AD&D2e DM screen redesign

I've been redesigning my DM shield so that its table contents aligns better with those presented in AD&D2e. The old one was a bit of a mish-mash of OSRIC, AD&D1e, and my house rules — this one still includes a little idiosyncratic content, but not much. Pretty much just accommodating Ascending Armour Class, really.

• I've put the PDF (approx. 4.5MB) on my Google Drive, at https://drive.google.com/file/d/12rM7SYIBZ3WpQLH4ZaTIOkmAN7M3jkAl/view?usp=sharing

I originally designed it in Serif PagePlus IX, but when Serif abandoned that software and went over wholly to the Affinity suite of vector, pixel and layout apps, they elected (for some incomprehensible reason) to devote absolutely no effort at all to creating any sort of import filters for their own old software. It caused a degree of discontent in their clientele, I can tell you.

Anyway, it's done now, and updated not only in content, but in format, so I can edit it in the new and shiny Affinity 3 software. And I've learned a bit more about how to handle the software, which is all to the good.

Until they change their minds again and abandon this one as well. 

Page 1

Page 2

Page 3

Page 4

Page 5

These last two pages are smaller, just A5, and they're intended as flyouts mounted on the folds between the main pages. If I find there's something more I want to include with the screen, I can add pretty well as many of these as I like. And, in fact, it would probably be a good idea to transfer all of Page One's content to these sub-pages, and leave the main fold-out screen at four panels — five is a bit wide for our table.

[Edit]  In fact I did that. All of the Page One info is now duplicated on these smaller flyout pages, so you can choose which ones to print.

Sub-Page 1 

Sub-Page 2

 

Sub-Page 3

Sub-Page 4

DM Screen — slow progress

I've been doing a bit more work on my AD&D/OSRIC DM screen, and it's almost ready for prime time. However, I have a great huge gaping hole on sheet #4 that I am entirely without inspiration as what to fill it with.

There's some spare space on sheet #1 as well, but I'm less concerned with that. If there's an emergency need, I'll put something there, otherwise I probably won't bother.

Later....

I've about finished, I think. There are still a couple of lacunae, but I can fill them if I really find something useful, or else maybe just with some graphics.

Later again....

I've added an alternative last panel that includes THAC0 (for descending AC) and Attack Bonuses (for ascending AC) in place of the Aerial Agility Class and Unnatural Aging information.

The PDF can be seen here, assuming I've configured the Google Drive link correctly — it's under 2 MB.

AD&D DM Screen — WiP

Page 1

 I'm very slowly making myself a new DM screen for AD&D, to replace the one I made about 35 years ago from photocopied bits of the DMG glued to bits of cardboard.

The page size is A4 (landscape), and so far I'm up to five panels. I probably don't want to go any higher than that, as it would tend to be wider than our gaming table.

The page order as shown here is only provisional, and there are a lot more bits and pieces I could include (and probably will).

Page 2

Page 3

Page 4

Page 5

D&D 5e DM Screen update

I've added another couple of pages to my DM Screen, adding tables for Chases, Traps, Carousing, Crafting and Selling Magic Items, and Madness.

I don't have these two pages permanently mounted on my screen; I've just printed them double-sided and laminated, and keep them with — but not of — the screen.

The PDF is now 6 pages, and about 260 KB. You can get it here.

D&D 5e DM Screen — updated

I've updated my D&D 5e DM Screen to include material from the DMG, and I also took the opportunity to fix a couple of errors that had crept into the first version. It's a fourseven-page PDF*, about a couplahunnerd KB. You can nab a copy here.

NOTE: I've taken to using the pages as a laminated flip-book set of reference sheets rather than a screen, but you can print and use it in the form that best suits you.

Here it is in use, in all its glory. I could maybe just fit another page and not quite have it falling off the edges of the table, but it would be more trouble than it's worth I think.

The fundamental structure of the thing is just box card; I've used much heavier card in the past to make other screens, but there's not really much benefit to that, or so I've found. The outside is covered with some antique Edwardian wallpaper I found in a junk shop, the inside is (of course) the laser-printed data sheets. It stands 175mm tall, so it's low enough for me to see over pretty easily. Laid out flat, it's about 1230mm long.

D&D 5e DM Screen — Progress

I've filled up three pages, which is sufficient to make the screen self-standing. It could include one more page, but any more than that and it would be getting unmanageably wide, so I'll try it out as it is for a while and see how it goes.

No doubt there will be more stuff I think will be vital to have at my finger-tips once the DMG comes out in December.

You can download the most recent version here — the PDF is about 195 KB.

D&D5e — DM Screen

I am working on a DM Screen for D&D 5e, and I've run into a bit of a blockage.

It really needs at least three panes to stand up by itself and to guard the flanks of my oh-so-secret DM dice rolling and note taking and crap like that. However, I'm struggling to fill even two panes. There's more equipment price lists I could throw in there, but that seems like rather a waste of space when all one really needs is where to find them without any extraneous page-turning.

I imagine there will be more stuff that might be useful when the DMG comes out, but I won't be getting mine until a couple of weeks after it's released, so about Xmas time.

If anyone is feeling of a mind to help, take a look at this WiP PDF, and feel free to make any suggestions for stuff you think would be useful to a struggling DM in the middle of a game.

The pages are each 180 x 297 mm (that's roughly 7" x 12"), which I find low enough to see over easily, but tall enough to keep my super-secret DM secrets secret.

Note: I'm not really all that concerned with the sanctity of DM secrets these days, and do most of my rolling and stuff out in the searing light of day, but it is useful to have handy information at one's fingertips to avoid constantly paging through manuals for stuff.