DM Screens [Archive] - Wizards Community - Pages Merged by Solauren

DM Screens [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
Candin
07-18-07, 02:05 AM I know a lot of gaming groups have these screens set up. I'm having trouble figuring out why this would be necessary. As I can tell, the only real boon it gives to the group is that the DM has the option of botching dice rolls if he feels sorry for them.

We've never used DM screens, and it's never even been suggested. I'm curious what people's thoughts are on them for those who actually do use them. Are they worth having? What kind of benefits do they give the DM and, more importantly, the group? Or are they nothing more than tangible property to declare that this person is superior because they are the DM, etc..?
shadzar
07-18-07, 02:22 AM first let me say that for a time there were also Player screens. these were nice for keeping your character sheet away from other players, but for the other reason a DM uses screen it was a dismal failure.

here are some reasons for DM screens:
hide dice rolls either so the DM can fudge to prevent TPKs, or so the player don't try to guess what is being rolled for.
hide keyed maps
hide the adventure notes so players don't try to read ahead.

basically to hide things from the players that they shouldn't know about. like what is coming next, or what treasure they may have missed in a previous location. also to hide a DMs face when something drastic will or has just happened to the party so it doesn't give away anything.
IdleAltruism
07-18-07, 02:25 AM Dm screens can have many functions. Such as having useful game rules and DC to things like skill checks ready and available right in front of you. It also can serve to hide notes/monsters/secret DM rolls(there are quite a few of them). Also there is that little thing about fudging dice, it can be handy.
Stormonu
07-18-07, 02:25 AM Also, the screens do have information that can save you a trip to the DMG or PHB to look something up. Half the problem, though is remembering it's on the screen.

Mostly though, I use them to shield the map and adventure notes from the player's eyes. Also, I can keep the mini's I'm about to unleash behind the screen where the player's can't see them.
mearrin69
07-18-07, 03:19 AM I find mine most useful for shielding maps, notes, minis, etc. from the players. I've got one of the pretty new ones (with the dragon and kobolds on it) and really like the fairly short profile. The old ones used to be 8 1/2 x 11 or something (dunno, I may be reaching back to 1E with this) and really blocked the DM's view.

I rarely remember to look at the info on the inside - but I suppose if I made my own stuff I'd know where it was and remember to consult it before cracking a rulebook.

And, bad as it may be, I do fudge the occasional dice roll back there. I roll some things in public - especially things like opposed grapple checks because that's a really in-your-face sort of thing - but I keep to-hit rolls, saves, etc. behind the screen. Last session the party was really bottled up by some great (though unplanned on my part) NPC tactics and they could have gotten picked off pretty easily. I let two crits go by as just hits. Without that the party scout (stuck in front) would have been meat (they're second level and this guy's got maybe 10-12 hp - I won't be so gentle later on).

Anyway, I could see playing without it if you had somewhere off-table to keep things the players shouldn't see.
M
Illithid00
07-18-07, 04:41 AM I like using a DM screen to help keep my adventure notes from my players. As stated above, it also holds info that I can use to avoid taking time away from the game while poring through a rulebook. However, as my DnD funds are rather limited at the moment, I've been using the folder that the DnD character sheets came in as the DM screen.

DM screens are nice though, especially to keep stuff such as dice rolling and minis hidden from the players.
Azezel
07-18-07, 08:43 AM All of the above is true, but also, well, it's just a badge of office, isn't it...
SlanderPanic
07-18-07, 10:00 AM I'd been using the same screen for 15 years until recently, when one of my players gave me a new screen that he wasn't using. (He never DMs and has no interest in doing so. Why he bought it, I'll never know.) I've got to say, having tables for the current edition right in front of me is really nice. I also like that the new screen has a lower profile, but is actually wider; it gives you more room to work while obscuring the rest of the table less. In addition, the artwork on the screen helps set the mood for the game.

