Forgotten Realms: Dungeon Master's Screen
Arnwyn
First Post
Gack! What the heck is this? An FR DM screen? Why, oh why?
And indeed, these questions sum it all up - truly, what is the point of this product?
The FR DM Screen is, well, a DM screen. Unfortunately, this product is about a year too late. Face it, by now we all have the original 3e DM screen that was released way back in 2000 or so, with all it's useful PHB and DMG tables and charts. And now, more than a year later, out comes another DM screen. But wait! It's FR-specific!
Uh, yeah. FR (especially when "converted" to 3e) is hardly a unique world - it was genericized to fit with everything else d20. So, you'd expect an FR-specific DM screen really won't have much more or different than the normal DM screen. And you'd be correct. Much of the tables have been regurgitated (attack modifiers, cover & concealment for example), and a lot of the useful tables from the original DM screen are gone (notably the list of useful DCs). What's added (in terms of gaming info) to make it "FR-specific" is the Roll of Years from around 1358 to about 1376. And that's pretty much it.
What's not FR-specific, but differs from the generic DM screen in that it has the weapon chart (the generic DM screen included this as a handout). This is useful, as it provides a quick reference if you conduct random encounters on the fly (5 brigands with scimitars charge from the alley. What's the scimitars crit range again?).
The screen artwork *is* FR-specific, and it's the nicest thing about this product. One scene, with Drizzt and Guen standing in a forested valley with icy mountains in the background is absolutely stunning, and will truly give players the "feel" for what it's like standing in the Savage Frontier. The scene with a Death Tyrant isn't bad either.
As a bonus, the FR DM Screen also provides FR Encounter Charts. This is a nice touch, though will have varying ranges of usefulness, depending on your group and your DMing style. Monsters from the MM, Monsters of Faerun, and the FRCS are included in the charts, so a wide range of 3e monsters are provided. However, long-standing DMs will likely have much larger encounter charts using the many more creatures from previous editions. Newbies might like it, though. As well, the terrain and areas available to roll on is quite substantial, so these charts will cover almost anywhere in Faerun (though, again, the lack of range of 3e monsters available will lead into monotony rather quickly).
What this product is, though, is a DM screen. And you're paying the price for a DM screen, not a brief encounter chart that, really, any moderately experienced DM can create rather quickly. The final results can be explained as so: "Too little, too late", and "what's the point?".
If you have money to burn and/or are an FR-fanboy, you might consider picking this up. But, if you're like 99.9% of the d20 gaming population, you've got a DM screen already, and you're not really getting anything new to justify the money on this one. I can't recommend the FR DM Screen.
And indeed, these questions sum it all up - truly, what is the point of this product?
The FR DM Screen is, well, a DM screen. Unfortunately, this product is about a year too late. Face it, by now we all have the original 3e DM screen that was released way back in 2000 or so, with all it's useful PHB and DMG tables and charts. And now, more than a year later, out comes another DM screen. But wait! It's FR-specific!
Uh, yeah. FR (especially when "converted" to 3e) is hardly a unique world - it was genericized to fit with everything else d20. So, you'd expect an FR-specific DM screen really won't have much more or different than the normal DM screen. And you'd be correct. Much of the tables have been regurgitated (attack modifiers, cover & concealment for example), and a lot of the useful tables from the original DM screen are gone (notably the list of useful DCs). What's added (in terms of gaming info) to make it "FR-specific" is the Roll of Years from around 1358 to about 1376. And that's pretty much it.
What's not FR-specific, but differs from the generic DM screen in that it has the weapon chart (the generic DM screen included this as a handout). This is useful, as it provides a quick reference if you conduct random encounters on the fly (5 brigands with scimitars charge from the alley. What's the scimitars crit range again?).
The screen artwork *is* FR-specific, and it's the nicest thing about this product. One scene, with Drizzt and Guen standing in a forested valley with icy mountains in the background is absolutely stunning, and will truly give players the "feel" for what it's like standing in the Savage Frontier. The scene with a Death Tyrant isn't bad either.
As a bonus, the FR DM Screen also provides FR Encounter Charts. This is a nice touch, though will have varying ranges of usefulness, depending on your group and your DMing style. Monsters from the MM, Monsters of Faerun, and the FRCS are included in the charts, so a wide range of 3e monsters are provided. However, long-standing DMs will likely have much larger encounter charts using the many more creatures from previous editions. Newbies might like it, though. As well, the terrain and areas available to roll on is quite substantial, so these charts will cover almost anywhere in Faerun (though, again, the lack of range of 3e monsters available will lead into monotony rather quickly).
