DM screen or no DM screen? That is the question...

[Olgar Shiverstone]

No screen.

I don't like having a barrier between me and the players, or between me and the battlemat. Without a specially-designed table, I'd have to stand up to play, which would get old real quick.

I roll in the open, usually on top of my notes, and the players can see the results of those rolls.

In the very rare instance I need to make a roll not seen by players, I will either cover the die, or hide that roll among a number of other seemingly random rolls (I play with my dice while sitting, so this is easy to do). Generally speaking, though, there's no need -- I have players roll all their own spot and listen checks, for example. Though that occasionally gives a metagame clue that something is about to happen, I'm willing to trade that for the added simplicity.

The benefit to the players seeing me roll in the open is that they know I'm not going to pull punches -- at least where the dice are concerned -- so they'd better be on their game.

 

[Kid Charlemagne]

Haiiro's idea about a screen at a separate table is a good one, if one has the space to do it.

I try to do this when possible. One of my players in one of hte games I ran had a large dining room and I would move an end table over to the (large) dining room table to put my DM screen and books there. That's the ideal solution, in my view.

In my next campaign, I'm going to be changing... not rules, but some of our gameplay. I plan on "taking back" some of the rolls as the DM.

This is a good idea, I think. Another way I've done this is to "pre-roll" certain checks. I'll have the PC's make a check early in the session, knowing that at some later point, there's a big nasty hidden that they might like to spot. Then when the thing gets surprise, I can let them know that I had them make the rolls earlier. It works well enough.

Generally I'll have the PC's make active Spot & Listen rolls, but I'll roll passive Spot & Listen rolls. I always roll search and disable device rolls myself. I can see a PC knowing he blew it if he does really poorly on a bluff or diplomacy check ("Oh dear, wait a minute, I was supposed to offer to shake his right hand... the left is a deadly insult..."), or on a Move Silently (stepping on a branch, etc).

 

[LGodamus]

I like my screen it gives me a place to keep things out of sight and out of mind..ie. if I pull out book of vile darkness in the open people get nervous I dont like that....it is unintentional metagaming, and the screen helps avoid alot of that stuff.

 

[diaglo]

No screen.

yeah, my referee rolls either really good or really lousy.

the only problem is when he breaks out his box of minis. he tried hiding them on occassion. but the really large ones he can't.

i think he gave up after awhile.

with either one player or another yelling, "It's an Ogre..RUnnnn"

 

[KB9JMQ]

No screen.

I don't like having a barrier between me and the players, or between me and the battlemat. Without a specially-designed table, I'd have to stand up to play, which would get old real quick.

I roll in the open, usually on top of my notes, and the players can see the results of those rolls.

In the very rare instance I need to make a roll not seen by players, I will either cover the die, or hide that roll among a number of other seemingly random rolls (I play with my dice while sitting, so this is easy to do). Generally speaking, though, there's no need -- I have players roll all their own spot and listen checks, for example. Though that occasionally gives a metagame clue that something is about to happen, I'm willing to trade that for the added simplicity.

The benefit to the players seeing me roll in the open is that they know I'm not going to pull punches -- at least where the dice are concerned -- so they'd better be on their game.

My thoughts exactly.

 

[dagger]

All the rolls are open (DM or otherwise) in our game, have always been (last 11 years or at least).

 

[ForceUser]

How many DMs roll these things for the players -- or make the players roll it but not look at it or something weird like that?

IMC players make all their own rolls except for the occasional Spot and Sense Motive. It's seems sort of silly to me as a DM to tell a player "Make a Spot check." and then say "Um, no, you didn't see anything. Carry on." Instead, in such situations, I secretly make the Spot check for the PC using his modifier, then if he noticed something I'd tell him. If the player tells me "I want to look around." then he can roll his own Spot check because he's actively trying to notice things.

Along those lines, when an NPC lies to a PC or is otherwise acting fishy and the player doesn't think to ask, I might make the opposed Sense Motive vs Bluff behind the screen, and if the PC wins I'll pass that player a post-it note saying something like "You think he's lying to you." Then the player can roleplay appropriately from there. Social skills can be forgotten in a good roleplaying moment, so as a DM I try to remember for the player if he forgets that his character is especially intimidating or sly.

Following that train of thought, I never make anyone roll a die for something they'd succeed at if they took 10 (as long as it's not in combat, of course). I try to keep unneccessary die rolls to a minimum, and one way to do that is to say, "Hmm, this PC has 10 ranks in Knowledge (religion), and the DC to know that this is a ghast instead of a ghoul is 15, so I'm just going to give it to him." I consider that a perk of having lots of ranks in a skill, and plus it helps the story run more smoothly. The mechanic of taking 10 is still there and I am conscious of it as DM, but I just push it to the background until the PCs need to make rolls.

 

[Olgar Shiverstone]

It strikes me that the post title needs a bit of continuation:

" ... whether 'tis better in the mind to suffer the thrown dice of outraged players, or take arms against a table of players, and by 'screening deflect them ... 'Tis a consummation devoutly to be wished."

(My HS english teacher would be so proud.)

 

[Coredump]

I use a screen, and I have absolutely no problem with fudging rolls, both for and against the characters. It is my duty to make a world and story that is interesting and fun. If a few random rolls are liable to ruin that fun, I will change them. No, I will not let the BBEG roll a 1 on the first save/die spell of the evening, that is just no fun. If the character is supposed to take 10d6 of damage from a spectacular effect, and I roll 12 points, I will fudge it.
It is all about the storyline....


And yeah, if you were 'spying' on me, I would be pissed too. If you want to run, you run. If you want to play a game were the rules are 100% inflexible, try a computer game, or Magic. But as DM it is my job to create a reality, the die rolls are GUIDES not GODS.


Furthermore, for those looking for an incredibly kick-ass screen. Check out this one. It is the best design I have ever come across.

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[Arnwyn]

How many DMs roll these things for the players -- or make the players roll it but not look at it or something weird like that?

The DM rolls those for the players, IMC.