Comments on: Pimp Your GMing Screen

By: Martin

Martin — Wed, 04 Oct 2006 14:36:17 +0000

I have a huge nerd crush on GMing screens (they’ve always been one of my favorite RPG doodads), and I love hearing about everyone’s pimped out, customized screen options — or non-screens, in the case of the laptops. Good stuff!

Along the lines of Castle Greyskull, some of the older Lego castles seem like they could be easily adapted for use as GMing screens. The newer ones seem more fiddly, but if you had a big enough Lego collection they might work as well. Now I want to go out and buy some Lego.

By: Rick the Wonder Algae

Rick the Wonder Algae — Mon, 02 Oct 2006 13:48:02 +0000

Thanks a LOT John and Zephos. You realize now I have to go find an old Castle Greyskull set and do a case-mod to put a PC in it.
…. Damn freaking good ideas.

By: ScottM

ScottM — Mon, 02 Oct 2006 04:33:52 +0000

While I don’t usually modify the GM screen, I do compile 3×5 cards with rules reminders, punch a hole in the corner, and cycle through them as required. That’s often enough to eliminate the need for a screen at all.

By: Stephen

Stephen — Sun, 01 Oct 2006 06:52:59 +0000

Laptop all the way.

By: Rophan

Rophan — Sat, 30 Sep 2006 18:07:07 +0000

I don’t use paperclips, I use sticky notes with my own charts and info.

By: Jon \\

Jon \\ — Sat, 30 Sep 2006 00:06:25 +0000

I run Cyberspace, which no one has ever made a screen for. Thus I let loose on a old carboard box to make my current screen.

It’s rediculously large compared to other screens, in a jumbo deluxx sort of way. I photocopied the charts I wanted from the books, and arranged them in a way that was most approptiate for me. For the outside of the screen, I made copies of the most choice art from the book.

This way, I get thing exactly how I like them, and my players definately know their playing my game.

By: Karl Gallagher

Karl Gallagher — Fri, 29 Sep 2006 22:43:38 +0000

I use a three ring binder to hold most of my GM stuff. It has pockets on the cover. So I decorated it with pix from the RPG.net “motivational posters” thread. Including “smart aleck comments” with the MST3K guys and “rocks fall, everybody dies.”

I’ve also started keeping my character sheets (when I’m a player) in a three ring binder. Haven’t lost one since.

By: Zephyros

Zephyros — Fri, 29 Sep 2006 20:21:25 +0000

I’m with John — my laptop is my GM screen. My standard practice has been to set up a spreadsheet with my PCs’ spot/search/listen checks, which I roll to keep them from inferring things they oughtn’t. (“Did I really not hear anything, or did I fail my roll?”) Spreadsheets can also be used to recreate the charts and tables commonly found on DM screens. Mood music is at my fingertips, and I keep a playlist of songs just for that purpose. (There’s a thought for a future column: a list of songs by game genre and purpose.) I can also digitally bookmark PDFs for specific monster stats instead of having a stack of books at the table to tip off my players. (I keep the core books on hand in hard copy for quick rule reference; paging through a PDF isn’t nearly as easy, or satisfying, as thumbing through a book…especially when you know intuitively where the rule you’re referencing is.)

I’ve even in the past used my laptop to coordinate with a co-GM, and to conduct private conversations with players via instant message instead of passing notes. (Yes, I allow my players laptops if I am using one. I’m many things, but a hypocrite is not one of them.)

It’s possible that a laptop can be more distracting than a regular old DM screen. That only happens, though, if you let it. When I run a game, I don’t look at any chat windows or surf the net. My focus is on the game and on my players. I don’t reference the LCD screen any more than I would reference a DM screen or handwritten notes. If my players’ laptop use gets out of hand, then that means *I* am not keeping their attention properly and I need to do something about that. Either way, it boils down to being another tool in the toolbox: as useful as you make it.

(Useful or not, it sadly doesn’t have the atmosphere that Castle Freaking Greyskull imparts. That sounds awesome.)

By: John Arcadian

John Arcadian — Fri, 29 Sep 2006 18:06:37 +0000

I usually don’t use a GM’s screen anymore. I love my laptop for GMing. I like to make excel spreadsheets with the information I need, and then I just go from page to page with all the info at my fingertips. I also use a printout booklet of any system rules, or tables, etc. and then I just flip from there.

I am tempted to get all fancy with my new scrollsaw and do a wooden screen, just for old times sake. I think someone, maybe Troy, said they used an old Castle Greyskull toy. That would be grand, and I may have to go shopping soon.

By: Gospog

Gospog — Fri, 29 Sep 2006 14:23:02 +0000

I think Jeff beat me to it.

The Pinnacle Customizable Screens rock!

http://www.peginc.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=S&Product_Code=1CGS&Category_Code=C04

By: Jeff Rients

Jeff Rients — Fri, 29 Sep 2006 13:24:27 +0000

When I roll out my screen I go with a total custom job, starting with this puppy. In the front I slip art designed to evoke the mood desired for the session. The backside might be full of my own hand-picked and custom-arranged selection of charts, or it might be blank.