New DM Screen - First Impressions

[ArcaneGlyph]

I received my new DM screen for 5th in the mail Tuesday.
With glee I tore that little sucker open and immediately whipped it out onto my kitchen table to be lurked behind.
The rules lawyer in me began to salivate only to be rudely disappointed in how little actual useful info is on the screen.
I was ok with the fact it was shorter than classic screens, and loved that it had a stiffer build, but the complete lack of useful rules is really quite disappointing. Now I am going to have to page flip and memorize once again :(

What does everyone else think?

Side note: yes the picture on the player side is pretty. :P

[Alucard2099]

Is there somewhere I can see what Is on the DM side of things? I don't have access to one and can't seem to find a decent picture of it.

[archaeo]

Is there somewhere I can see what Is on the DM side of things? I don't have access to one and can't seem to find a decent picture of it.

This post on EN World covers the basics (http://www.enworld.org/forum/content.php?2224-So-What-s-In-The-New-DM-Screen). I have to say, I'm not hugely impressed with it myself, but I tend to think that assembling your own rules aids is probably the best way to gain mastery over the rules anyway.

[mephnick]

Yeah, having a whole panel and a half for NPC tables, or random events is pointless. I'd print that out separately for the few occasions I would need to use it.

There's quite a few good custom ones online, that are more filled with actual rules.

[archaeo]

Yeah, having a whole panel and a half for NPC tables, or random events is pointless. I'd print that out separately for the few occasions I would need to use it.

There's quite a few good custom ones online, that are more filled with actual rules.

I mean, as cheap as this thing is, and as attractive as that big image is for the kinds of people who are into big red dragons and junk, it makes an admirable strip of cardboard to post your own tables on.

Of course, you could accomplish basically the same thing with a hunk of cardboard from your house, but hey.

[BRC]

Is this the new proper DM screen, or the Horde of the Dragon Queen screen?

[GiantOctopodes]

Shadow made a post a little bit back of his setup, which was very impressive. Quoted below. The best part of doing it that way is that it allows you to put exactly what you want on it, and for a DIY project it's not beyond the capabilities of the average forum goer.


I use two CD cases, glued/taped together, with inserts printed of the things that I want on it. Folds up nice and small, keeps things organized, sturdy as heck, and has plenty of room in it while closed up for a bunch of notes so that I don't lose them between sessions. I saw someone post something similar on a different forum and I liked the idea. After customizing it to my tastes and using it for a few sessions, I absolutely LOVE it, far far more than a traditional screen which I always considered too big.

edit:
Took a minute, but I found the one that I used as a base for mine.
http://www.enworld.org/forum/showthread.php?358900-Link-to-CD-case-DM-Screen
http://d20.llsrd.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/dnd-5e-dm-screen-rev2.pdf

https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-v-S-rWfJtUI/U__jrs6fSYI/AAAAAAAAA2k/uctM90Dsqt0/w756-h567-no/exterior.jpeg
https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-1-HoqKz9fsU/U__jrDNf9ZI/AAAAAAAAA2c/1bHDXMgDMtc/w756-h567-no/interior.jpeg

[DDogwood]

I quite like it, actually - it has some neat tables that I will likely use during my DMing. I find that, most of the time, I don't actually look at tables on the back of my DM screen, especially when I can find them in the book just as easily. This one appears to have tables for the stuff that is tougher to make up on the fly (random NPC information is a big one!) so I'm likely to use it more than my traditional screens.

[Rallicus]

Though I'm not going to buy it, since I run my games online, I like the idea of having a whole panel devoted to random NPC generation.

Maybe it's because I've discovered 5e to be a rather dull, bland system RAW -- especially as far as combat as concerned. I don't need a panel telling me how to build encounters; not like encounter building based on enemy numbers and XP works, anyway. (Theoretically it seems like it does... but actual implementation begs to differ).

[Once a Fool]

In theory, I like the idea that the DM screen is more aimed at aiding in-game improvisation and less providing pre-game information like encounter building.

In practice, though, it's still a physical wall that would get in my way (I'm a roll-out-in-the-open kind of DM) and a psychological barrier between players and DM.

[Shadow]

In theory, I like the idea that the DM screen is more aimed at aiding in-game improvisation and less providing pre-game information like encounter building.

In practice, though, it's still a physical wall that would get in my way (I'm a roll-out-in-the-open kind of DM) and a psychological barrier between players and DM.

I use my screen quite judiciously, and always have.
I use it to deter my players from metagaming.
Perception, insight, and knowledge checks are the three main examples. My players never roll these three checks.
Ever.
I roll for them and tell them what they know/remember (knowledge) or what they see/hear (perception) or or what they suspect/believe (insight).
This prevents a poor roll from erupting the table into cries of "I roll as well" and keeps them from looking for things that someone else *missed* by rolling poorly.

[Once a Fool]

Ah, well yeah. I get around that in different ways.

For one thing, if something is important enough to require a roll, a poor roll never comes without consequence.

And I have so many tricks up my sleeve for maintaining mystery that I no longer feel the need to hide mechanics from my players.

That's just personal preference, though. Rolling all dice in the open lets us blame fate for the players' misfortune. This helps foster a role of coldly impartial arbitrator for me.

This, in turn, allows me to foster the illusion that, "sure, the NPCs and the dice hate you, but I'm on your side," while simultaneously fostering the illusion that the reverse is also true.

[Easy_Lee]

There's a $20 DM screen on Amazon that I use and recommend. It has three faces, pockets on both sides, and is landscape oriented so you can actually see over it. Great thing to do before sessions is just print out some stats for things your players will encounter and keep em on the inside pockets. I keep the actual rules and tables on hand to the side since I don't need to use those very often (grognard-tier memory).

[Invader]

I received my new DM screen for 5th in the mail Tuesday.
With glee I tore that little sucker open and immediately whipped it out onto my kitchen table to be lurked behind.
The rules lawyer in me began to salivate only to be rudely disappointed in how little actual useful info is on the screen.
I was ok with the fact it was shorter than classic screens, and loved that it had a stiffer build, but the complete lack of useful rules is really quite disappointing. Now I am going to have to page flip and memorize once again :(

What does everyone else think?

Side note: yes the picture on the player side is pretty. :P

To little useful mechanical information and rules is a recurring theme ithroughout 5th IMO.

[DDogwood]

To little useful mechanical information and rules is a recurring theme ithroughout 5th IMO.

Well, less rules-heavy and more DM-driven was a design goal, so I guess they succeeded.