In my career as a gamer I’ve sat on either side of a lot of screens, both commercial and homemade, and I’ve got to say that this is one of the best-looking, best-constructed screens I’ve ever seen. It’s a four-panel, landscape oriented screen, which is not a new idea, but that’s okay. I like the format because it allows the gamemaster to see the table while still keeping the players from seeing the GM’s notes. It’s heavy-duty, heavier than the covers of the core rulebooks, and glossy to make it resistant to spilled beverages, blood, and other viscous fluids. Oh, and it has reference tables, too.
The artwork on the player side, by Francis Tsai, depicts many classic foes: drow, a roper, a beholder, an umber hulk, and… bugbears? I thought bugbears weren’t included in the Monster Manual? Maybe there’s hope. It’s a solid mural depicting a dungeon scene that spans all four panels.
As with most screens, it contains commonly-used tables from the core rulebooks. From left to right, panel 1 has Experience Point Rewards, Damage by Level, costs of Food, Drink and Lodging, information on light sources, and Character Advancement. Panel 2 has Actions in Combat and Attack Modifiers. Panel 3 has DCs to Break or Burst common items, Target DCs, Fall Severity, DCs for Commonly Used Skills, Cover and Concealment. Panel 4 has various Conditions, and info and healing and dying. Everything you need, really, laid out in an easy-to-read format.
What I like best, though, and a feature that I hope other screen designers adopt, is that each table lists the book and page number it’s taken from. Target DCs? DMG 42 (Dungeon Master’s Guide, page 42. Useful if you need clarification
Buy Dungeons & Dragons Dungeon Master’s Screen
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