Dungeon Master Builds Ultimate DM Screen

[StewShearerOld]

Dungeon Master Builds Ultimate DM Screen

An enterprising dungeon master has built a custom designed DM screen out of plywood.

When I step into my dungeon master shoes and lead a session of <a href=http://www.escapistmagazine.com/tag/view/tabletop%20roleplaying?os=tabletop+roleplaying>tabletop role-playing, one of the biggest challenges for me is keeping everything sufficiently organized and hidden from my players. As the game gets going, it's often only a matter of minutes before my neatly labeled stack of papers and books transforms into a discombobulated jumble of loose pages. If only there was some fancy DM screen I could use to improve my game. Maybe something wooden, custom made and equipped with dual dice towers.

Enter Redditor Earl Duque.

A dungeon master, Duque recently posted a gallery to his <a href=http://imgur.com/a/9Mokv#SFKckGK>Flicker page showcasing the construction of a self-designed DM screen. Made almost entirely "out of a single piece of plywood," the screen includes space to hang up game documents, hinges to fold it shut and, perhaps best of all, homemade dice towers for both the players and the DM. As a finishing touch, he also burned the new <a href=http://www.escapistmagazine.com/tag/view/dungeons%20and%20dragons%205e?os=dungeons+and+dragons+5e>D&D logo into it for decoration and stained the wood to give the whole thing a deeper, richer color.

All in all, it's an impressive piece of <a href=http://www.escapistmagazine.com/tag/view/tabletop>tabletop ingenuity that certainly beats the living heck out of the piddly cardboard ones I usually wind up using. Take a look at it yourself and let us know what you think. Would you like one of these for your sessions as a dungeon master? What tools do you use to keep your DMing organized?

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Source: Reddit


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[RJ 17]

Wait...I thought everyone had custom-made DM screens. No? Just me, my group, and this guy? Huh.

To be fair, don't think we have any dice-rolling towers, though.

 

[Queen Michael]

Good start. Add a soda can holder and I'm sold.

 

[VladG]

It's nice but... I'm surprised this is article-worthy. Might be a cultural thing, but improvisations like that are fairly common around here, and it's not like it takes any real skill to put together a few pieces of plywood in a project like this.

Not trying to say what the guy did isn't kinda neat but... It's not really that special, either.

In fact, I'm kinda curious if other members of the escapist share my view or if this kind of DYI is unusual for you.

 

[earliodookie]

Hey, that's me! Thanks for showcasing my little project.

VladG is right in saying that there are a bunch of people who show up (on reddit, or other tabletop forums) with some insanely awesome DIY projects that easily outshine my little DM screen. But from the feedback I received and conversations it going, I think DIY posts can be pretty good for communities to drum up inspiration to get out there and do some projects that would improve their experience. In the end, our gaming is an experience and if it helps others get creative about improving their own experience, then why not? Just like any other kind of article topic/genre, moderation is usually the best.

 

[Chaos James]

Hey, that's me! Thanks for showcasing my little project.

Hey man, this thing looks freakin' nice. Made me instantly jealous that I'll never have anything quite as nice. I will probably look into constructing *something* for those few IRL sessions I get to host though. I quite like the idea of a built-in Dice Tower.

 

[Scars Unseen]

Wait...I thought everyone had custom-made DM screens. No? Just me, my group, and this guy? Huh.

To be fair, don't think we have any dice-rolling towers, though.

Our mechanically creative player was too busy designing new and exciting bongs to actually make anything for the game.

 

[Ukomba]

Wow, slow news day guys? It isn't even that impressive or difficult.

 

[JLF]

Well... good craftmanship. But this does not strike me as a big project worthy of reporting on a larger scale. Some paint on the thing and it would look great though. For a reasonable price maybe worth selling but I would probably build one myself if needed. But best of D&D luck to the maker.

 

[Fasckira]

The dice tower is a handy addition though it could do with perhaps a pull out "lip"/drawer to help stop the dice rolling into the GM's lap.

Last time I made a GM screen it was just 4 laminate sheets that I used a document binder to link together. On the player facing side I used full A4 images from the Werewolf 25th anniversary edition book and of course on the inverse I had my various dice rolls and so forth. I rarely checked it however, I only really kept it there so that the pictures would help as a constant reminder of the setting and environment.

 

[Scars Unseen]

Well... good craftmanship. But this does not strike me as a big project worthy of reporting on a larger scale. Some paint on the thing and it would look great though. For a reasonable price maybe worth selling but I would probably build one myself if needed. But best of D&D luck to the maker.

To be frank, I wouldn't mind more articles focused on player projects like this and less on click-bait gaming politics articles. Of course I know some people like those articles and the conversations they spawn, so I say why not have both?

 

[Product Placement]

Hey, that's me!

In all seriousness, though, that's a very nice looking dice throwing tower you got going there.