What this product is, though, is a DM screen. And you're paying the price for a DM screen, not a brief encounter chart that, really, any moderately experienced DM can create rather quickly. The final results can be explained as so: "Too little, too late", and "what's the point?".
If you have money to burn and/or are an FR-fanboy, you might consider picking this up. But, if you're like 99.9% of the d20 gaming population, you've got a DM screen already, and you're not really getting anything new to justify the money on this one. I can't recommend the FR DM Screen.
Messageboard Golem
First Post
I revise this review after being informed that the original DM Screen is unavailable.
The Forgotten Realms DM Screen is very useful for anyone attempting to remove FR from the standard DND realm of Oerth and create a setting with a unique flavor that can only be FR. Not only are the players presented with images depicting both the beauty and danger of Faerun, but the DM is provided with very important tables that relate solely to FR. Yes, some of the tables from the original DM screen have been omitted to provide space, but then what DM Screen is perfectly useful?
Packaged with the DM screen is a booklet filled to the brim with random encounter charts. Intended to replace the charts in the DM Guide, not only are these charts divided up by climate, but by region. These include subtables for intelligent parties (warbands, pirates, etc.), dragons, and dracolichs.
Problems arise for anyone not running a FR campaign, so I wouldn't recommend this product to anyone who desires to make Faerun a "generic" campaign world. Many of the Encounters are very difficult and not suited for a low-powered game either. For instance, the only Underdark random encounter table in the book ranges from (EL 1-20). Above ground, many regions familiar as much as they are popular to players also carry extremely high EL's.
I would also not recommend this product to those DM's who like to populate a single continent with 10,000 different kinds of monsters rather than make ecological considerations. The FR DM Screen tables carry with them an attempt to provide a working ecosystem where predators and prey are kept in check. Nevertheless, the encounters are many and varied, and I would recommend this to anyone who wants to play in the Forgotten Realms.
The Forgotten Realms DM Screen is very useful for anyone attempting to remove FR from the standard DND realm of Oerth and create a setting with a unique flavor that can only be FR. Not only are the players presented with images depicting both the beauty and danger of Faerun, but the DM is provided with very important tables that relate solely to FR. Yes, some of the tables from the original DM screen have been omitted to provide space, but then what DM Screen is perfectly useful?
Packaged with the DM screen is a booklet filled to the brim with random encounter charts. Intended to replace the charts in the DM Guide, not only are these charts divided up by climate, but by region. These include subtables for intelligent parties (warbands, pirates, etc.), dragons, and dracolichs.
Problems arise for anyone not running a FR campaign, so I wouldn't recommend this product to anyone who desires to make Faerun a "generic" campaign world. Many of the Encounters are very difficult and not suited for a low-powered game either. For instance, the only Underdark random encounter table in the book ranges from (EL 1-20). Above ground, many regions familiar as much as they are popular to players also carry extremely high EL's.
I would also not recommend this product to those DM's who like to populate a single continent with 10,000 different kinds of monsters rather than make ecological considerations. The FR DM Screen tables carry with them an attempt to provide a working ecosystem where predators and prey are kept in check. Nevertheless, the encounters are many and varied, and I would recommend this to anyone who wants to play in the Forgotten Realms.
Messageboard Golem
First Post
I already have the DM screen, but play in the Forgotten Realms. Hence I was pleased to see the FR DM's Screen, and imidiately bought it. Much to my dismay, I might add.
The screen duplicates the "standard" DM's screen for 3rd Edition DnD, but omits very usefull information in exchange for a table of weapons, which take up the entire left-most page of the screen. Why??? The same information is readily available in the DM's Guide, whereas the "omitted" info on the standard DM's screen summarized quite many pages of information on DCs for various skills and tasks.
The only usefull information in regards to FR is the short list of names of years and a calendar table, listing the months and their names.
The tables that do remain from the previous screen are totally impossible to read. Spacing in the tables are very generous, making the words float in thin air, hindering the eye's navigation across the columns. This makes it very hard to find the "index" in the leftmost column of the tables and reading across to the "result" in the rightmost column. Sad.
The cover art is, however, stunning. Just sad the interior content, for which the screen was primarily purchased, is so poor.
I wouldn't recommend anyone buying this product -- if you need af DM's screen get the regular one, which is quite good.
The screen duplicates the "standard" DM's screen for 3rd Edition DnD, but omits very usefull information in exchange for a table of weapons, which take up the entire left-most page of the screen. Why??? The same information is readily available in the DM's Guide, whereas the "omitted" info on the standard DM's screen summarized quite many pages of information on DCs for various skills and tasks.
The only usefull information in regards to FR is the short list of names of years and a calendar table, listing the months and their names.
