at relevant tasks
• They form alliances
• They gather resources
• Time passes AND they’ve set things in motion

Countdown Clocks advance when:

• Players fail relevant tasks
• They ignore the problem
• Time passes (the world doesn’t wait)
• The opposition acts unopposed

Important: Players don’t need to be present. The world moves whether they’re watching or not.

Building Your Wedge

Good Wedges Have:

1. Two sides with clear, sympathetic goals
2. Both sides want something from the party
3. Choosing one side has costs
4. No “correct” answer

Bad Wedges:

❌ “Evil cult vs. good townspeople” (not a wedge, just opposition) ❌ “NPC who secretly betrays the party” (that’s a twist, not a wedge) ❌ “Two factions the party doesn’t care about” (no stakes)

Example Wedges:

✅ The Revolutionary vs. The Peacekeeper

• Revolutionary: “We must strike now while the tyrant is weak!”
• Peacekeeper: “Violence will get innocents killed. We need negotiation.”
• Wedge: Both are right. Both need the party’s unique position.

✅ The Dying Parent vs. The Abandoned Child

• Parent: Needs expensive healing the party can provide
• Child: Was left with nothing, now grown and rightfully angry
• Wedge: The party can’t satisfy both. Someone will be hurt.

✅ Tradition vs. Survival

• Elder: “We’ve protected this forest for centuries. It’s sacred.”
• Mayor: “If we don’t cut timber, the town will starve this winter.”
• Wedge: Respect for tradition vs. pragmatic survival.

Example: Full One-Page Prep

SESSION 12: "The Festival Interrupted"

PROGRESS CLOCK (6): Thalia's Recovery from Curse
■ ■ □ □ □ □

COUNTDOWN CLOCK (6): The Shadowfell Rift Stabilizes
■ ■ ■ ■ □ □

THE WEDGE:
High Priest Corvin wants to cancel the harvest festival
  "We can't celebrate while the rift threatens us all."
  
Mayor Denna wants to proceed with the festival
  "People need hope. Cancel it and we show we're afraid."

Both are on the town council. Both respect the party.
The party's vote breaks the tie.

NOTES:
- If festival happens: Rift opens during celebration (dramatic!)
- If festival cancelled: Town morale drops, refugees leave
- Thalia can speak if Progress Clock hits 4+
- Corvin has information about the rift the party needs
- Denna's son is sick—festival money funds the healer

That’s it. One page. Everything else—NPC voices, room descriptions, encounter details—you improvise from this framework.

How This Changed My Prep

Before: 3-4 hours of prep. Most of it unused.

After: 20-30 minutes of prep. All of it relevant.

Before: Players surprised me, my prep became useless.

After: Players surprise me, I check the Clocks and Wedge, stay oriented.

Before: I felt like I was “running” the story.

After: I feel like I’m responding to the story the party creates.

That shift—from director to facilitator—made DMing fun again.

Integration with Other Tools

Combine Two Clocks and a Wedge with:

• Three-Sense Descriptions for improvised locations
• Meaningful Cutaways to show Clock progress
• Digital tools and trackers to keep Clocks visible
• Streaming overlays to show Clocks to viewers

Common Questions

Q: What if players don’t engage with the Wedge? A: The Wedge resolves without them. One side wins, creates new situation. Show consequences.

Q: Can I use more than two Clocks? A: You can, but it dilutes focus. Multiple small Clocks often work better as one big Clock with different triggers.

Q: What happens when a Countdown Clock fills? A: Something bad happens. Don’t pull punches. The threat was real. Now deal with consequences.

Q: Do players see the Clocks? A: Your call! Some DMs keep them hidden. Some show them openly to create tension. I show Progress Clocks, hide Countdown Clocks.

3 Pre-Built Clock & Wedge Scenarios

Copy one. Run it tonight. No additional prep needed.

Scenario 1: “The Cure”

PROGRESS CLOCK (6): Doctor Finds Plague Cure
☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐

COUNTDOWN CLOCK (8): Plague Spreads Through City
■ ■ ■ □ □ □ □ □

THE WEDGE:

• Magistrate Korrin wants to quarantine the Lower District (stop the spread, but doom the trapped)
• Priestess Yavanna wants to keep the district open (spread risk to everyone, but no one trapped)

Both need the party to: Convince the other, or find third option

Advances Progress: Party helps doctor (ingredients, protection, lab time)
Advances Countdown: Time passes, party delays, anyone gets infected
Wedge Pressure: Both sides escalate (blockades, riots, desperate measures)

---

Scenario 2: “The Heir”

PROGRESS CLOCK (6): Young Prince Earns Respect
■ ■ □ □ □ □

COUNTDOWN CLOCK (6): Usurper Consolidates Power
■ ■ ■ ■ □ □

THE WEDGE:

• General Thrace wants the party to help the prince prove himself in battle (risky, traditional)
• Advisor Mirelle wants the party to help expose the usurper’s crimes (safer, but slower)

Both are loyal. Both are right. Both paths work—but only if you commit.

Advances Progress: Party mentors prince, creates victories
Advances Countdown: Usurper arrests allies, changes laws, moves troops
Wedge Pressure: General and Advisor start working against each other

---

Scenario 3: “The Gate”

PROGRESS CLOCK (8): Refugees Reach Safety
■ □ □ □ □ □ □ □

COUNTDOWN CLOCK (6): Orc Army Arrives
■ ■ ■ ■ ■ □

THE WEDGE:

• Captain Mara wants to close the city gates NOW (save the city, abandon refugees)
• Brother Tomas wants to keep them open until refugees arrive (risk the city, save refugees)

The party has influence with both. Their voice breaks the tie.

Advances Progress: Party escorts refugees, clears path, deals with bandits
Advances Countdown: Time passes (each day is one segment)
Wedge Pressure: Scouts spot orc vanguard, citizens panic, both sides get desperate

Each scenario includes:

• Clear stakes
• Ticking clocks
• Moral complexity
• Multiple valid solutions
• No “right” answer

Pick one. Fill in setting details. Run tonight.

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The One-Page Prep Template

Print this. Fill it out in 20 minutes. That’s your session.

SESSION #___ : [TITLE]

PROGRESS CLOCK ([4/6/8] segments): [What's Getting Better]
☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐
Current: [How many filled]

COUNTDOWN CLOCK ([4/6/8] segments): [What's Getting Worse]
☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐
Current: [How many filled]
When it fills: [What bad thing happens]

THE WEDGE:
[Name/Group A] wants: [Their goal]
Because: [Their legitimate reason]

vs

[Name/Group B] wants: [Their conflicting goal]
Because: [Their legitimate reason]

Both need from party: [What they're asking for]

NOTES:
- What advances Progress Clock?
- What advances Countdown Clock?
- What makes the Wedge pressure worse?
- What's one cool set piece if combat happens?

That’s it. Everything else is improvisation from this framework.

---

Take This to Your Table

For your next session:

1. Pick one thing getting better (Progress Clock)
2. Pick one thing getting worse (Countdown Clock)
3. Pick two forces in opposition (The Wedge)

Write them on one piece of paper. That’s your prep.

Everything else? You’ve got this. Trust your ability to improvise from this framework.

You’ll be amazed how much story emerges from these three simple tools.

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Looking for more low-prep techniques? Check out The Lazy Dungeon Master by Sly Flourish, learn about Blades in the Dark progress clocks (where this technique originated), and explore Apocalypse World’s fronts system. Track clocks visually with dnddiceroller.com or our tools.