Still, if you want to provide a truly impressive tabletop gaming experience, might I suggest the Avenger table? [http://www.ultimategamingtable.org/]

Bonus points if you add this to the rig. [http://www.d20srd.org/extras/tabletop_projection/]

 

[RJ 17]

Wait...I thought everyone had custom-made DM screens. No? Just me, my group, and this guy? Huh.

To be fair, don't think we have any dice-rolling towers, though.

Our mechanically creative player was too busy designing new and exciting bongs to actually make anything for the game.

That sounds about right for the average D&D group. :3

 

[Metadigital]

The double sided dice tower is a nice touch, but overall, it seems really bulky, heavy, and loud.

As neat as custom DM screens / stations are, they're not for every group. When I see something like this I instantly know a lot about the DM and the group involved.

 

[Deathlyphil]

I'm more worried that the writer says they need a screen to prevent them from getting all their books messed up. If you need to refer to books that much during a session, count me out.

GM screens can be useful, but they are also a barrier between you and the players. That can say a lot about a group too.

 

[RonHiler]

How well do the dice towers work on dice with few sides (A D4 for instance)? I would think you could get such a dice to roll consistently how you wanted it to rather than truly randomly. Of course, if only the DM is rolling (and he's an honest DM), I suppose that's not a problem. But if it was an issue, you could add more complex ramps to increase randomness (e.g. have them tilted at various angles and whatnot).

Other suggestions for improvements: Add angles to the sides where the papers hang so the pages face the DM better rather than just flatly. Of course, that means it wouldn't fold up as nicely, so it's a trade-off. Second, replace paper clips with binder clips of some sort (like they have at the top of clip-boards).

Overall very nice, better than anything I could do. Well done, sir, well done.

 

[Metadigital]

GM screens can be useful, but they are also a barrier between you and the players. That can say a lot about a group too.

Exactly. As a long time DM (and designer), I actively try to encourage experienced DMs to open themselves up to the players. DM screens are kind of like training wheels, and though designs like above are impressive, they'll end up handicapping you in the long run. I don't mean this in an insulting way. Screens have their uses and projects like this can be a lot of fun! One should just be careful that they don't end up locking you in a style of play that might not end up being optimal.

 

[Thunderous Cacophony]

GM screens can be useful, but they are also a barrier between you and the players. That can say a lot about a group too.

Exactly. As a long time DM (and designer), I actively try to encourage experienced DMs to open themselves up to the players. DM screens are kind of like training wheels, and though designs like above are impressive, they'll end up handicapping you in the long run. I don't mean this in an insulting way. Screens have their uses and projects like this can be a lot of fun! One should just be careful that they don't end up locking you in a style of play that might not end up being optimal.

When people talk about DM screens as training wheels, I'm always reminded of the stories of how Gygax used to run his games, tucked behind a filing cabinet with the drawers pulled out, doing all the rolls himself and leaving his players to focus only on the disembodied voice and to roleplay with each other, without having to worry about the mechanics.

I think it's a pretty damn cool screen, and I don't see anything wrong with the Escapist sharing it. I wouldn't want it myself, as it seems a bit bulky and I never really liked dice towers, but it definitely looks like a solid (if not extraordinary) piece of craftsmanship. I guess Earl should have carved scenes of high adventure on the front before exposing it to internet criticism.

 

[Deathlyphil]

When people talk about DM screens as training wheels, I'm always reminded of the stories of how Gygax used to run his games, tucked behind a filing cabinet with the drawers pulled out, doing all the rolls himself and leaving his players to focus only on the disembodied voice and to roleplay with each other, without having to worry about the mechanics.

I think it's a pretty damn cool screen, and I don't see anything wrong with the Escapist sharing it. I wouldn't want it myself, as it seems a bit bulky and I never really liked dice towers, but it definitely looks like a solid (if not extraordinary) piece of craftsmanship. I guess Earl should have carved scenes of high adventure on the front before exposing it to internet criticism.

I don't have a problem with it existing or being on the Escapist either. In fact I'll take any recognition of tabletop RPGs on mainstream sites (If only there was more about non-D&D games here. The Wraith 20th Anniversary interview was a breath of fresh air).

Anyone who goes to the effort to make props for their games deserves some respect.

However, its not something that I would use. From the times I have used a screen, I've found it to be barrier. It gets between you and the players, making it a much more us Vs. them game. You can still have notes out, and have hidden die roles without a screen. I also try to keep referencing books to an absolute minimum during a session. The moment you crack open a book some or all of the players will lose interest, and you'll have to work twice as hard to get it back.

But again, its all in how you and your group work. Every group is different, and different people respond in different ways.

 

[Sporklyn]

Our mechanically creative player was too busy designing new and exciting bongs to actually make anything for the game.

That sounds about right for the average D&D group. :3

Makes my D&D group sound rather unusual then, since we have more females in our group than males. It's a family group comprising of my sister as DM, my brother, me, my 15yo cousin and his mother. I'd love to make something like this for my sister though.