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As good folks like Dee and Vince have mentioned before me, there’s a distinct lack of project managers in the TTRPG space.
Lots of writers, lots of artists, but not as many people who know how to, say, write a budget for a team project.
As good folks like Dee and Vince have mentioned before me, there’s a distinct lack of project managers in the TTRPG space.
Lots of writers, lots of artists, but not as many people who know how to, say, write a budget for a team project.
But my Day Job is consulting—I’ve done this before.
Let’s do some #ttrpgManagement, starting with writing a “SCOPE OF WORK” (SOW).
It’s a document you write to tell a consultant what you want them to do for you—and how much you’ll pay them.
Let’s do some #ttrpgManagement, starting with writing a “SCOPE OF WORK” (SOW).
It’s a document you write to tell a consultant what you want them to do for you—and how much you’ll pay them.
1. WHAT DO YOU WANT?
Write out what you want with as much clarity as you can.
What do you want?
Why do you want it that way?
What‘s the order of priority?
What ideas do you already have?
Be detailed where you can. Draw the circles around the things you don’t know.
Write out what you want with as much clarity as you can.
What do you want?
Why do you want it that way?
What‘s the order of priority?
What ideas do you already have?
Be detailed where you can. Draw the circles around the things you don’t know.
Writing detail in your SOW limits the amount of time—and therefore MONEY—wasted clarifying what you meant, or fixing mistakes because your consultant misunderstood you.
Let’s use an example: I want to write a survival rules module for my game, @BoltRPG, much like I’m writing magic and vehicle modules.
But I don’t play survival RPGs. I don’t want to write it.
So I’ll write a SOW to pay someone ELSE to do it!
But I don’t play survival RPGs. I don’t want to write it.
So I’ll write a SOW to pay someone ELSE to do it!
Kudos to @DichotomousPrime for letting me crib HIS notes on writing a survival RPG—the way Vince plans his projects is a masterclass in writing a SOW.
Here’s handwritten notes of my SOW—if you want to read them, you can, but THESE details aren’t important for this thread.
Here’s handwritten notes of my SOW—if you want to read them, you can, but THESE details aren’t important for this thread.
2. UNITS OF WORK
Now, it’s time to break your project down into Units of Work—hours, pages, pieces of art, etc.
Do NOT break it into dollar amounts, because consultants base their rates on Units of Work.
I’m gonna use HOURS as my Unit of Work, because my Day Job does.
Now, it’s time to break your project down into Units of Work—hours, pages, pieces of art, etc.
Do NOT break it into dollar amounts, because consultants base their rates on Units of Work.
I’m gonna use HOURS as my Unit of Work, because my Day Job does.
Don’t assign Units to the entire project—break it down into tasks and sub-tasks.
For Bolt Survival, I have five tasks:
- Survival Skills x5-7
- Survival Feats x3-5
- Rules for travel time
- Rules for vital signs (hunger, thirst, exhaustion)
- Rules for inventory management
For Bolt Survival, I have five tasks:
- Survival Skills x5-7
- Survival Feats x3-5
- Rules for travel time
- Rules for vital signs (hunger, thirst, exhaustion)
- Rules for inventory management
The last three tasks have sub-tasks, as well. Break them down into as many parts as possible, then go, “How many Units of Work is this part?”
Ballpark it. Err on the side of more.
Lemme give some examples...
Ballpark it. Err on the side of more.
Lemme give some examples...
TRAVEL RULES:
- Set increments of time + resource costs over time (4 hrs)
- Set rules and timing for encounters (2 hrs)
- Make rules for hunting & foraging (2 hrs)
TOTAL: 8 hours
- Set increments of time + resource costs over time (4 hrs)
- Set rules and timing for encounters (2 hrs)
- Make rules for hunting & foraging (2 hrs)
TOTAL: 8 hours
VITAL SIGNS:
- Make rules for triggers, trackers, consequences, and recovery
- For hunger and thirst (4 hrs)
- For exhaustion, where I already have an idea (2 hrs)
- For healing, where I already have rules (2 hrs)
TOTAL: 8 hours
- Make rules for triggers, trackers, consequences, and recovery
- For hunger and thirst (4 hrs)
- For exhaustion, where I already have an idea (2 hrs)
- For healing, where I already have rules (2 hrs)
TOTAL: 8 hours
INVENTORY:
- Set up a core framework, maybe using Pathologic 2’s system (4 hrs)
- Set simple aspects for setting tradeoffs (2 hrs)
- Convert existing Price rules into rules for discrete currencies (2 hrs)
TOTAL: 8 hours
- Set up a core framework, maybe using Pathologic 2’s system (4 hrs)
- Set simple aspects for setting tradeoffs (2 hrs)
- Convert existing Price rules into rules for discrete currencies (2 hrs)
TOTAL: 8 hours
In total, my budget for writing (in hours) is:
Skills: 1.5
Feats: 2.5
Travel: 8
Vitals: 8
Inventory: 8
WRITING TOTAL: 28 HOURS
Skills: 1.5
Feats: 2.5
Travel: 8
Vitals: 8
Inventory: 8
WRITING TOTAL: 28 HOURS
I’ll add 12 hours for research (how do other games handle this?) and 8 hours for meetings with me.
