D&D 5E What is the most important info on your custom DM screen?

[Wiseblood]

I have been looking into making my own DM screen. I have looked at many screens. The ones I own and others online. When suddenly it dawned on me. I don't see anything on these screens that I actually use. (Conditions maybe..)I like the screen so the players don't read my notes or accidentally see something that leads them on a wild goose chase (that you can't talk them out of) or directly to the truth which bypasses a lot of your prep and now you have to come up with something on the fly.

What info would you like on a DM screen? Random tables for treasure, NPC's, Dungeons etc. Rules for combat, skills, exploration even a map...
Inspiring pictures for you to look at?
PC's info, Initiative, or campaign specific stuff?
Is it just a distraction and you want nothing?

 

[jgsugden]

My custom screen is filled with a bunch of notes that would only make sense to me. They are shorthand for the rule impact of certain situations and conditions. I also have a section which includes a series of D20 rolls so that I can just look at the sheet and pick a random starting place and get a series of D20 rules without actually having to touch a die.

 

[Ezequielramone]

Weapons and armor tables.

 

[Hriston]

Random terrain generation table and associated random encounter time of day table

 

[aco175]

I do not really use a screen, but I could use a name chart for NPCs and a pocket for magic items to give out. In some of the adventures I just list a random item and let the players roll on the chart. Sometimes I would like to have the items listed out on a list to choose from. If I was high-speed I would have them printed out on cards like 4e that I could give the player. Another thing I may need is a random encounter that is level appropriate. Something I could pull out if needed. I guess my screen would need plastic sheet protectors and baseball card pockets to change these things out.

 

[redkobold]

I think the most important are:
Conditions
Missile weapon ranges at least of a full weapons list
Rules for cover
Race speeds
Animal and Vehicle walking and long distance speeds
Typical DCs with Examples
Brief description of Combat and Movement Actions

 

[Flexor the Mighty!]

My kill count.

 

[Zardnaar]

I use a cheat sheet which summarises key rules form the PHB.

 

[Stormdale]

I don't use one, just have DMG nearby if needed and my campaign note book beside me. I have a cheat sheet somewhere but haven't used it much. I really dislike having the dm hidden behind a screen, I like to have all rolls in the open so pcs can see there is no cheating (with 5e lots of ways for the pcs to change my dice rolls- curse them!) so removed that barrier years ago to a more open gaming table style.

Stormdale

 

[Lanefan]

A table of movement and travel speeds by round-minute-hour-day using feet or miles as appropriate is a biggie for me, cross-referenced with type of movement (careful search, wilderness, normal walk, run, sprint).
A chart or formula for calculating encounter and-or combat xp, for when I'm not using a canned module or have modified an encounter and-or opponent.

For my 1e game there's lots of other game-mechanical things I want - combat matrix, saving throw matrices for people and items, a random-action table for confusion effects, etc. - but for a 5e game I'd say the most important thing is blank space for a DM to stick her game-specific notes to.

Also useful on the screen but would be different for almost every game:

- game-world calendar including moon phases, major holidays/celebratons by culture/race, equinox/solstice, etc.
- short notes on each character to remind me what makes them tick - particularly if there's something affecting any of them that their players don't know about

Simple rule of thumb: if you as DM have to look it up more than once a session it's probably something you want on the back of the screen.

Lan-"and make sure the screen is heavy enough card stock to be self-standing and to allow things to be paper-clipped to it"-efan