Just for kicks, I might 3.5-ify The Terrible Trouble at Tragidore, the adventure that came with the 2nd Ed. screen, one of these days and run my group through it. It was so very lame.
Sterling
07-18-07, 10:37 AM I have one of the customizable sorts with the clear pockets so I can put all kinds of useful charts, tables, and notes in them. The front has pockets also so the players can pick charts they want or just tell me what cool pieces of artwork they'd like to have. There are plenty of uses for a DM screen.
Isida Kep'Tukari
07-18-07, 10:50 AM I find DM screens useful not only to hide notes, monster hit points, monster books in general, treasure charts, and maps the PCs haven't been to, but also to cover my "random" rolls.

Sometimes a DM "rolls for random encounters" when you know darn well that you don't have the time to fight another stupid troll before you get to the big showdown with the ogre mage at the end of the night. So no matter what the dice say, nothing happens, but you want the players to think they've escaped doom by a roll of the dice.

Or perhaps you really want there to be an item available at this particular shop, really need the players to know something, or anything like that. Dice-fudging is the great use of the DM screen.

Or when you're totally stalling, sometimes you can "roll a few dice" and "flip through your notes" to find some information while you frantically think of the answer to your player's question. It allows the DM to keep that air of the omniscient.

And finally, sometimes you can just roll some random dice at random times to keep the players on their toes.

"What's she rolling for? Random monsters? Random treasure? Random scrying chance? What? What?!"

Good times with the DM screen. Good times…
key
07-18-07, 11:08 AM I've always been embarassed by them. I picture someone walking in the room seeing the set up and saying "Hi. Uh, what's going on?" as it's apparent she's noticed the DM screen. Response: "Oh hi. See, I'm the 'Dungeon Master', and this is my Dungeon Master screen. It helps me keep things secret from the players." Then either she's confused or is trying to hold back laughter. They multiply the geekiness factor by a hundred, easily.
Isida Kep'Tukari
07-18-07, 11:25 AM They multiply the geekiness factor by a hundred, easily. And this is a bad thing because...?

Seriously, we sit around with glossy books that look like textbooks, pretending to be elves, or dwarves, or halfling, pretending to cast spells and swing weapons as we kill creatures straight out of fantasy!

Our geekiness factor is already through the roof. I say, "embrace the flava." You are a geek. Be proud! :w00t:
SlanderPanic
07-18-07, 11:28 AM You're far too self-conscious about your hobby, Key. Isida said it better, though.
shadzar
07-18-07, 11:33 AM I'd been using the same screen for 15 years until recently, when one of my players gave me a new screen that he wasn't using. (He never DMs and has no interest in doing so. Why he bought it, I'll never know.) I've got to say, having tables for the current edition right in front of me is really nice. I also like that the new screen has a lower profile, but is actually wider; it gives you more room to work while obscuring the rest of the table less. In addition, the artwork on the screen helps set the mood for the game.

Just for kicks, I might 3.5-ify The Terrible Trouble at Tragidore, the adventure that came with the 2nd Ed. screen, one of these days and run my group through it. It was so very lame.well the players had quick access to those tables if they had their own screen, but of course they would be required to keep it down rather that frestanding which is the priveledge of the DM only. ;)
McPoyo
07-18-07, 11:34 AM My players have a tendency to reverse engineer the monsters. And frankly, it takes the fun out of the game when they work the attack and damage rolls backwards and figure out a fairly narrow range of ability scores and possible level so they have a ballpark on how much damage things can take, and they use tactics that play to those numbers. I prefer them thinking the goblin or orc is really lucky with 20's over them trying to figure out whether he has 4 or 5 levels in a class instead.
key
07-18-07, 12:17 PM And this is a bad thing because...?

Seriously, we sit around with glossy books that look like textbooks, pretending to be elves, or dwarves, or halfling, pretending to cast spells and swing weapons as we kill creatures straight out of fantasy!

Our geekiness factor is already through the roof. I say, "embrace the flava." You are a geek. Be proud! :w00t:

:) Ha-ha.

