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Forgotten Realms: Dungeon Master's Screen
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<blockquote data-quote="Arnwyn" data-source="post: 2008886" data-attributes="member: 7701"><p>Gack! What the heck is this? An FR DM screen? Why, oh why?</p><p></p><p>And indeed, these questions sum it all up - truly, what is the point of this product? </p><p></p><p>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!</p><p></p><p>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.</p><p></p><p>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?).</p><p></p><p>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.</p><p></p><p>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).</p><p></p><p>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?".</p><p></p><p>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.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Arnwyn, post: 2008886, member: 7701"] 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. [/QUOTE]
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