as i play by post i dont need a dm screen but for the purposes of this thread i will pretend i have use for one.

to me the perfect dm screen is not something that has rules on it i have books for that its something that helps me work out the results of actions basic physics concepts to jog my memory.

the laws of thermodynamics and stuff like that things that you need to know in any setting that uses physics similar to ours

also i would have a reminder that vecna is male because i always mess that up.

other things will be basic info on npcs age, race etc

For the first thing, I don't want them printed on toilet paper.  I hate flimsy screens.  The Last Unicorn Star Trek screens from back in the day are some of the worst offenders.  I LOVE the newer heavy cardboard screens like the M&M3, True 20, and WH40K screens.  If the producer isn't going to print them on something like that, I'd prefer they just put the common charts in a common place in the book, or make them a PDF download.  That way I can just copy them for myself and put them in a custom screen like "The World's Greatest Screen" or somesuch.

Don't put important info for the GM on the players's side of the screen.  It's really stupid when there are some charts which are really important for the GM, but they're shoehorned in on the back side of panel three (over on the player side).  The AD&D1e screens did this shit, putting the encounter reactions table on the player side of the GM screen.  That was one chart which should have been front and center for the GM, but it was instead shoved over in a corner.

Put important charts in good real estate.  The most commonly used charts in Mekton are the hit location charts.  They're rolled on constantly.  They're placed fairly well in the Mekton Z screen, bottom of center panel.  It would have been better had they be top center panel.  Instead the Hand to Hand chart occupies that space  , so if I have any notes in front of my screen, I'm constantly shuffling them around so I can read the hit charts.  Also, the hit modifiers chart is similarly stuck on left panel bottom.  While infrequently used charts like Let's Active!, Fighter Turn Radius, and Ship Turn Table occupy the prime real estate on that panel.  To go back to the point above about important information on the player's side: the Mekton screen isn't too bad about this.  A few injury tables are stuck on the player's side.  Basically the Mekton Z screen really needed to be a 4 panel screen.  It's not a horrible screen, but it could have used another panel and better arrangement.

Don't put wasteful charts.  My favorite example of this is the Cyberpunk 2020 screen.  It has a chart that takes up a third of the page on the left panel.  All this chart does is show the difference between the stat+skill total and a difficulty number.  Yes, this chart shows you that 20 minus 14 equals 6.  It's even better than that, though.  It isn't shaded, so it's hard to cross reference.  So, not only is it a worthless chart if you do basic math like 25 minus 12.  It's also poorly designed, and completely WASTES a whole third of a panel.  I'm not sure what information I'd like in that space for Cyberpunk, but there must certainly be something better to go there.

Another thing I've seen in some screens is a big bold blurb showing the basic mechanic of the game.  A d20 screen might show "D20 + ability modifier + skill + modifiers versus TN."  It could be argued that this is something that might go well on a player side of a screen, but it's certainly not something that needs to take up space on the GM side of the screen.  If the GM is having problem remembering a basic mechanic, then a GM screen isn't going to help.

I've mentioned player sides of screens a lot.  This is an area which could use improvement too.  Most player screens I've seen tend to just be random information which got pushed off the GM screen.  They don't really have much use to the players.  I'll use Mekton Z's screen as an example again.  The "player panel" has medical table information for the GM.  Instead this panel could have given the players something useful, like a hit location chart.  The AD&D1e Player's Reference Screen could have benefitted from a saving throw table instead of 60% of the left panel being dedicated to reprinting rules about Grenade-Like Missiles.  If the player's need to reference stuff, that is good stuff for a player's panel or screen.  The player's panel or screen is not just a spillover zone.

Sturdy and landscape, to start.

I think that rules tend to divide into several piles:
(1) Rules so basic that everyone remembers them at all times.
(2) Rules which need to be accessed during play, but are not so familar that everyone remembers them.
(3) Rules which need to be accessed in between game sessions.

Rules of type (2) are probably the ones you want on the screen.

For example, if a combat rule is "roll d20 and add modifiers" it's probably a type (1) rule and doesn't need to be on a GM screen. If a combat rule is an attack matrix, I'd put it on the GM screen.

Rules of how to level up characters are classic type (3) rules. You don't need then during play and have lots of time to look them up later on.

Good examples of stuff I'd put on a GM screen:
* Combat matrix
* List of skill types and/or saving throw types.
* Basic cost charts for stuff (on player's side)
* Basic random encounter charts
* Critical hit charts, if used
that kind of thing.

Quote from: Gabriel2;824097For the first thing, I don't want them printed on toilet paper.  I hate flimsy screens.  The Last Unicorn Star Trek screens from back in the day are some of the worst offenders.  I LOVE the newer heavy cardboard screens like the M&M3, True 20, and WH40K screens.  If the producer isn't going to print them on something like that, I'd prefer they just put the common charts in a common place in the book, or make them a PDF download.  That way I can just copy them for myself and put them in a custom screen like "The World's Greatest Screen" or somesuch.

