DM Screen

[Grossout]

It seems like a lot of people have been running some 4E playtests, usually with good overall results. Most seem to mention something along the lines of DMing being pretty easy. With that in mind, I thought about the DM Screen that will be available shortly after launch. I'm greatly looking forward to it because:

a.) I'm going to be a new DM and need all the help I can get...

2.) It appears to have some awesome art...
and...

D.) Its cheap and sturdy (that's a nice combination)

My question is this:

For those who have DMed 4E, what sorts or things do you expect/hope to see in the new DM screen? What sorts of tables and charts should be brought over from previous screens and what seems like it would be a useful addition given how 4E plays?

*Keep in mind I've never DMed before, so old charts are new charts to me! But I'm sure some of you can think of new stuff too...

 

[eleran]

It seems like a lot of people have been running some 4E playtests, usually with good overall results. Most seem to mention something along the lines of DMing being pretty easy. With that in mind, I thought about the DM Screen that will be available shortly after launch. I'm greatly looking forward to it because:

a.) I'm going to be a new DM and need all the help I can get...

2.) It appears to have some awesome art...
and...

D.) Its cheap and sturdy (that's a nice combination)

My question is this:

For those who have DMed 4E, what sorts or things do you expect/hope to see in the new DM screen? What sorts of tables and charts should be brought over from previous screens and what seems like it would be a useful addition given how 4E plays?

*Keep in mind I've never DMed before, so old charts are new charts to me! But I'm sure some of you can think of new stuff too...

This is an excellent question, and one I haven't really given ANY thought to.

I am sure you'll want a chart of the armors and what Ac bonuses they give.

Maybe something related to the table they said there would be to help make monsters on the fly.

Something to do with skill challenge resolution. including some typical or suggested DCs.

A list of conditions and their effects.

a summary of the turn order, what happens when during a turn

Any other ideas?

 

[Olgar Shiverstone]

Unfortunately, I don't know enough about the new mechanics to know what to recommend. If there's no Turn Undead table anymore (yay!), they've removed the last thing I used a reference sheet for on a regular basis.

Skill DCs would probably be the next thing that comes to mind, though -- having those as a reference can be useful for on-the-fly DMing. And conditions summaries, which I've found the Rules Compendium to come in handy for.

I've personally gotten away from screens because I don't like the barrier between me and the players, and I roll in the open. But everyone needs to find their own style.

 

[UngeheuerLich]

AC adjustments for cover, concealment, low light vision/darkvision (traits of monsters which are so common that they are not explicitely described in the monster entry)

if there is still space:

prices for beer and inn-stay.

 

[UngeheuerLich]

I've personally gotten away from screens because I don't like the barrier between me and the players, and I roll in the open. But everyone needs to find their own style.

rolling in the open is a bit dangerous in 3.x, because it doesn´t allow DMs to adjust die rolls vs new players with low lvl chars. If you play with experienced players thats ok, but if you try to win someone for D&D, don´t kill him/her at her first evening.

 

[Grossout]

Something to do with skill challenge resolution. including some typical or suggested DCs.

A list of conditions and their effects.

a summary of the turn order, what happens when during a turn

AC adjustments for cover, concealment, low light vision/darkvision (traits of monsters which are so common that they are not explicitely described in the monster entry)

These all sound very helpful so far...

 

[Nytmare]

My two most favorite D&D charts ever, which have appeared on every DM screen I've used since I first found them, are:

BRIAN EASTON'S RANDOM THIEF ABILITY CHART
-----------------------------------------

1 - Climb            |     1 - Languages
2 - Detect           |     2 - Locks
3 - Find and Remove  |     3 - Noise
4 - Hide In          |     4 - Pockets
5 - Move             |     5 - Shadows
6 - Open             |     6 - Silently
7 - Pick             |     7 - Traps
8 - Read             |     8 - Walls

and this little gem which I inherited from a used red box I picked up a couple years ago:

1D6 - RESULT
------------
1 - One
2 - Two
3 - Three
4 - Four
5 - Five
6 - Six

If they don't appear on the DM screen I will be very sad...

 

[arscott]

Yoink!

 

[FitzTheRuke]

I want Pick Noise and Detect Walls!

Fitz

 

[Magus Coeruleus]

Frankly, my main wish is that they reduce the amount of information on the screen to what's most sorely needed and put it in LARGE FONT.

I NEVER used the info on my DM screen because there was so much and it was so tiny that I felt it was faster to jump to a page in a book.

You know the 20/80 rule? It says you use about 20% of something's functions about 80% of the time and about 80% of it's functions about 20% of the time. I say let the most important 20% kill the other 80% and take it's stuff..I mean space.