Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Deathclock 07-02-07, 03:46 PM	Are DM screens worth the 10-50 bucks, or should i just make one out of folders or somthing?
Vengeful_Deity 07-02-07, 03:50 PM	Are DM screens worth the 10-50 bucks, or should i just make one out of folders or somthing? You could do the folders, but the DM Screen has a butt ton of tables and charts on the inside that I find invaluable.
Ecalsneerg 07-02-07, 03:53 PM	My DM finds it easier to do it all on laptop, and play minesweeper while we take ages doing stuff. But otherwise, a big bit of cardboard is just the same and you can easily pin up notes and things.
Vengeful_Deity 07-02-07, 03:56 PM	My DM finds it easier to do it all on laptop, and play minesweeper while we take ages doing stuff. But otherwise, a big bit of cardboard is just the same and you can easily pin up notes and things. Or use one of those Science Project Boards.
Psychoticpsymon 07-02-07, 03:59 PM	I got a nice one made of steel with hinges. Its painted to avoid rust, and with magnetic tape I can put whatever I want on the sides for quick reference, including BBEG sheets!
kyeudo 07-02-07, 04:11 PM	I made my own from duct tape and carboard and just clip any important notes I have to it, when I use it at all. My players find it hard to understand some checks they make I roll for them.
Vharuck 07-02-07, 04:16 PM	As a player, official DM screens have pretty art for me to gaze at and admire while the player next to me is taking forever before he inevitably just takes a double move action.
RedTopHat 07-02-07, 04:41 PM	I use a box with a large hole in the middle, the rest of my info is in my book. I'm most likely going to fix my box and make better side flaps for it, or just buy a DM screen because my player was looking at me and saw my ogre mage encounter I had planned. I was disheartened:(
Kevtar 07-02-07, 04:44 PM	When I'm not using DMGenie, or the SRD online (Sage's), I use the DM Screen from WOTC. I picked it up at 1/2price books for $4.98 and it came with a D20 Modern screen. Not bad.
HerbalTea 07-02-07, 04:52 PM	I have the official DM screen and I find it immensely useful. Not only is the information valuable, it is also handy to pin extra stuff on and hide notes behind. You could use a normal piece of cardboard but buying this will save the time and effort. Plus, you get a cool picture of "the" party fighting a red dragon for some treasure on the back ;)
ccerose 07-02-07, 05:43 PM	I use the WotC one as well.
Malraux 07-02-07, 05:57 PM	I use DM Genie and the module. I've found that the screen gets between me and my module.
StSteven 07-02-07, 05:59 PM	I use the WoTC one as well, though I found it useful to write what is in each column at the top so it is easily found. I would buy them...
Cariyaga 07-02-07, 06:40 PM	My DM has one, and I agree, it's fun to look at when everyone takes forever...
Kouk 07-02-07, 07:48 PM	Something of note with the "official" screen that comes with that d20 modern screen as well: there are errors in the tables. Actions: Bull Rush should say "Yes" to whether it provokes an AoO. Trip an Opponent should say "Yes" to provoking an AoO. Skills: Disable Device should say "No" to Untrained, and "No" to Armor Check Penalty Open Lock should say "No" to Armor Check Penalty I don't know if they released a new one and I happen to have an old one, but that's what was wrong with mine. I also found it useful to add in that Intimidate is opposed by a modified level check, 1d20 + HD + Wis bonus + save vs. fear modifiers.
afeldspar 07-02-07, 07:52 PM	As a new DM (three sessions under my belt now), I like having the screen(s) for quick reference. I use the Dungeon Crawl Classics screens (Amazon, 15 bucks or so) and they are useful. I also dig the retro art on the player side.
Magnus029 07-02-07, 08:01 PM	You could do the folders, but the DM Screen has a butt ton of tables and charts on the inside that I find invaluable. Can you please explain that one to me? I will say that the DM screens are extremely useful and I don't think I could DM without mine. To me... its as needed as my endless supply of Mt Dew and pizza...
Zousha_Omenohu 07-03-07, 09:05 AM	I used to just use any splatbooks I wasn't using as a makeshift screen. The biggest design flaw was the fact that the books sometimes had problems standing up, so I'd use other books to prop them up until it looked more like a mini DM fortress. While that was cool to a certain extent, I think the screens I just bought will be much more convenient what with the tables on there that I won't have to go paging through the corebooks to find, and the fact that I got a d20 Modern screen for free (though I doubt I'll honestly use it)!
Gemmalah 07-03-07, 12:38 PM	I use a players handbook (hardback) proped up on a useful page or even a monster manual open on a page i will be using later, so when my players see me with more than one monster manual open they have a harder time metagaming. sometimes however I sit at a higher table (the breakfast bar) that overlooks the main gaming table, nobody can see my notes or rolls but i can see all the rolls.
OleOneEye 07-03-07, 11:40 PM	I absolutely hate using a DM screen. It heavily cuts into your vision when looking over the table. It is awkward to reach over top of when moving miniatures around or handing props out to players. I have no need to hide my rolls from the players. The majority of the charts are things I almost never use or have memorized anyway. Screens are on the same level of usefulness as a d30 in my book.
