Like the 4e and Pathfinder screens this is a sturdy, thick screen of 4 panels.
Like 4e (but unlike Pathfinder) it is presented in Landscape format.
In comparisons to the screens of the "good old days" there seems to less information on these. Granted the D&D5 rules are more abstract than the AD&D 1st ed ones were. It does have the Conditions, and some various DC related tables. There is also a panel dedicated to random NPC generation.
It is a good screen, but I might be taping my own tables on it after a while. Though the conditions are nice to have right in front of me.
The feel is certainly similar to the 4e one, as well as the production values.
Looking over the 4e screen again made both miss and hate my time behind it. I did have fun with 4e. But the combats took SOOOOO long. Even when I shortened them up. In D&D 5 Ican whip through combats really fast.
I have had a love-hate relationship with DM screens. I love the idea; iconic art on one side, useful tables on the other. The trouble is the useful information is usually not the information I need.
The 1st ed one had a bunch of psionics information, which is cool when I was running a psionic game. I might print out some tables of my own. Like examples of various traps and their DCs to find and disable. Or situations where players have Advantage or Disadvantage.
Now all I really need is a good B/X DMs screen.
You got it early. Releases on the 20th!
ReplyDeleteThanks for posting, Tim. I really dig the landscape screens. What's on the inside panel to the far right? That image is a little fuzzy. I like having the conditions, but I think it's a waste of space to present them in that way. The pics are cool, in the book. On the limited real estate of a DM screen, not so much.
ReplyDeleteThat is blurry. I will have to check when I get home.
ReplyDeleteI can't remember any time I used the info on the back of the DM screen. Usually I have everything written down directing me to a book with a page number, or as it usually goes with the players, I have to wing it!
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