No see, here's how it works. I leave all those glossy books at home. I don't use mini's. I hope my DM refrains from using a DM screen. All I have with me is my character sheet and dice. The character sheet could be any old piece of paper to the untrained eye. And the dice could just be a craps thing for all they know.

And there's no pretending. I know very well that I am not an elf. I am always careful to say "My guy does this or that." If my guy has to shout, I say what my guy is shouting, rather than shouting myself.

You're far too self-conscious about your hobby, Key.
Yeah, pretty much. :)
Maldin
07-18-07, 05:00 PM I've always been embarassed by them. I picture someone walking in the room seeing the set up and saying "Hi. Uh, what's going on?" ...
Well, if a stranger walks into a room while I'm DMing in my house (or my buddy's house), I won't be the one who is embarassed. ;-)

I always use a screen, and for most of the reasons that have been stated by others... hides the map, hides my adventure notes, allows me to fudge (if absolutely necessary to the enjoyment of the game). I don't play with mini's, but when I'm running a Spelljammer session, I can hide the ship model(s) that I'm about to unleash on them. The screen generally covers only part of my work surface, though, so I also do some stuff in sight of the players.

The charts and lists on the screen I use is also VERY helpful... saving lots of time searching through rule books. I also use a "combat computer" disk (first published in Dragon WAY back for (I believe) 1E, that has been extensively modified... updated to 2E, and LOTS of custom information added to it in very small text. Alas now I have to wear eyeglasses to read some of that text now, when I originally didn't have to when I first created it. Very depressing. :-( And yes, its a comment on how long I've been gaming.

Denis, aka "Maldin"
Maldin's Greyhawk http://melkot.com
Edition-independent Greyhawk goodness... maps, mysteries, magic, mechanics, and more!
Jagyr Ebonwood
07-18-07, 05:07 PM There is also the use of the front side of the screen.

I've often used the front of a DM screen to display artwork, such as a picture of the NPC the party is dealing with, or a photo that looks like their current location, or a cutaway view of a sailing ship in a nautical campaign.

You can also put commonly-referenced tables on the front, because players need them too.
katakraos
07-18-07, 05:22 PM :)

And there's no pretending. I know very well that I am not an elf. I am always careful to say "My guy does this or that." If my guy has to shout, I say what my guy is shouting, rather than shouting myself.

And that doesn't kill half of the fun? :confused:
key
07-18-07, 05:49 PM And that doesn't kill half of the fun? :confused:
Perhaps for all you extroverted Thespians. :P
BaltotheJunkie
07-18-07, 06:55 PM :) Ha-ha.

No see, here's how it works. I leave all those glossy books at home. I don't use mini's. I hope my DM refrains from using a DM screen. All I have with me is my character sheet and dice. The character sheet could be any old piece of paper to the untrained eye. And the dice could just be a craps thing for all they know.

And there's no pretending. I know very well that I am not an elf. I am always careful to say "My guy does this or that." If my guy has to shout, I say what my guy is shouting, rather than shouting myself.

Yeah, pretty much. :)

You must play a lot to know all the rules cold.

I still don't know them (I used to know the 1st ed rules, but that was before I had a "real life").
Artifact
07-18-07, 08:01 PM I still don't know them (I used to know the 1st ed rules, but that was before I had a "real life").

This "real life" you speak of, it sounds familiar somehow . . . ;)

I think its true, back before real life set in, I could freely immerse myself in the minutiae of rules; now, a wife and two kids later, 10-12 hour work days (6 days a week), and I struggle to set aside two days a month for actual gaming. Preparation time is at a premium, so I never memorize game rules any more; time is absorbed in developing the next adventure (often with the invaluable help of Dragon/Dungeon Magazine-- Oh, how I'll miss 'em :weep:).

It seems like I DM more than I play now days, so yeah, the screen and its many tables and charts really comes in handy. And as someone already mentioned, its sort of a "badge of honor" ;).

I've often used the front of a DM screen to display artwork, such as a picture of the NPC the party is dealing with, or a photo that looks like their current location, or a cutaway view of a sailing ship in a nautical campaign.