Don't put important info for the GM on the players's side of the screen.  It's really stupid when there are some charts which are really important for the GM, but they're shoehorned in on the back side of panel three (over on the player side).  The AD&D1e screens did this shit, putting the encounter reactions table on the player side of the GM screen.  That was one chart which should have been front and center for the GM, but it was instead shoved over in a corner.

Put important charts in good real estate.  The most commonly used charts in Mekton are the hit location charts.  They're rolled on constantly.  They're placed fairly well in the Mekton Z screen, bottom of center panel.  It would have been better had they be top center panel.  Instead the Hand to Hand chart occupies that space  , so if I have any notes in front of my screen, I'm constantly shuffling them around so I can read the hit charts.  Also, the hit modifiers chart is similarly stuck on left panel bottom.  While infrequently used charts like Let's Active!, Fighter Turn Radius, and Ship Turn Table occupy the prime real estate on that panel.  To go back to the point above about important information on the player's side: the Mekton screen isn't too bad about this.  A few injury tables are stuck on the player's side.  Basically the Mekton Z screen really needed to be a 4 panel screen.  It's not a horrible screen, but it could have used another panel and better arrangement.

Don't put wasteful charts.  My favorite example of this is the Cyberpunk 2020 screen.  It has a chart that takes up a third of the page on the left panel.  All this chart does is show the difference between the stat+skill total and a difficulty number.  Yes, this chart shows you that 20 minus 14 equals 6.  It's even better than that, though.  It isn't shaded, so it's hard to cross reference.  So, not only is it a worthless chart if you do basic math like 25 minus 12.  It's also poorly designed, and completely WASTES a whole third of a panel.  I'm not sure what information I'd like in that space for Cyberpunk, but there must certainly be something better to go there.

Another thing I've seen in some screens is a big bold blurb showing the basic mechanic of the game.  A d20 screen might show "D20 + ability modifier + skill + modifiers versus TN."  It could be argued that this is something that might go well on a player side of a screen, but it's certainly not something that needs to take up space on the GM side of the screen.  If the GM is having problem remembering a basic mechanic, then a GM screen isn't going to help.

I've mentioned player sides of screens a lot.  This is an area which could use improvement too.  Most player screens I've seen tend to just be random information which got pushed off the GM screen.  They don't really have much use to the players.  I'll use Mekton Z's screen as an example again.  The "player panel" has medical table information for the GM.  Instead this panel could have given the players something useful, like a hit location chart.  The AD&D1e Player's Reference Screen could have benefitted from a saving throw table instead of 60% of the left panel being dedicated to reprinting rules about Grenade-Like Missiles.  If the player's need to reference stuff, that is good stuff for a player's panel or screen.  The player's panel or screen is not just a spillover zone.

i can agree with most of this

I want power, mystery, and the hammer of the gods. (that's my reply to everything, though).:-)

The plastic customizable Savage Worlds screen is fucking awesome for any game, particularly if you have a good printer.

Some people are down on screens, seeing them as a barrier between the players and referee, but I love them both as a prop to help establish a sense of theater, and as a way (Via the art on them) to quickly establish the mood of the game.

I have a custom DM screen I use for 5E and it has Equipment lists, conditions, actions and lots of useful stuff that have tables in game.
I prefer to have all that in one place, rather than flip through the PHB or DMG for regularly used game mechanics.

Actually I took a look at the official DM screen for 5E and it's useless. So I won't be bothering with it.

As long as it prevents the DM rays from burning my skin I am ok with whatever screen they come out with. :cool:

Quote from: danskmacabre;824377Actually I took a look at the official DM screen for 5E and it's useless. So I won't be bothering with it.

So many GM screens are absolutely useless.  I don't think many of them have any thought put into them.  They're just another product which can be added to the line, so they are, as a complete afterthought.  Someone with page design software throws some tables together randomly, then some stock art from the line is tossed on the other side.  Some of the worst adventures for any games are included with GM Screens.

I'd rather not play a game with rules complicated enough to require constant reference to a screen or a book. No GM screens.  It means your rules are too mucked up and unnecessarily complicated.

Quote from: Matt;824759I'd rather not play a game with rules complicated enough to require constant reference to a screen or a book. No GM screens.  It means your rules are too mucked up and unnecessarily complicated.

Speaking for myself only. I make GM screens for all RPGs I run. even for pretty simple RPGs (such as sine nomine' Stars without number). It's just the quicker you can move things along the better.
5E is probably one of the simplest versions of DnD so far. You can do without a GM screen, it's just a little faster and more convenient book-wise to have one.

I hardly ever use a GM screen, so I guess the answer would be 'nothing'.

Quote from: K Peterson;824099Sturdy and landscape, to start.

Bingo. That would be first for me, as well.

I suppose that while i might not use the screen as a screen, it could be useful if it had good reference charts.