The tables that do remain from the previous screen are totally impossible to read. Spacing in the tables are very generous, making the words float in thin air, hindering the eye's navigation across the columns. This makes it very hard to find the "index" in the leftmost column of the tables and reading across to the "result" in the rightmost column. Sad.
The cover art is, however, stunning. Just sad the interior content, for which the screen was primarily purchased, is so poor.
I wouldn't recommend anyone buying this product -- if you need af DM's screen get the regular one, which is quite good.
teitan
Legend
I am going to review this product based on a few categories: Artwork, Tables and Insert.
Artwork 5/5
I find the artwork on this product to be absolutely amazing. It really stands out when compared to the other DM's Screens currently available and is an improvement over the Generic DnD screen, even with the Easley artwork. Of special note is the middle panel, the party fighting the Beholder and what I believe are orcs. The style is very evocative of the darker style that DnD 3E seems to have in comparison to 2E.
Tables 3/5
I find the tables on the screen itself to be quite useful but some of them make very little sense and do not really explain why this is a Forgotten Realms Screen. The chart of weapons has been quite helpful in play assisting me in determining exactly what weapons I want to give the random encounters I use and what exactly their threat ranges etc are. Before I purchased this screen I was constantly referencing the Player's Handbook for these things or just using the generic monsters which meant goblins were pushovers, and goblins should never be pushovers. heh heh heh.
Now the only part that makes this screen Realms specific is the Roll of the Years table and it makes absolutely no sense to place this table on a DM's Screen at all. How does this help me during a game? ANybody? Anybody? (no more Ferris Bueller jokes please!)
I use two screens in my games, the FR screen and the Scarred Lands screen and I have to say that I find the Scarred Lands screen to be a much better screen. WHereas the FR screen is pretty to look at, it is hard to read and they missed a few important tables that the SL screen has conveniently given us, like what skills can be used Untrained, Special Combat Situations, and Turn Undead (is the SL screen the only one with this on it?). There are more, but this is not the place to sing the praises of the SL screen.
Insert 3/5
I personally find the insert to be quite useful as my players beg for random encounter every session, gots to get them XPs. Most DMs do not use random encounters, and were I to have the time to plot extensively, I would not use them either. Back to the topic though, the charts for Random encounters is quite nice, but not all inclusive. Some places that should have special random encounters do not, like most of Cormyr. The tables are also hard to navigate through to find the right one as it uses an almost uniform font size throughout the text which is hard to read.
Overall the Screen is much better than the vast majority of Screens available, though I haven't seen the Kalamar screen from Kenzer & Company yet. I do suggest it as a wise purchase and have found a lot of use for it.
Artwork 5/5
I find the artwork on this product to be absolutely amazing. It really stands out when compared to the other DM's Screens currently available and is an improvement over the Generic DnD screen, even with the Easley artwork. Of special note is the middle panel, the party fighting the Beholder and what I believe are orcs. The style is very evocative of the darker style that DnD 3E seems to have in comparison to 2E.
Tables 3/5
I find the tables on the screen itself to be quite useful but some of them make very little sense and do not really explain why this is a Forgotten Realms Screen. The chart of weapons has been quite helpful in play assisting me in determining exactly what weapons I want to give the random encounters I use and what exactly their threat ranges etc are. Before I purchased this screen I was constantly referencing the Player's Handbook for these things or just using the generic monsters which meant goblins were pushovers, and goblins should never be pushovers. heh heh heh.
Now the only part that makes this screen Realms specific is the Roll of the Years table and it makes absolutely no sense to place this table on a DM's Screen at all. How does this help me during a game? ANybody? Anybody? (no more Ferris Bueller jokes please!)
I use two screens in my games, the FR screen and the Scarred Lands screen and I have to say that I find the Scarred Lands screen to be a much better screen. WHereas the FR screen is pretty to look at, it is hard to read and they missed a few important tables that the SL screen has conveniently given us, like what skills can be used Untrained, Special Combat Situations, and Turn Undead (is the SL screen the only one with this on it?). There are more, but this is not the place to sing the praises of the SL screen.
Insert 3/5
I personally find the insert to be quite useful as my players beg for random encounter every session, gots to get them XPs. Most DMs do not use random encounters, and were I to have the time to plot extensively, I would not use them either. Back to the topic though, the charts for Random encounters is quite nice, but not all inclusive. Some places that should have special random encounters do not, like most of Cormyr. The tables are also hard to navigate through to find the right one as it uses an almost uniform font size throughout the text which is hard to read.
Overall the Screen is much better than the vast majority of Screens available, though I haven't seen the Kalamar screen from Kenzer & Company yet. I do suggest it as a wise purchase and have found a lot of use for it.
