What should go on a DM screen?
- Thread starter Jeff Wilder
- Start date
Sejs
First Post
Item hardness and hp by material.
Actions by type and AoO provocation.
Grapple, Trip, Disarm, Charge, Bull Rush, Overrun, and Sunder rules.
Example skill DCs and situational modifiers by skill.
Turning rules.
Weapon damage-by-size chart.
Exp table by CR/ECL.
BA, saves, and max skill ranks progression by level.
Actions by type and AoO provocation.
Grapple, Trip, Disarm, Charge, Bull Rush, Overrun, and Sunder rules.
Example skill DCs and situational modifiers by skill.
Turning rules.
Weapon damage-by-size chart.
Exp table by CR/ECL.
BA, saves, and max skill ranks progression by level.
Bront
The man with the probe
Jeff Wilder said:
Disarm and Trip rules. Common statuses (Stunned, Dazed, Blinded, Stoned, etc) and their effects. Common AoO situation list could be usefull, but long. If you want DCs, Spot and Search DCs could be useful as well. BAB and Save charts (High, Med, and Low BAB and High and Low Save charts) and a chart of what base class gets what (Makes for an easy random encounter with little/no stat blocks). Damage conversions for Size.
There's probably more that would be usefull, but I can't think of it off the top of my head.
Celebrim
Legend
I actually don't know, and I wish someone would give me some good suggestions.
In first edition, I had a very good set up with 2 DM screens and a couple of tables (critical hits, weapon vs. AC modifiers) paper clipped onto one screen. I used a note pad with 'to hit' numbers vs. a given AC for all of the PC's commonly used weapons, and on which I recorded things that the PC's acquired over the course of the adventure: spell effects, XP, treasure, ect. It let me run a 1st edition game very smoothly and was utterly useful.
I still use my screens and my notepad system.
The notepad now records attack bonus for the PC's commonly used weapons, thier saving throws, and thier spot/search/listen and in a social setting sense motive bonuses. I otherwise use it the same as I always have to make notes and adjustments on the fly, and keep track of what a player has done, game time, etc.
But my screens are basically used for nothing more than to hide the module and my dice throws from the players. The reason is that 3rd edition just doesn't have all the bizarre tables that 1st edition had. I don't need to have a table in front of me to know whether the cleric has passed his saving throw vs. wands. There is nothing about the game which is just too tedious and too abstract and too random that it presents a serious challenge to memorize. I don't have to look at the rules (and consider it a failing on my part when I have to), and the rules are clear enough that I can usually anticipate what skill checks are going to be needed for a given area and record the DC's directly in the module notes.
Some things I can think of that might be the turning table (one of the few obscure tables left in the game), maybe the XP/CR/EL table (thought it seldom comes up except at the end of a session), a status/effect list might be nice (though after they've come up a couple of times you tend to remember them), and a joint PH/DMG index so that looking up things could be quicker. But on the whole, I just can't see anything that will make screens nearly as useful as they were in 1st edition.
In first edition, I had a very good set up with 2 DM screens and a couple of tables (critical hits, weapon vs. AC modifiers) paper clipped onto one screen. I used a note pad with 'to hit' numbers vs. a given AC for all of the PC's commonly used weapons, and on which I recorded things that the PC's acquired over the course of the adventure: spell effects, XP, treasure, ect. It let me run a 1st edition game very smoothly and was utterly useful.
I still use my screens and my notepad system.
The notepad now records attack bonus for the PC's commonly used weapons, thier saving throws, and thier spot/search/listen and in a social setting sense motive bonuses. I otherwise use it the same as I always have to make notes and adjustments on the fly, and keep track of what a player has done, game time, etc.
But my screens are basically used for nothing more than to hide the module and my dice throws from the players. The reason is that 3rd edition just doesn't have all the bizarre tables that 1st edition had. I don't need to have a table in front of me to know whether the cleric has passed his saving throw vs. wands. There is nothing about the game which is just too tedious and too abstract and too random that it presents a serious challenge to memorize. I don't have to look at the rules (and consider it a failing on my part when I have to), and the rules are clear enough that I can usually anticipate what skill checks are going to be needed for a given area and record the DC's directly in the module notes.
Some things I can think of that might be the turning table (one of the few obscure tables left in the game), maybe the XP/CR/EL table (thought it seldom comes up except at the end of a session), a status/effect list might be nice (though after they've come up a couple of times you tend to remember them), and a joint PH/DMG index so that looking up things could be quicker. But on the whole, I just can't see anything that will make screens nearly as useful as they were in 1st edition.
palleomortis
First Post
Ok, so what comes on a DM screen from WotC?
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