New DM has questions for upcoming campaign

[Harbinger_]

So the title says it all. While I've done small stuff to help a DM before with a campaign like provide some story-line ideas I'm preparing to start my own campaign.
I have pretty much every 3.5 book there is thanks to some donations from a good friend but one of the things I don't have is a DM screen which I'll more than likely need to make. I used to play D&D a bit a few years back but lately I haven't had the opportunity as it's difficult to organize schedules.

So question number one is what info should a beginning DM have on their screen.

And question number two is what books will I need the most for a core campaign?

I should note that the campaign I'm doing is entirely of my own mind.

[Allanimal]

So question number one is what info should a beginning DM have on their screen.


DCs for various tasks of each skill, and their modifiers.
Which actions provoke AOOs
Combat modifiers
Summary of combat moves (trip, bull rush, grapple etc)

Those are what I flip through the book for most.

[under_score]

As far as quick access to regularly needed info, I find http://www.d20srd.org/ to be more than sufficient.

[Tehnar]

The very best Dm screen I found to be laptop /monitor; the Hypertext SRD (http://www.d20srd.org/) is your best friend. Otherwise I found the Combat chapter of the PHB very helpful for reference.

If you are doing a Core only campaing (Core usually means the PHB, DMG, MM and sometimes the XPH), then you just need those books.

If you want to expand things I think that the complete series, the enviroment series (frostburn, strormwrack, dungeonscape and sandstorm) with the spell compendium and magic item compendium make a nice big rounded whole.

[Godskook]

Personally, I'd recommend getting and using ToB for your melee needs, for several reasons.

1.Your group will be more accepting of it as a source if you use it from the start.

2.While practically as complicated as casting, it'll keep your melee from feeling useless after the casters start figuring out how to optimize.

[Harbinger_]

Awesome now out of curiosity what do all those abbreviations mean? :)

[Pigkappa]

DC: Difficulty ...? (don't remember what the C stands for, maybe "Class"), the difficulty of a roll. For example when you as a wizard cast Fireball as a 3rd level spell and you have 16 Int, the DC of the saving throw is 16 = 10 + 3 + 3.

AOOs = attacks of opportunity.

PHB = player's handbook.

DMG = dungeon master guide.

MM = monster manual.

XPH = ...I don't know.

ToB = Tome of Battle.

[under_score]

XPH = Expanded Psionics Handbook

Basically all the psionic stuff on the SRD comes from this.

[Provengreil]

@pigkappa: yes, DC is difficulty class, though difficulty check means pretty much the same thing if you remember that better.

as for a screen, my group has 2 tables: a large coffee table we use for the main game, and a small round table the dm uses as a desk. the smaller table is usually a tad above eye level for the players(coffee table is short), so any note or printout he needs can be spread out without the PCs being able to subtly peek. also on this table he uses a laptop open to the SRD. with that kind of setup, we have no need of a screen.