Tichrimo 07-03-07, 11:46 PM	I absolutely hate using a DM screen. It heavily cuts into your vision when looking over the table. It is awkward to reach over top of when moving miniatures around or handing props out to players. I have no need to hide my rolls from the players. The majority of the charts are things I almost never use or have memorized anyway. Screens are on the same level of usefulness as a d30 in my book. Hear, hear! My players often demand I "roll their death" where they can see it, so they know I'm not fudging anything in their favour. The occasional secret roll happens behind the screen of my laptop computer, but it's normally off to the side.
Psikerlord 07-03-07, 11:55 PM	I have the eberron screen which is landscape format. it is great for finding modifiers quickly. I think whether you buy one or make one, it's worth having. We make all our combat rolls in the open too - NPC saves, to hit, damage, the whole thing (secret spot checks aside). No fudging!!
Demangel 07-04-07, 02:37 AM	I use the official one with the d20 and the red dragon versions... What I do is I play at the dining room table, and have a set of smaller TV diner tables standing next to my seat. I strategically place the tables and the screens and my notes so no one can see them, but also so that they do not interfere with my ability to see and interact with the playing table space. It's not that hard really... If you find your reaching over the thing, it's just a simple matter of rearranging your Feng Shui to make a more efficient flow of Ki through the gaming area, thats all :)
Dontgothere 07-04-07, 11:53 AM	For $10-15, I think they are. It allows you to sit in the same vicinity as the players and still hide what goes on behind the screen from prying eyes.
DrMorganes 07-04-07, 12:02 PM	For the new DM, I strongly recommend using an official DM screen, even if you don't actually use it to hide your notes. Having all that information at your fingertips - especially the things that generally aren't used much (grapple rules, anyone?) - is a definite boon. I know I appreciated having one when I was starting out. As time went on, I found the screen to be less and less useful. I could pull the rules from memory, and it just wasn't BIG enough to deal with the amount of space I needed. I still use some sort of concealment for hiding dice rolls and such, but mostly I find it easier to simply have a full fourth to third of a rectangular table reserved for my stuff. Even players with 20/20 eyesight have a hard time reading 12-point Arial from six to eight feet away :D
Azezel 07-04-07, 04:23 PM	I like using a screen. I own the official WotC screen (the one with that comes packaged with the d20 Modern screen), but I've never used it for a couple of reasons. I also have a home-made screen. A couple of foolscap ring-binders with tables printed from the SRD glued inside. It's nice and imposing and one could hide an army of minis behind it. I only play online nowadays, but if I played in RL, this is the one I'de use. I certainly would never bring a computer to the table, and I think I'd not tollerate a DM who did that either.
Narthon 07-04-07, 04:43 PM	I certainly would never bring a computer to the table, and I think I'd not tollerate a DM who did that either. Umm, why? I've played with at least 4 DMs who use laptops and they have never caused problems.
Escef 07-04-07, 05:31 PM	I use my laptop because I have digital copies of my books and the SRD on it. It's usually faster to look things up in the books, but my laptop weighs significantly less than the core 3, the ECS, the first 4 Complete books, and the various extra monster tomes. I can also quickly freehand out a sketch of an area or the like on MS Paint. If you must have a DM Screen, I recommend some cardboard, tape, and a photocopier. You can pick and choose what tables you need the most.
Cricket_God 07-04-07, 07:33 PM	Sometimes I use a screen and sometimes I don't. I think I've liked the lack of a screen better than using the screen. The screen tended to get in my way when I was drawing things on the mat or moving minis and I've found leaving the papers I need to keep hidden in my lap more effective than putting them behind the screen. When I need to make secret rolls I just cover the die with my hand while a roll it.
Mock26 07-04-07, 07:43 PM	They can be useful. But, then again, they might be a waste of your money. I would suggest that you try to find out what information is on the screens and see if it is info you would find useful. If the answer is an overwhelming Yes, then I'd suggest you purchase it. If not, make your own. I find that Excel is a great program for creating your own custom screens. And a good thing about Excel is that you can link various sheets with hyperlinks and have an index that lets you easily find the chart that you need. I certainly would never bring a computer to the table, and I think I'd not tollerate a DM who did that either. Yeah, why wouldn't you tolerate a DM who used a laptop to make his game run much more efficiently and smoothly?
Arcane Guyver 07-04-07, 08:26 PM	I tried the Offical screen a few times, and was annoyed at having to work around it to get to see the players and get to the battlemat. Then I picked up the Eberron screen. Wider and shorter, with cool artwork. The interior is just too dense with tables to navigate (some of which exclude very basic things, like one of the dragonmarked houses...). At least this one came with a big map of Khorvaire to put on the wall. Now I use a laptop. Hands down the best D&D purchase I've ever made. If you're really concerned about players looking at your screen, there are screen covers that make it near-impossible to see anything unless you're looking directly at the screen. As someone else posted, it's much smaller than a DM shield, lighter than 4+ sourcebooks, and is faster to reference than regular books. Other perks involve using a spreadsheet prog to handle initiative, notepad for quick notes, calculator for figuring out how to divvy up GP and XP, and just in case you forget your dice, a dice rolling program. If you are good with MS Paint, it can also be good for custom maps. It's easier to keep up-to-date with errata and the official FAQ using a computer, too (rather than carrying around printouts, and in the case of the FAQ, you'll have to keep reprinting them as new content is included).