D&D General Do You Use a DM Screen?

[Shiroiken]

I used them back when we played face to face. It was important to hide my notes and while I did hide all my rolls, it was to keep the players from knowing which rolls were important (I despise when a DM fudges). Since we play online, everything I would need a screen for is provided by the VTT.

My preference is for a 3 panel portrait, as I really don't like the landscape design. I haven't found the information on them to be particularly relevant since AD&D, as they seem to contain all the most common information that I've already memorized. I much prefer the ones that have information on both sides, with the player facing side the info more useful for them (such as equipment prices), since I feel that screen art is mostly a waste of space.

 

[Lakesidefantasy]

I use one sometimes, but sometimes I lay it under my notes like a placemat for ease of reference.

 

[Blue]

I don't use a DM screen, and I roll my giant d20s in front of all my players.

 

[payn]

Not only do I use them in person (which hasn't happened on a while), I use them when I'm playing online--just find the most convenient place to set one up by my monitor. I like having easy access to reference materials.

Like... you use it while online? You dont use a VTT or have any rules references online or PDFs? You actually read from the screen while running a game online?

 

[Richards]

Never. We roll in the open.

Johnathan

 

[darjr]

I mostly play in person. (actually can't remember the last digital game) and I never use a DM screen.

 

[Katarhas]

Like... you use it while online? You dont use a VTT or have any rules references online or PDFs? You actually read from the screen while running a game online?

I actually do this occasionally when running online games when the game is interacting with systems I'm not familiar with. As an example, I was running a seafaring campaign using the Ghosts of Saltmarsh ship rules that for the life of me I couldn't keep memorized, so I put the important rules/tables for it on a DM screen and had that in front of me since that was faster for me to reference than pulling the PDF back up, searching on DnDBeyond, or pulling up a journal in Foundry, and I highly value speed on the DM side to keep the game flowing.

 

[J-H]

I do, so that nobody can accidentally see my notes, map printouts, etc.
It's also a good place to put little folded initiative tents (cut up 3x5 cards) showing who's going in what order during combat.

I tried having player-facing text on the front of the DM screen, but that only really works for players sitting right next to the DM. With a longer table, most people can't read the small print and it's not worth it.

 

[Reynard]

Count me among the "always use a screen but roll in the open 99% of the time." It's mostly for tables etc on the screen as well as hiding exactly how sparse (or even nonexistent) my notes are.


Improv is king.

 

[jasper]

In that other thread, folks are talking about the new four-panel DM Screen for D&D 2024. The ad copy describes it as a "quintessential companion," something that "every Dungeon Master needs," and the ongoing discussion makes me wonder:

Is it really quintessential? Is it truly something that every Dungeon Master needs?

What do you think? Choose the answer that best fits.

No. I quit using one during 3.0E. Why? It blocked line of sight. Got in the way. Etc. Do I consult one. Yes. And I make my own.
Do I create some for my new dms? Yes. I use a three page dm screen I got off the net from 2016 and add the AL stuff for the fourth panel. The Outside of screen has stuff which the players could use like equipment list. I could probably get by now with just creating a 2 panel screen.