This is something I also do quite regularly. A picture really is worth a thousand words.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Candin 07-18-07, 02:05 AM	I know a lot of gaming groups have these screens set up. I'm having trouble figuring out why this would be necessary. As I can tell, the only real boon it gives to the group is that the DM has the option of botching dice rolls if he feels sorry for them. We've never used DM screens, and it's never even been suggested. I'm curious what people's thoughts are on them for those who actually do use them. Are they worth having? What kind of benefits do they give the DM and, more importantly, the group? Or are they nothing more than tangible property to declare that this person is superior because they are the DM, etc..?
shadzar 07-18-07, 02:22 AM	first let me say that for a time there were also Player screens. these were nice for keeping your character sheet away from other players, but for the other reason a DM uses screen it was a dismal failure. here are some reasons for DM screens: hide dice rolls either so the DM can fudge to prevent TPKs, or so the player don't try to guess what is being rolled for. hide keyed maps hide the adventure notes so players don't try to read ahead. basically to hide things from the players that they shouldn't know about. like what is coming next, or what treasure they may have missed in a previous location. also to hide a DMs face when something drastic will or has just happened to the party so it doesn't give away anything.
IdleAltruism 07-18-07, 02:25 AM	Dm screens can have many functions. Such as having useful game rules and DC to things like skill checks ready and available right in front of you. It also can serve to hide notes/monsters/secret DM rolls(there are quite a few of them). Also there is that little thing about fudging dice, it can be handy.
Stormonu 07-18-07, 02:25 AM	Also, the screens do have information that can save you a trip to the DMG or PHB to look something up. Half the problem, though is remembering it's on the screen. Mostly though, I use them to shield the map and adventure notes from the player's eyes. Also, I can keep the mini's I'm about to unleash behind the screen where the player's can't see them.
mearrin69 07-18-07, 03:19 AM	I find mine most useful for shielding maps, notes, minis, etc. from the players. I've got one of the pretty new ones (with the dragon and kobolds on it) and really like the fairly short profile. The old ones used to be 8 1/2 x 11 or something (dunno, I may be reaching back to 1E with this) and really blocked the DM's view. I rarely remember to look at the info on the inside - but I suppose if I made my own stuff I'd know where it was and remember to consult it before cracking a rulebook. And, bad as it may be, I do fudge the occasional dice roll back there. I roll some things in public - especially things like opposed grapple checks because that's a really in-your-face sort of thing - but I keep to-hit rolls, saves, etc. behind the screen. Last session the party was really bottled up by some great (though unplanned on my part) NPC tactics and they could have gotten picked off pretty easily. I let two crits go by as just hits. Without that the party scout (stuck in front) would have been meat (they're second level and this guy's got maybe 10-12 hp - I won't be so gentle later on). Anyway, I could see playing without it if you had somewhere off-table to keep things the players shouldn't see. M
Illithid00 07-18-07, 04:41 AM	I like using a DM screen to help keep my adventure notes from my players. As stated above, it also holds info that I can use to avoid taking time away from the game while poring through a rulebook. However, as my DnD funds are rather limited at the moment, I've been using the folder that the DnD character sheets came in as the DM screen. DM screens are nice though, especially to keep stuff such as dice rolling and minis hidden from the players.
Azezel 07-18-07, 08:43 AM	All of the above is true, but also, well, it's just a badge of office, isn't it...
SlanderPanic 07-18-07, 10:00 AM	I'd been using the same screen for 15 years until recently, when one of my players gave me a new screen that he wasn't using. (He never DMs and has no interest in doing so. Why he bought it, I'll never know.) I've got to say, having tables for the current edition right in front of me is really nice. I also like that the new screen has a lower profile, but is actually wider; it gives you more room to work while obscuring the rest of the table less. In addition, the artwork on the screen helps set the mood for the game. Just for kicks, I might 3.5-ify The Terrible Trouble at Tragidore, the adventure that came with the 2nd Ed. screen, one of these days and run my group through it. It was so very lame.
Sterling 07-18-07, 10:37 AM	I have one of the customizable sorts with the clear pockets so I can put all kinds of useful charts, tables, and notes in them. The front has pockets also so the players can pick charts they want or just tell me what cool pieces of artwork they'd like to have. There are plenty of uses for a DM screen.
Isida Kep'Tukari 07-18-07, 10:50 AM	I find DM screens useful not only to hide notes, monster hit points, monster books in general, treasure charts, and maps the PCs haven't been to, but also to cover my "random" rolls. Sometimes a DM "rolls for random encounters" when you know darn well that you don't have the time to fight another stupid troll before you get to the big showdown with the ogre mage at the end of the night. So no matter what the dice say, nothing happens, but you want the players to think they've escaped doom by a roll of the dice. Or perhaps you really want there to be an item available at this particular shop, really need the players to know something, or anything like that. Dice-fudging is the great use of the DM screen. Or when you're totally stalling, sometimes you can "roll a few dice" and "flip through your notes" to find some information while you frantically think of the answer to your player's question. It allows the DM to keep that air of the omniscient. And finally, sometimes you can just roll some random dice at random times to keep the players on their toes. "What's she rolling for? Random monsters? Random treasure? Random scrying chance? What? What?!" Good times with the DM screen. Good times…
key 07-18-07, 11:08 AM	I've always been embarassed by them. I picture someone walking in the room seeing the set up and saying "Hi. Uh, what's going on?" as it's apparent she's noticed the DM screen. Response: "Oh hi. See, I'm the 'Dungeon Master', and this is my Dungeon Master screen. It helps me keep things secret from the players." Then either she's confused or is trying to hold back laughter. They multiply the geekiness factor by a hundred, easily.
Isida Kep'Tukari 07-18-07, 11:25 AM	They multiply the geekiness factor by a hundred, easily. And this is a bad thing because...? Seriously, we sit around with glossy books that look like textbooks, pretending to be elves, or dwarves, or halfling, pretending to cast spells and swing weapons as we kill creatures straight out of fantasy! Our geekiness factor is already through the roof. I say, "embrace the flava." You are a geek. Be proud! :w00t:
SlanderPanic 07-18-07, 11:28 AM	You're far too self-conscious about your hobby, Key. Isida said it better, though.
shadzar 07-18-07, 11:33 AM	I'd been using the same screen for 15 years until recently, when one of my players gave me a new screen that he wasn't using. (He never DMs and has no interest in doing so. Why he bought it, I'll never know.) I've got to say, having tables for the current edition right in front of me is really nice. I also like that the new screen has a lower profile, but is actually wider; it gives you more room to work while obscuring the rest of the table less. In addition, the artwork on the screen helps set the mood for the game. Just for kicks, I might 3.5-ify The Terrible Trouble at Tragidore, the adventure that came with the 2nd Ed. screen, one of these days and run my group through it. It was so very lame.well the players had quick access to those tables if they had their own screen, but of course they would be required to keep it down rather that frestanding which is the priveledge of the DM only. ;)
McPoyo 07-18-07, 11:34 AM	My players have a tendency to reverse engineer the monsters. And frankly, it takes the fun out of the game when they work the attack and damage rolls backwards and figure out a fairly narrow range of ability scores and possible level so they have a ballpark on how much damage things can take, and they use tactics that play to those numbers. I prefer them thinking the goblin or orc is really lucky with 20's over them trying to figure out whether he has 4 or 5 levels in a class instead.
key 07-18-07, 12:17 PM	And this is a bad thing because...? Seriously, we sit around with glossy books that look like textbooks, pretending to be elves, or dwarves, or halfling, pretending to cast spells and swing weapons as we kill creatures straight out of fantasy! Our geekiness factor is already through the roof. I say, "embrace the flava." You are a geek. Be proud! :w00t: :) Ha-ha. No see, here's how it works. I leave all those glossy books at home. I don't use mini's. I hope my DM refrains from using a DM screen. All I have with me is my character sheet and dice. The character sheet could be any old piece of paper to the untrained eye. And the dice could just be a craps thing for all they know. And there's no pretending. I know very well that I am not an elf. I am always careful to say "My guy does this or that." If my guy has to shout, I say what my guy is shouting, rather than shouting myself. You're far too self-conscious about your hobby, Key. Yeah, pretty much. :)
Maldin 07-18-07, 05:00 PM	I've always been embarassed by them. I picture someone walking in the room seeing the set up and saying "Hi. Uh, what's going on?" ... Well, if a stranger walks into a room while I'm DMing in my house (or my buddy's house), I won't be the one who is embarassed. ;-) I always use a screen, and for most of the reasons that have been stated by others... hides the map, hides my adventure notes, allows me to fudge (if absolutely necessary to the enjoyment of the game). I don't play with mini's, but when I'm running a Spelljammer session, I can hide the ship model(s) that I'm about to unleash on them. The screen generally covers only part of my work surface, though, so I also do some stuff in sight of the players. The charts and lists on the screen I use is also VERY helpful... saving lots of time searching through rule books. I also use a "combat computer" disk (first published in Dragon WAY back for (I believe) 1E, that has been extensively modified... updated to 2E, and LOTS of custom information added to it in very small text. Alas now I have to wear eyeglasses to read some of that text now, when I originally didn't have to when I first created it. Very depressing. :-( And yes, its a comment on how long I've been gaming. Denis, aka "Maldin" Maldin's Greyhawk http://melkot.com Edition-independent Greyhawk goodness... maps, mysteries, magic, mechanics, and more!
Jagyr Ebonwood 07-18-07, 05:07 PM	There is also the use of the front side of the screen. I've often used the front of a DM screen to display artwork, such as a picture of the NPC the party is dealing with, or a photo that looks like their current location, or a cutaway view of a sailing ship in a nautical campaign. You can also put commonly-referenced tables on the front, because players need them too.
katakraos 07-18-07, 05:22 PM	:) And there's no pretending. I know very well that I am not an elf. I am always careful to say "My guy does this or that." If my guy has to shout, I say what my guy is shouting, rather than shouting myself. And that doesn't kill half of the fun? :confused:
key 07-18-07, 05:49 PM	And that doesn't kill half of the fun? :confused: Perhaps for all you extroverted Thespians. :P
BaltotheJunkie 07-18-07, 06:55 PM	:) Ha-ha. No see, here's how it works. I leave all those glossy books at home. I don't use mini's. I hope my DM refrains from using a DM screen. All I have with me is my character sheet and dice. The character sheet could be any old piece of paper to the untrained eye. And the dice could just be a craps thing for all they know. And there's no pretending. I know very well that I am not an elf. I am always careful to say "My guy does this or that." If my guy has to shout, I say what my guy is shouting, rather than shouting myself. Yeah, pretty much. :) You must play a lot to know all the rules cold. I still don't know them (I used to know the 1st ed rules, but that was before I had a "real life").
Artifact 07-18-07, 08:01 PM	I still don't know them (I used to know the 1st ed rules, but that was before I had a "real life"). This "real life" you speak of, it sounds familiar somehow . . . ;) I think its true, back before real life set in, I could freely immerse myself in the minutiae of rules; now, a wife and two kids later, 10-12 hour work days (6 days a week), and I struggle to set aside two days a month for actual gaming. Preparation time is at a premium, so I never memorize game rules any more; time is absorbed in developing the next adventure (often with the invaluable help of Dragon/Dungeon Magazine-- Oh, how I'll miss 'em :weep:). It seems like I DM more than I play now days, so yeah, the screen and its many tables and charts really comes in handy. And as someone already mentioned, its sort of a "badge of honor" ;). I've often used the front of a DM screen to display artwork, such as a picture of the NPC the party is dealing with, or a photo that looks like their current location, or a cutaway view of a sailing ship in a nautical campaign. This is something I also do quite regularly. A picture really is worth a thousand words.