D&D 5E What you have on your DM screen

[R_J_K75]

LOL sucks getting older. I know I have harder times with things close up, but luckily my distance vision is great.

Here is the powerpoint file. Maybe you can resize the fonts and move things around to your tastes?

Great thanks I'll give it a shot.

 

[Coroc]

Zilch, open rolling on my side also, for the thrills.

But i got a spreadsheet, mainly a roster of the mobs which may appear during the session, plus some keywords on the adventure.

This sheet i do cover from the eyes of my players.

 

[Shiroiken]

Since I use a VTT instead of IRL, I technically have the advantage of infinite space, but before then I mostly focused on things that weren't easily recalled. Figured I'd never need the things I already know, so I went with the less common things. My focuses were:

• Conditions
  • can never remember all of them
• Vision/Light, Encounter Distance
  • useful for setting up encounters and giving descriptions
• Travel Rules
  • not commonly used, but I hate looking it up
• Environmental Hazards
  • like travel rule, I hate having to look them up if I need them
• Container Capacity
  • almost no one ever uses this, which is far more of a limiting factor than the encumbrance rules
• Costs: equipment, downtime, inns/meals, goods, services, etc.
  • helps keep play moving, giving the players a feel for the town (especially when I vary the prices up)
• DCs of standard effects (mostly PHB equipment)
  • most players are good about noting the DC and effects of their stuff, but some players are not, and it really kills the moment to have to look these up

 

[Stoutstien]

All my in person games have been put on a semi permanent hiatus until further notice so I haven't looked at my screen in a while.

Apparently there's a sticky note on my screen that says intravenous Jello injection bolts.

 

[Jediking]

I usually have a small list of NPC names and quick traits to glance at.

I also have a table with my players information to help me keep the pace of the game, especially with checks that they may not know about (traps, hidden doors, deceptive NPCs): AC, Passive Perception, Insight, Investigation

I ran one campaign where overland travel had a larger impact than usual, so also had a table of weather and each effect. Eg: heavy wind has disadvantage on ranged attacks and perception based in sound

 

[aco175]

I hardly use a screen, but just have some binder clips with some note cards where I can place some lists like NPC names in case I need one and the opposite side I can clip pictures of locations so the players can see. We used it before with the picture of Stone Bridge from the PotA and some random places I pulled off the internet.

 

[CleverNickName]

I'm anti-DM screen, actually. I keep my the map and encounter key in a 3-ring binder in my lap, and I roll all of my dice out in the open. So my "DM Screen" isn't really a screen, it's a clear plastic slip-liner that sits on the table next to me, with two sheets of 8.5x11 paper in it. On one side are the random encounter tables and weather tables I need for the current evening, and the marching order/AC/passive perception of the party. On the other side are the rules for movement, conditions, and actions/bonus actions.

Nowadays, with the pandemic and social distancing in effect, we play over Roll20 so technically everything is on my screen whenever I need it. But I still "roll all of my dice out in the open" by toggling off the Whisper feature on my dice rolls.

 

[Snarf Zagyg]

My DM screen is nothing but a big message, a reminder to me about the fundamental rule of DMing.

“Sweep the leg Johnny. NO MERCY!”

 

[R_J_K75]

My DM screen is nothing but a big message, a reminder to me about the fundamental rule of DMing.

“Sweep the leg Johnny. NO MERCY!”

What if a player retaliates with a Crane Kick?

 

[toucanbuzz]

What my players see (Dark Sun campaign)



What the DM sees: