DM Screen

[palleomortis]

Now I'm curiouse, have any of you taken advantage of your wooden screens to beat a player for doing somthing stupid? It just seems like a more practical use.

 

[HellHound]

I used to use the one from Dragon magazine.

However, I recently switched to the one from Goodman Games packaged with one of their DCC modules.

It is EXCELLENT.

 

[werk]

I use the 3.5 screen that came bundled with an issue of either Dragon or Dungeon a few years ago.

Ditto, but I bought mine from Paizo directly.

I tend to loan it to my DM more than use it myself : (

 

[Bagpuss]

Either the one that came with Dragon or I don't use one.

 

[cougent]

I have the Dragon mag screen and a cardboard box that I cut down to use as a secluded place for minis and as an excellent echo chamber for dice rolling. I never get tired of that look of abject horror on my players faces when a dozen or so damage dice go thundering around the inside of big noisy box!

 

[Nyarlathotep]

I used to use the one from Dragon magazine.

However, I recently switched to the one from Goodman Games packaged with one of their DCC modules.

It is EXCELLENT.

I like it a lot, but really wish it was in Landscape format as opposed to Portrait.

Low screens = teh good!

 

[Jhaelen]

No screen. I like to see my players.

 

[Twowolves]

I used to use the one from Dragon magazine.

However, I recently switched to the one from Goodman Games packaged with one of their DCC modules.

It is EXCELLENT.

I have wanted a good look at this one for a while, but I just can't bring myself to spend $25 on a screen, even if it is huge and comes with an adventure.

What makes the DCC screen so excellent, anyways?

 

[HellHound]

The DCC screen is a double screen. That is to say it is like the old AD&D1e screen - two different screens, each 4 panels.

• Screen 1
  • Panel 1
    • Armor & Shields table from PHB
    • Poisons table from DMG
  • Panel 2
    • Weapons chart from PHB
  • Panel 3
    • Actions Overview (Move, Standard, Full-Round, Free, what can be done with each)
    • Fighting Defensively rules
    • Total Defense rules
    • Dealing Nonlethal Damage rules
    • Aid Another rules
    • Bull Rush rules
    • Charge rules
    • Disarm rules
    • Grapple rules
    • Overrun rules
  • Panel 4
    • Sunder rules
    • Weapon & Armor Hardness & HP table
    • Throw Splash Weapon rules & diagrams
    • Trip rules
    • Turn or Rebuke Undead rules & tables
    • Attack Roll Modifiers table from PHB
    • AC modifiers table from PHB
• Screen 2
  • Panel 1
    • Appraise overview
    • Balance overview & tables
    • Climb overview & tables
    • Concentration overview & table
    • Disable Device overview & table
    • Handle Animal overview & tables
  • Panel 2
    • Heal overview & table
    • Jump overview & table
    • Listen tables
    • Speak Language lists
    • Spellcraft tables
    • Swim overview & table
  • Panel 3
    • Tumble overview & tables
    • Use Magic Device table
    • Use Rope overview & table
    • Rules for various conditions concisely written for Ability Damaged, Ability Drained, Blinded, Blown Away, Confused, Cowering, Dazed, Dazzled, Deafened.
  • Panel 4
    • Rules for various conditions concisely written for Energy Drained, Entangled, Exhausted, Fascinated, Fatigued, Frightened, Incorporeal, Invisible, Knocked Down, Nauseated, Panicked, Paralyzed, Petrified, Prone, Shaken, Sickened, Stunned.

All this material is done in a nice readable size of Arial so it is easy to read and use from 18 inches to 2 feet away - the legibility is awesome and blows every other 3.5 screen I've seen out of the water. The player side is cover art from the various DCC modules and is pretty good.

The layout is portrait, so the screens are each just under 11 inches tall and 30 inches wide. Since I sit more than 11 inches above the edge of the table, I can see the players clearly over the screen - including their die rolls, character sheets, and the stacks of Campaign Coins each one keeps in front of them representing their wealth. I'm assuming you are either very short, Jhaelen, or you slouch behind the screen or something that makes it so you can't see your players over a screen. The other benefit of portrait screen over landscape is that I can open up a module and put the covers / maps up against the inside of the screen and the players won't see what module it is... I remember playing Tsojcanth back in 1e and one of the players recognized the scene off the back of the module when they saw the skeleton in the alcove, and everyone immediately looked up for the green slime.

The cardstock is almost as heavy as my 1e AD&D screen was. Significantly heavier than the Paizo screen - so it stands up very well and feels very sturdy. I prefer the casebound screens being used now by White Wolf and Hollow Earth Expedition (or the cheaper one used in the second screen for WHFRP2 - very heavy card like a casebound one, but not actually casebound), but this is the best one I've seen yet for 3.5

I'll admit I didn't pay for my copy of this screen, so I don't know how it holds up against the price tags of other screens on the market.

 

[Festivus]

I currently use the goodman games screen, and I too love it for it's sturdiness and easy to read content.

I liked my former screen which was a Everquest RPG screen with my own 3.5 tables and charts taped on top of it on my side, and player visuals on the opposite side but it was floppy and needed to go.

In the not to distant future I will be going no screen as I am leaving the comfort of my 8'x4' gaming surface for a smaller dining room table or living room coffee table (new house, smaller gaming area). I think I am going to miss a screen but we will soon see.