Those meetings could be:
Hour-long meetings x8
Two-hour meetings x4
For what? I don’t know! But it’s good to have.
WORK TOTAL: 48 HOURS
Those meetings could be:
Hour-long meetings x8
Two-hour meetings x4
For what? I don’t know! But it’s good to have.
WORK TOTAL: 48 HOURS
Then, add 20% extra Units of Work for Shit Happening. This means things can go a little wonky before you and your consultant have to renegotiate budget. In my case? That’s 10 extra hours.
FINAL TOTAL: 58 HOURS
FINAL TOTAL: 58 HOURS
There’s my final Unit of Work count for Bolt Survival—my budget.
From here, I can ask someone what their hourly rate is, and convert it to cash.
For a decent consultant, I’d go with 50-65 USD as a baseline—call it 30-40 USD plus overhead.
They need health insurance, too!
From here, I can ask someone what their hourly rate is, and convert it to cash.
For a decent consultant, I’d go with 50-65 USD as a baseline—call it 30-40 USD plus overhead.
They need health insurance, too!
In my Day Job, clients just give a dollar amount and make consultants write the detailed SOW.
Don’t do that.
Give your consultants the Units of Work estimate, WITH the breakdown, and let them correct your thinking.
Don’t do that.
Give your consultants the Units of Work estimate, WITH the breakdown, and let them correct your thinking.
Then, ask them to itemize their work as they do it—not by subtask, but by task.
That way, if work goes over budget, you’ll know where.
That way, if work goes over budget, you’ll know where.
Finally, payment. Ask your consultant how they want to bill you.
In my Day Job, it’s typically a monthly invoice.
For your project, the bill might be split in two or three pieces, or paid at the very end.
In my Day Job, it’s typically a monthly invoice.
For your project, the bill might be split in two or three pieces, or paid at the very end.
Ask what happens if the consultant runs under budget. Do they charge you less, or do you give them a little extra work to do?
If they go over budget, should they leave work unfinished, or ramp down scope elsewhere, or ask you for more money?
If they go over budget, should they leave work unfinished, or ramp down scope elsewhere, or ask you for more money?
Be honest with your consultants. They’d prefer hurt egos to realizing you can’t pay them fully.
And DON’T let them do work they don’t bill you for.
You’re no capitalist, are you?
And DON’T let them do work they don’t bill you for.
You’re no capitalist, are you?
And that’s all! Thanks for reading this! I hope it’s been helpful to you all.
Let me know if you want more #ttrpgManagement threads from the #TabletopChopShop!
Let me know if you want more #ttrpgManagement threads from the #TabletopChopShop!
I’ll leave you with the cost estimate for the Bolt Survival Kit.
If it’s 58 hours of work, at, say 60 USD/hour, we get 3480 USD!
It’ll come out to “only” 20-30 pages of rules, but it’ll be a meticulously crafted little module.
...although it’ll need playtesting work, too...
If it’s 58 hours of work, at, say 60 USD/hour, we get 3480 USD!
It’ll come out to “only” 20-30 pages of rules, but it’ll be a meticulously crafted little module.
...although it’ll need playtesting work, too...
...Wait, if writing ~20-30 pages of rules for Bolt costs 3.5 grand, and if Bolt + the Mage Pack is 140 pages...
...fuck.
...maybe EVERY indie TTRPG writer is underpaid!
Maybe YOU are underpaying YOURSELF!
MAYBE you should charge DOUBLE! Make your cash! Demand your labor’s wor
...fuck.
...maybe EVERY indie TTRPG writer is underpaid!
Maybe YOU are underpaying YOURSELF!
MAYBE you should charge DOUBLE! Make your cash! Demand your labor’s wor
ADDENDUM:
This is an interesting thread for how freelancers (like your consultants) might be approaching billing.
https://twitter.com/tom_hirst/status/1277933730078785537?s=21
Note how the thread writer advocates billing by-day instead of by-hour.
Different Units of Work. https://twitter.com/tom_hirst/status/1277933730078785537
This is an interesting thread for how freelancers (like your consultants) might be approaching billing.
https://twitter.com/tom_hirst/status/1277933730078785537?s=21
Note how the thread writer advocates billing by-day instead of by-hour.
Different Units of Work. https://twitter.com/tom_hirst/status/1277933730078785537
This writer appears to advocate for freelancers to keep their cards close to their chest, but you have the money (or are raising the money), so you should be honest.
Even if your consultant bills daily, giving hour estimates is a good proxy for how much effort you want per task.
Even if your consultant bills daily, giving hour estimates is a good proxy for how much effort you want per task.
